Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park Invites Public to Connect with the Past at Coloma Gold Rush Live
COLOMA — California State Parks invites the public to its annual Coloma Gold Rush Live at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park (SHP). Gold Rush Live is a popular three-day event the weekend of Oct. 11-13, where the public can experience California’s rich Gold Rush history. Park staff and volunteers transform the park into an 1850s tent town where attendees can experience what life may have been like in Coloma in 1850.
Visitors can participate in various family-friendly activities like gold panning, period games, bucket making and more.
Event details:
WHAT: Coloma Gold Rush Live!
WHEN: Friday and Saturday, Oct. 11 and 12 – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13 - 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
WHERE: Marshall Gold Discovery SHP - 300 Back St, Coloma, CA 95613
COST: $15 per vehicle (includes parking)
Event activities include:
- Check for letters from home at the General Delivery or post a missive to family back east.
- Visit the miners at the river and stake your claim at the Claims Office.
- Stop by the General Store to stock up on provisions.
- Visit the laundry for a clean shirt and the tonsorial for a bath and a shave.
- Enjoy hands-on activities including gold panning, tin punching, journaling, and period games.
- Visit the carpenter and the cooper and learn how to make a bucket.
- Stop by the blacksmith to have your mining tools repaired.
- Visit the saloon for liquid refreshment or the barbeque for a little sustenance.
Please note: This is a dog-free event except for service dogs.
California State Parks supports equal access. If you are in need of special accommodation or needmore information, please call Marshall Gold SHP at (530) 622-3470.
Coloma Gold Rush Live! is made possible thanks to our partnership with the Gold Discovery Park Association.
Gold Rush History
In 1848, Marshall found shining flecks of gold in the tailrace of the sawmill he was building in partnership with John Sutter. The discovery in present-day Coloma sparked California’s famous gold rush and led to the greatest voluntary mass migration of people in the Western Hemisphere.
The town of Coloma's name is derived from a Native American word, Cullumah, meaning “beautiful valley.” California Native Americans were the majority labor force initially involved in gold mining. Some of the first people traveling from abroad to reach the gold fields around Coloma were experienced miners from Sonora, Mexico, and South America. Those traveling from even further distances to reach the gold fields included people from Australia, Asia, and across Europe. Coloma developed into a supply hub for the region's gold mining operations for several decades and managed to survive the boom and bust of most other townsites. Generations of settlers, including German, Swiss, Italian, Chinese, and African American families, made long-lasting contributions to the town's continued prosperity with their businesses and agricultural enterprises. All these efforts helped keep Coloma alive long after miners had moved on to other opportunities.
State Parks continues to expand its interpretation of the consequential changes to California from the historic gold discovery at Marshall Gold Discovery SHP. Today’s efforts involve engaging in formal government-to-government tribal consultations, conducting archival research, and meeting with families whose history is connected to the Coloma Valley.
Top Left: The staff at the Winters Hotel at Marshall Gold SHP provide delicious fare for the inhabitants of Tent Town. Top right: Event attendees enjoy the antics of Punch and Judy. Bottom left: Docent Nelson Snook tends the Miners’ Store. Bottom right: Senior Park Aide Frank McKinney demonstrates the art of blacksmithing.
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California State Parks provides for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high quality outdoor recreation.