This museum has exhibits in different first floor sections of the courthouse. We happened to go on a holiday weekday when court wasn't in session, so it wasn't busy & it was an easy walk in. The outside architecture of the building is stately. When we entered the main area of the museum, we were nicely greeted by a staffer who explained different areas to see. She also told us about Heritage Trail stamp cards, which we started (6/6/26 to 9/12/26 event). There's quite a bit we saw including... 13+ lbs of gold in the Placer County Gold Collection Courthouse building history Fossils Stagecoach Sheriff's office set up Native American artifacts Railroad info Andrew Carnegie libraries legacy in the area Artwork Historical clothing styles Hands-on telegraph to learn Morse Code Photo cutouts & "Wanted" sign props that we had fun with This was a nicely laid out, richly educational, & interesting place to visit that didn't take a lot of time to see. read more

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I recommend you visit the historic courthouse in Auburn, CA. The museum has plenty of interesting stories and artifacts to explore. The courthouse is a well-known landmark in this charming and inspiring town. read more

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Located inside The Placer County Courthouse building, this museum houses some of the historic artifacts from the early Nisenan inhabitants. It also includes the Pate Collection of American Indian artifacts and the original Thomas Kinkade painting "Auburn Centennial". The Placer County Gold Collection is also on exhibit here. Free admission and located on the first floor. Second floor is an active superior courthouse. We had a great time exploring this museum. read more

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Gone day tripping to check this out. Found myself confused as we went thru metal detector and security entrance. It was a small room museum and a part of the lobby you can look into inside a courthouse. It is rich in local history. There were artifacts on judges clothings, native Americans history, jail cell and reward system. Medicine and Nursing related technology evolution. There were lots of information to read on along each possible spot. Good museum if you are killing time, not much enjoyable for small kids other than the pretend jail prisoner props you can use for picture taking and the phone code transmission you can try. Free museum. read more

Fun and free admission. Even if you are a good student and read the info at each display you can see it all in one hour. Little kids will probably be bored to death in 8 minutes. read more

Placer County Museum - Museums Near Me - Auburn, California

This museum is full of beautifully curated items. There are docents that point out interesting things. Loved the Video on trains, "Mastering the Mountains " Basket collection is fantastic. Free Museum! read more

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On Saturday morning we stopped by to visit this historic landmark which was originally a courthouse and jail. We decided on taking one of their guided tours with a museum staff member to learn a bit more of the history. The woman was very patient with taking the time to answer some of our curious questions and I learned a lot from the history of gold, American Indians etc. and even got a chance to see an original painting of Thomas Kinkade depicting the town! Such a fan of his and a very well done painting! Not to mention they had this funny photo props area with fake mustaches and wanted frames and I dawned one lol, ever hear of the bearded lady, if she can pull it off, then so can I!? One last tid bit, did you know the American Indian babies wore moss diapers and were carried on their mama's back in a cradle while she worked, quite the multitasker?! I would highly recommend stopping in and visiting this free museum here in Auburn, don't forget to put in a donation before you leave, your funds help to keep this museum alive and running! On Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. rain or shine they offer free guided tours of Old Town Auburn starting here, check it out! I know I will my next visit when it's a bit warmer! read more

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On vacation in Auburn on a November rainy Sunday afternoon, we passed by the historic Courthouse, but doubtful anything would be open. Lo and behold, cars were in the parking lot, and the Placer County Museum was open for visitors! Turns out the museum is open seven days a week. Jo Ann, the wonderful museum docent on hand, started us out with great tips and brochures on things to see in Auburn and the museum. It is so nice (and sometimes all too rare) for a tourist to be welcomed by natives! Although not a large museum, there is more here than it appears at first look. The exhibits are thoughtful and well designed, and we ended up spending an enjoyable hour or more visiting here. Exhibits ranged from the original Native Americans to early settlers, and into the 20th century. Don't miss the film on the Lincoln Highway (that runs through Auburn). We were reminded again on some exhibits how things we take for granted today were a huge leap forward, connecting a once isolated California with the rest of the country. For museum and history lovers this museum is definitely worth a stop. read more

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How awesome to see such history. Come visit. Great for children and adults!! And it's free.

When we came it was closed, but we were able to enjoy the outside. The steps go on forever and you can take some amazing pictures on them. The place is beautiful and a great place to visit. Some day I hope to make it inside. read more

Placer County Museum - Long walk, great view - Museums Near Me - Auburn, California

I had a great time here with the entire family. The docents were extremely welcoming, and the officers at the front were friendly as well. This is a great place for a piece of local history. read more

Placer County Museum - Museums Near Me - Auburn, California

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The Placer County Museum is a small historical museum in the ground floor of the historic county courthouse near Old Town Auburn. It is easily seen from the freeway with decent parking, although Saturday mornings are difficult with the farmers market. Coincidently, the museum offers a free walking tour of the courthouse and old town every Saturday morning at 10:00 am. This popular tour is led by a docent and gives a brief and interesting history of the area. It ends in Old Town around lunch which is a perfect opportunity to get some food before returning to explore the exhibits. Overall, the museum is small, but anyone living in the area or interested in California history will appreciate learning a bit more about the region. The museum is probably boring for little kids, but older ones will be more interested. Definitely a great way to start your day in Auburn. read more

If you enjoy history of an old gold town, you will enjoy this museum. We walked in, and it felt like we were warped back into time. There's a room with an old carriage and buggy, which was fascinating. Along the hallway, you see artifacts of the native Americans that were settled there, as well as more information of the town. I especially enjoyed the Sheriffs office! Such debauchery and scandals! After you look in there, there's the old men's prison that has been changed to the history museum of the town. Very interesting to go to, and the ladies volunteering there are extremely friendly and sweet. Be sure to stop by the women's jail under the stairs - quite chilling! read more

This museum is in the large domed court house building that dominates downtown Auburn. It has a basic history of the area, an extensive collection of Indian spear points and woven baskets and a recreated sheriff's office. Oh yeah, and a huge display of GOLD, NUGGETS AS BIG AS YOUR FIST! read more

Quality displays, great location, and a beautiful courthouse - you can't go wrong!

Every Saturday at 10AM the museum offers a free guided tour of Old Auburn. Our guide was Carol and we had so much fun with her! If you're interested in local history it is something worth doing. read more

Very nice small museum in a beautiful building. Free to the public. Security. Clean bathrooms. 5 stars!