Park Admission and Parking
FREE (some special events require a fee to participate)
Museum
Make sure to stop by the museum and the Friends of Columbia SHP gift shop. Enjoy a brief video about the park and browse the special exhibits about the area history.
Museum Hours: Daily, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Tours
Visitors enjoy a guided walk through town to learn more about Columbia during the gold-rush era. Please check with museum upon arrival. Meet at the museum around the tour sign.
June 1st - Labor Day: Daily 11 a.m.
Year-round: Saturday, Sunday 11 a.m.
Groups of more than ten people, special tours must be arranged in advance by calling 209-588-9128.
Private Tours
If you wish to schedule a private tour outside of the free guided walks, please email ColumbiaSHP@parks.ca.gov. Private tours are subject to staff and/or volunteer availibility. Private tours cost $5 per person and require a minimum of one month notice
Junior Rangers
Junior Rangers is a California State Parks program designed for children ages 7 to 12 to learn about and explore their parks.
Columbia SHP offers a self-guided Junior Ranger program. Prizes for completion of a program available at the Columbia Museum.
Visit the Columbia Museum for a Junior Ranger Logbook.
Your Junior Ranger will complete the self-guided history activity and bring it back to the museum for their prize.
Join us this summer! Columbia State Historic Park will have Staff led, in-person Junior Ranger programs. Dates are: July 10th, 17th, 24th, & 31st, 2026. Please sign up here: https://forms.gle/18tsQxjSx2uCku4e6
*Please note that there is a $7 fee for the Gold Mining program on July 31st.
Columbia Merchants (Concessionaires)
The town's old Gold Rush-era business district has been preserved with shops, restaurants and two hotels. Visitors have the chance to time-travel to the 1850s, imagining life when gold miners rubbed shoulders with businessmen and the other residents in Columbia. Visitors can experience a bygone era watching proprietors in period clothing conduct business in the style of yesterday. There are opportunities to ride a 100 year-old stagecoach, pan for gold, and explore the real working businesses of Columbia.
Restaurants, Food, & Saloons
Bella Union Restaurant - Full breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus, including beer and wine. Angelo's Hall is also available for events and banquets, seats up to 150 people.
Brown's Coffee & Sweets Saloon - Full Espresso Bar, baked goods, ice cream, great lunch specials, home of the original Columbia Soda Works Sarsaparilla Soda, hardtack, and in-house baked dog cookies.
Columbia Mercantile 1855 - Columbia's historic grocery and general store has been renamed and beautifully renovated to reflect its French Quarter beginnings. Now offering a wide range of picnic items, kitchen staples, and quick meal options- including gluten-free and vegan selections, minor drug items, and off-sale beer, wine, cider, and ice cold sarsaparilla. Step back in time and discover old-time offerings including hardware, garden, housewares, and art gallery in the air-conditioned building. Open 9 am - 6 pm daily.
Fallon Ice Cream Parlor - Old fashioned ice cream parlor serving cones, sundaes, ice cream sodas, milkshakes, malts, sarsaparilla, sodas, also available for parties.
Columbia City Hotel Restaurant & What Cheer Saloon - Serving raditional American cuisine and featuring locally sourced produce as well as an outstanding selection of Sierra foothills wines. Complement your meal with wine, a draft beer or a hand-crafted cocktail.
St. Charles Saloon - Hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches, sarsaparilla, soft drinks, beer, wine, home to the Poison Oak Show, and Fun School Lunches. (209) 288-2258.
Specialty Shops
Columbia Booksellers & Variety Store - an assortment of unique books, toys, accouterments, musical instruments, replicas, collectibles, novelties, crafts, art, and souvenirs.
Columbia Candy Kitchen - "Gold Rush Candies, Pure as Gold." The Nelson Family, proprietors since 1923.
Columbia Stage Line and Stable - 22708 Main Street; Columbia, CA 95310. Myia Davila, Owner; (209) 768-0043 - horsesincolumbia@gmail.com
Ebler's Leather and Saddle Emporium - Leather goods, i.e., belts, shoes, clothing, gifts and handmade saddles and special orders.
Fallon Theater - A wide variety of live theater at a quality equal to any theater in the state in a historic dance hall/theater.
Kamice's Photographic Establishment - 21st century photographs in 19th century costumes and settings.
Matelot Gulch Mining - Panning lessons, mining supply store, souvenirs, gold bought and sold.
Columbia Clothiers & Emporium -Columbia Clothiers & Emporium is a late 1800's style department store offering historical clothing, hats, accessories and housewares for the whole family.
Parrott's Blacksmith - Home of the "Lucky Horseshoe" your name personalized on a horseshoe, coal forged gift items, dinner bells, fireplace tools, old tyme puzzles and miners implements.
Seven Sisters Soap and Candle Company - Handmade candles and soaps, candle and soap making supplies, and bath items.
Towle & Leavitt - Specializing in goods of the 1850-1870 time period - stationery and writing implements, jewelry, gifts, and fancy goods.
Columbia Hotels and Cottages
Columbia’s Historic Hotels and Cottages are currently not accepting overnight reservations. The Columbia City Hotel and Fallon Hotel are still open for tours on select days. Please call for more information.
The Columbia City Hotel and its sister, the Fallon Hotel, are authentically restored 19th-century country inns. All rooms are elegantly appointed with Victorian antiques, custom crafted wall coverings, and beautiful lithographs. Take a peak at the front desk. There are also three charming Columbia Cottages a one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom-each with a full kitchen.