Grass Valley • Grass Valley Museum - 410 S. Church St, 530-273-5509 Built in 1865 as a convent for Sisters of Mercy. A restored school and orphanage that offers a glimpse of some of the past uses of the building. You will see an original classroom, parlor, music room, doctor's office and memorabilia from the early days of Grass Valley. Registered as a State Historical Landmark. Winter months hours vary, please call first. Tours given by docents. Call for group tour reservations. Admission - donations. • North Star Mining Museum - End of Mill St. at Allison Ranch Rd., 530-273-4255. Displays of mining equipment and artifacts from the 1880's can be seen. The largest Pelton Wheel ever constructed and used to generate power for mining operations. The largest operational Cornish pump is also on display. A secluded picnic area is just across the bridge that crosses Wolf Creek. Open May 1st thru Sept. 30th, 10am-4pm. Closed during the winter months but open for groups for a $25 charge. Admission - donations. • Grass Valley Video History Museum and Thimble Theater Central Avenue off Hwy. 174 in the middle of Memorial Park, 530-274-1126. Displaying a large collection of historical film footage locally and from around the world for you viewing entertainment. Local documentaries include: "Grass Valley Gold" - complete history of Grass Valley and the richest mines in California, "Nevada County Narrow Gauge" - Ride the "Never Come Never Go Railroad" from Colfax to Nevada City and all stops in between. You will also see many local artifacts. Open May 1st thru Oct. 30th, Thursday thru Sunday, 11am-4pm Admission - donations. Thimble Theater seats 40 persons, complete video projection facility; available for special events, meetings, clubs and organizations. Historic Parks • The Empire Mine State Historic Park - 10791 E. Empire St., 530-273-8522. This is the site of the oldest, richest mine in California. An estimated 5.8 million ounces of gold were extracted from the mine from the time of its discovery in 1850 until the mines closure in 1956. Open daily, closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas day and New Years Day. Call for park hours. Adults $3, children 6-12 $1. • Bridgeport Historic State Park - Pleasant Valley Rd. at the South Yuba River, Penn Valley 530-432-2546. Only 9 covered bridges built before 1900 remain in California and Bridgeport is one of them. It is the longest single span covered bridge of its type in the United States. It was built in 1862 at 251 feet and reduced in length to 229 feet in 1971. The Bridge is both a State and National Historic Landmark. Programs offered: Bridge and Local History tours by docents, Gold Panning demonstrations, Wildflower Walks, Bird Walks, Pine Needle Basket classes, Gold Panning demonstrations. Call for days and times. Special tours are available by arrangement. • Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park - 23579 N. Bloomfield Rd., 530-265-2740. Site of two precedents set for the state of California. Opened in 1866 and once the world's largest hydraulic mining site. Closed in 1884 due to environmental consequences, debris and silt deposits from the mine were blamed for the flooding of Marysville and navigational problems in the Sacramento River and San Francisco Bay. Museum, tours, cabin rentals and campsites. Grass Valley Attractions • Grass Valley Public Library - 207 Mill St., 530-273-4117 Built in 1916 with a Carnegie Foundation grant, and located on the home site of philosopher and historian Josiah Royce. • Holbrooke Hotel - 212 W. Main St., 530-273-1353 Built in 1851, burned down in 1855 and rebuilt in 1862, houses the oldest bar in California, the Golden Gate Saloon. This hotel has accommodated four U.S. presidents. • Lola Montez House - 248 Mill St. This was the home to Lola Montez, an internationally known performer. Grass Valley's first election was held here in 1850. Now the home to Grass Valley/Nevada County Chamber of Commerce. • Lotta Crabtree House - 238 Mill St. Lotta Crabtree entertained miners in the mining camps and later became a stage star. She was the first American entertainer to become a millionaire, earning an estimated $3 million. Legend is Lola Montez taught Lotta Crabtree to sing and dance • Union Square Building - 151 Main St. The Union newspaper was established in 1864 and published in this building for 76 years before it changed locations. The publisher stood for the preservation of the Union during the Civil War and thusly named the newspaper The Union. • Nevada County Bank Building - 131 Mill St. Perhaps the most impressive of all downtown buildings. This glass domed structure was built in 1917 and renovated in 1975. • Adams Express and Stage Co. Building - 102 Mill St. Grass Valley's first brick structure. • Chinatown - Bank St. Much of the area that was once Grass Valley's Chinatown is now a parking lot. Second only to San Francisco's Chinatown, more than 1.000 Chinese lived here in the 1870's. You could find stores, gardens, opium and gambling parlors and "houses of joy." • The Golden Gate Rooms - 122 East Main St. Second Floor Grass Valley's most famous brothel. • Williams Stationery - 112 West Main St. Grass Valley's second oldest building, built in 1854-55. • Montez Theater - 116 West Main Street Named for Lola Montez, this theater operated in the 1930's and 1940's. • William Campbell Residence - 328 So. Church St. This was the home of one of Grass Valley's earliest settlers who became one of the county's wealthiest citizens. • Mount Saint Mary's Convent, Chapel and St. Patrick's Cemetery - end of Church St. The first church was dedicated in 1859 and the convent completed in 1863. The Sisters of Mercy operated a school for orphans whose parents had died from mining accidents or illnesses. The cemetery across the street is one of the area's oldest, dating to 1853. The existing St. Joseph's Hall was built in 1894. Art Exhibits • Neighborhood Center For The Arts - 200 Litton Dr. G.V., 530-272-7287 A group of talented local artists, who are developmentally disabled, feature their work. 9:30am-2:30pm daily. Call for special exhibits. Close By • Bridgeport Historic State Park - Pleasant Valley Rd. at the South Yuba River, Penn Valley, 530-432-2546 Only 9 covered bridges built before 1900 remain in California and Bridgeport is one of 1111111• them. It is the longest single span covered bridge of its type in the United States. It was built in 1862 at 251 feet and reduced in length to 229 feet in 1971. The Bridge is both a State and National Historic Landmark. Programs offered: Bridge and Local History tours by docents, Gold Panning demonstrations, Wildflower Walks, Bird Walks, Pine Needle Basket classes, Gold Panning demonstrations. Call for days and times. Special tours are available by arrangement. • Rough and Ready - located west of Grass Valley, on the Rough and Ready Highway The town was named for President Zachary Taylor, old Rough and Ready himself. This small town made history by seceding from the Union when the government imposed a Mining Tax on the town in 1850. Rough and Ready still holds an annual Secession Day celebration complete with a chili cookoff the last Sunday in June.