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    Empire Mine State Historic Park

    4.8 (225 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Empire Mine State Historic Park Photos

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    Megan B.

    This place did not disappoint. We went through the museum and then through all the grounds. It was such a gorgeous day and many people were there just to take pictures or with a blanket on the ground to read a book or enjoy each other's company. We looked at each place and I enjoyed pushing the buttons to hear the information. We went down into the old mineshaft and man was this neat. The blacksmith was in today. Entrance was only $5 a person and it was well worth it. After we closed down the park, we went for a long hike which is outside the gates. The hiking part is free. It was so beautiful and romantic especially with all the foliage. If you have not been here definitely worth the visit.

    Blacksmith
    Lily M.

    Super nice spot. Lots of parking and very nice staff. We went in the winter so it was very green and a lil chilly. Amazing to see how well history is preserved here. The rooms of the buildings are full of historical items and show what it was like when the mine was running. Kind of feels like you have been transported back in time. Was super cool that there were blacksmiths working too. They made a variety of items and told the story of their significance. You can also go down into the mine, but we just saw the entrance since we weren't on a tour. The buildings were beautiful, cool to see on the stairs inside their wear since they have been used so many times. The cottage was lovely too great for photos. Was only $5 per person to get into the park which is well worth it. There are a good amount of bathrooms inside and out and lots of trails around the area. Very nice spot will come back.

    Old mining feature, covered with moss
    Epa S.

    Had a memorable hike here recently. The old mine remnants are slowly being taken over by the vegetation and land. It was poignant. Beautiful wildflowers. Several trails to follow, none too challenging, I had to stop a few times on a few of the inclines.

    Kathy T.

    Just a minute from downtown ! What a great way to spend a few hours to learn about the mining and gold history. The grounds are gorgeous and the tour was so informative. I learned a ton about the area ---and I'm relatively local. Restrooms are also very clean ---a plus when running around all day!

    Tatyana t.

    Such a beautiful place! We've gone a few times and always enjoy it. The grounds are gorgeous and the history is really interesting. Definitely take a tour if you can -- it makes the experience so much better. Highly recommend for families, visitors, or anyone who enjoys history and nature.

    Volunteer blacksmith
    Alex C.

    One of California's oldest, largest, deepest, longest, and richest (say THAT 10x fast!) gold mines, Empire Mine State Historic Park was an excellent pit stop on our way back home from Tahoe. Having operated for over 100 years before it finally shut down in 1956, over 5.8 million ounces of gold have been extracted from this mine during its operation. Consisting of over 367 miles of now abandoned and flooded mine shafts, this complex and sophisticated network of tunnels is fully mapped out with a scale model of the mine that was utilized by the former mine managers and hidden in a secret room. This secret, complex and elaborate model can now be viewed clearly in the Visitor's Center. And includes an audio and visual explanation with a push of a button. The grounds itself consist of the gardens, the estate, and the mine yards, which contain many of the mine's original buildings. One of our favorite stops in the mine yard was the blacksmith shop, in which volunteer blacksmiths would do actual live demonstrations of metal working and provide a brief presentation of the history of the blacksmith shop at the mine. The presentation was very educational, and we even got to see the blacksmith make a salt spoon out of an old railroad nail. We were told the volunteers only stay until 2:30pm, so make sure to arrive earlier in the day if you want to check this out. Free parking is available in a private lot, and entrance fee for self-guided tours is $5/pp. Operating hours during the summer is daily from 10am-5pm. Private tours are available with advanced reservations. For those just looking for some easy hiking through this rugged area, the park also offers fourteen miles of trails with free access to explore to your hearts content. We didn't have enough time to check out the entire park as we needed to head off. But definitely look forward to doing a private tour of the rest of the grounds the next time we find ourselves passing through Grass Valley!

    Blacksmith
    Ana F.

    While visiting family in Auburn one of the ideas of going to this State Park was brought up. I said why not and off we went. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. The grounds were pretty big and we learned a lot about gold and the work it took just to get just a small amount of gold. The tour guide was full of information and we all enjoyed the tour and then the blacksmith area was also interesting. They also are full of interesting history . The main house was beautiful and the pool was a bit gross but you can tell that it was beautiful in its day. I'm totally bummed I missed the store they have there. They said it was volunteer ran and by the time I finished our tour the volunteer had to leave early. I'll have to make a quick return one day. Totally worth the trip if you love history.

    Lil B.

    This was such a cool experience. Shout out to the blacksmith Hal that made all three of us the amazing rings from a nail. Enjoyed a hike also. Lots to see and do. Could probably visit at least a half a dozen times and still not see all the hiking trails. There are places to park that are not at the "official" state park but I think it's important to pay the park fees to support the land use. Plus, the bathrooms here were decent. There are porta potties aroun

    Entrance Fee
    Jonathan S.

    We came to the Empire Mine the day before Thanksgiving after going to Filoli Gardens and Mansion a couple months ago. While at Filoli Gardens, we earned about the Empire Mine and the Bourn Family. It was not super busy here on the day before Thanksgiving, but I was surprised how many people were present during the docent guided tours. The park opens at 10:30am and the tour of the cottages starts at 11am-12pm and the mine tour starts at 12pm-1pm. There is a $5 entrance fee per person to enter the park. You are free to roam around the grounds, but I highly recommend taking the docent guided tours if you want to learn about the history of gold mining in the area as well as the history of the Bourn Family who were the most successful owners of the mine. Whether you visit the Empire Mine first or Filoli Gardens, I recommend you tour both!

    Old estate area
    Jennifer N.

    A bit of a trip from the East Bay but very worth it for the fall colors and historical aspect of this park. Way up near Grass Valley, the grounds of this state park feature hiking trails, historical grounds and a small museum. Parking is free and it's free to visit the trails and picnic areas and museum. However if you do want to see the historic grounds, mining area and old estate, there's a $5 per person fee. I happily paid that and was transported to lovely area of fall colors, the old estate (outdoors only,) with its pool and fountains as well as the old mining area. You can even go partway down one of the shafts. Very cool little area and I'd definitely want to come back next fall and try some of their hiking trails. They do docent led tours as well as host various events so check out their website for the latest. If you're driving from further away, it's easy to make a day out of it and head in to Nevada City afterwards for shopping and lunch.

    Mine
    Jen H.

    Went on a last minute excursion to Empire Mine!! It was such a beautiful day and the grounds were absolutely stunning! It was like a walk into history. It gives soo much Poldark and Jane Austin vibes. I highly recommend going on both their tours. The cottage was stunning and we loved going down the mine shaft. You are only allowed inside the cottage and get the mine shaft simulation during the tours. It is incredible just how much gold they mined during that time period! The only downside is I wish they would give a 30 minute break between the 2 tours so we could take a lunch and potty break. Their museum was really good and highly informative AND I was incredibly impressed how clean their restrooms were for a park. Definitely go, if you haven't been.

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    Fabulous tour and historic facility! Highly recommend it for all ages. The visitor center was staffed and very interesting.

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    4 years ago

    Great history and grounds are beautiful ! I bring friends here to experience the history of Nevada County

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    2 years ago

    Visiting with my family and learning along the way. This park is well maintained. The staff is well trained.

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    Ask the Community - Empire Mine State Historic Park

    Review Highlights - Empire Mine State Historic Park

    After the tours, we continued on with a self guided tour and even got to watch the Blacksmiths at work.

    Mentioned in 19 reviews

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    South Yuba River State Park
    South Yuba River State Park - Wildflowers on the Point Defiance trail

    Wildflowers on the Point Defiance trail

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    So many globe Lillie's on trail

    Empire Mine State Historic Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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