I was visiting my brother in Eureka last month, and we toured the Blue Ox Millworks and Historic…read moreVillage. What an amazing place!
The village is a collection of buildings relocated from other areas, and they are dedicated to types of craftsmanship. There are SO many areas in the buildings to explore! They have woodworking, ceramics, glassworks, printing, signage, weaving, blacksmithing, and other crafts. The crew even built a replica of the hearse that carried Lincoln's coffin for the memorial trip from DC to Springfield, 150 years later. They also hand-crafted a redwood table for President Clinton's Presidential Library.
Because the buildings are working sites, visitors must be careful as they walk through each area. Thankfully, all the walkways are of sturdy recent construction--even the catwalk on the second floor of the main building. Tours are led by knowledgeable guides, and visitors may have the opportunity to see craftsmen at work; on our visit, there was a gentleman working on a sign for a local ballpark. He stopped what he was doing and talked through the process of converting an artist's sketch to a finished, billboard-sized sign. It was fascinating to see!
The grounds are lovely and have views of Humboldt Bay from the top of the rise. There are gardens planted in various sites around the village, and it is very pretty in the spring.
For a unique experience of immersion into craftworks, I definitely recommend a visit to The Blue Ox!