Placer County Museums

This Saturday at the Dewitt History Museum, at 2895 Richardson Drive, in Auburn, there will be two food preservation demonstrations for The Heritage Trail. Laurine Lewis and Kim Thayer from the UC Davis Master Food Preserver program will lead a free canning demonstration at 10 am and a pickling demonstration at noon.

This Saturday, June 27th, The Heritage Trail is in Auburn! Swing by and visit these four museums which will have free admission and special events.

Western States Trail Museum 10 AM to 4 PM
1103 High St., Suite 300, Auburn

The Western States Trail Museum (WSTM) will serve as a testament to the trail's significance across Native American, Gold Rush, and modern-day eras. Exhibits will include settlers, local pioneers, miners, and immigrants who helped shape the American West. Visitors will be able to explore the history of this iconic trans-Sierra trail between Carson City, Nevada and Sacramento, California from its origins as a lifeline for indigenous communities to its contemporary allure, including renowned sporting events such as the Tevis Cup Ride and Western States Endurance Run. Join us in our new space to get a preview of our plans, and what’s to come! Our entrance is located on the Lewis Street side in the suite next to the Auburn Chamber of Commerce and the California Welcome Center/Placer County Visitor’s Bureau.

DeWitt History Museum 9 AM to 1 PM
2985 Richardson Dr., Auburn

Explore the history of the DeWitt Government Center at this fascinating museum. Learn about the construction and use of the World War II Army Hospital, the site’s use as a State Mental Health Hospital, and it’s current use by Placer County. Visitors will learn how WWII affected the local community and start their very own Victory Garden with a hands-on activity.

Placer Athletic Hall of Fame 10 AM to Noon
275 Orange St., Auburn

The Placer Athletic Hall of Fame Museum is housed in the historic Earl Crabbe Gym on the campus of Placer High School. This Gym was a 1936 WPA project and placed on the National Register of Historical Places in 2017. Many aspects of Placer High School’s long and storied athletic history are show cased. Walk on the gym floor, toss a ball around, view an extensive collection of memorabilia and photos.

Auburn Journal Newspaper Museum 10 AM to 3 PM
1030 High St., Auburn

View vintage newspaper printing presses, tools, and learn how these were used to produce early issues of the Auburn Journal.

For more details, visit placer.ca.gov/7375/Heritage-Trail

Before reinforced concrete started to become more widely used in construction in the late-19th and early 20th-centuries, it was granite that dominated the industry for building sturdy, fireproof buildings and foundations. In Placer County, places like Granite Bay and Rocklin take their names from this important natural resource which is spread throughout the region and forms the backbone of the Sierra Nevada.

As California’s population was booming in the 1850 and 1860s, local granite was used to build Fort Point and the Defensive Barracks at Alcatraz. Penryn granite was used for the foundation of the U.S. Branch Mint in San Francisco, and the private residences of wealthy Californian’s like Charles Crocker and Governor Leland Stanford. Local granite is in the California State Capitol Building, Placer County Courthouse, and many other notable projects throughout California and the United States.

The process of quarrying granite is difficult and dangerous. Black powder and muscle were the primary tools used in the process, along with gravity, steam power, and oxen. At the Griffith Quarry in Penryn, visitors are invited to walk the grounds of this historic site where many relics of the industry can be spotted including anchor points, derrick mounts, wells, the original office building which is now a museum, and even the quarry itself.

On Saturday, June 20th, the Heritage Trail will include stops at the Griffith Quarry, the Loomis Library, and the Rocklin History Museum. At 11am, at the Rocklin History Museum visitors can even see a historic and rare granite splitting demonstration by a local expert.

To learn more www.placer.ca.gov/7375/Heritage-Trail

This Saturday, June 20th, The Heritage Trail will be celebrating history from Rocklin to Penryn! Join us at three museums for Heritage Trail events and special exhibits. All museums and events are FREE!

Loomis Basin Historical Society @ Loomis Library & Community Learning Center 10AM to 4 PM
6050 Library Dr., Loomis

View photos and exhibits on the pioneers, Chinatowns, schoolhouses, and fruit sheds of the Loomis Basin. Watch a video featuring historical footage of fruit packing in the 1930s. See a special display on Japanese American families, presented by the Still Standing Guard Group. Find your own family’s history in the genealogy book collection with help from the Placer County Genealogical Society.

Griffith Quarry Museum 8 AM to Noon
Corner of Taylor and Rock Springs Roads, Penryn

Explore exhibits on granite quarrying, the Penryn Granite Works business, the history of Penryn, and the Griffith Family. Visitors can take a guided tour of the historic Quarry Park, offered at 8:30 am, or walk the grounds throughout the day by following maps and interpretive signs provided.

Rocklin History Museum 10 AM to 4 PM
3895 Rocklin Rd., Rocklin

Home of Rocks, Rails and Ranches. View exhibits featuring Rocklin’s pioneer families developing the local granite quarrying industry; building and working the Transcontinental Railroad; and dairy and orchard farming and ranching. Current temporary exhibit features Rocklin at Play: Sports and Recreation Through The Years - including the 17 years the 49ers summer training camp was at Sierra College Campus, Rocklin.
Experience a special granite splitting demonstration on Saturday, June 20th at 11:00 a.m.

For all the detials about all the participating museums, check out the list at https://www.placer.ca.gov/7375/Heritage-Trail

The Fruitvale Schoolhouse Museum is switching up their hours this week. Instead of their normal time, they will be open on Saturday the 13th for Heritage Trail from 10am to 4pm. During Heritage Trail, you can experience school at a 136-year-old one room schoolhouse in rural Lincoln. Participate in hands-on activities in the classroom, explore the Native Plant Garden, or bring your picnic basket and enjoy lunch under the oak trees!

This Saturday, June 13th, the Heritage Trail will be headed to the Lincoln Area! Stop by any of the participating museums below for special Heritage Trail events and activities. As always, admission is FREE!

The Wheatland History Museum
111 Main St., Wheatland, CA 10 AM to 2 PM
The primary purpose of the Wheatland Historical Society is to discover, collect, preserve, and disseminate knowledge concerning the history of the Wheatland area in the County of Yuba and the State of California.

Lincoln Area Archives Museum
640 Fifth St., Lincoln 10 AM to 4 PM
A walk through the Lincoln Museum is a walk back in time, from our turn of the century kitchen to our complete blacksmith shop. We pay honor to each of our Military branches, while highlighting Gladding, McBean & Company Clay Factory on its 150-year celebration, as well as the McBean Park Pool 100-year event. Our collection of typewriters, telephones and cameras represent days gone by. It truly is a unique experience walking amongst over 4,500 historic artifacts and exhibits, with a side tour of our gift shop.

Fruitvale Schoolhouse Museum
3425 Fruitvale Rd., Lincoln 10 AM to 4 PM
Experience school at a 136-year-old one room schoolhouse in rural Lincoln. Participate in hands-on activities in the classroom, explore the Native Plant Garden, or bring your picnic basket and enjoy lunch under the oak trees!

For all the details, check out the Heritage Trail Website at https://www.placer.ca.gov/7375/Heritage-Trail

Roseville Carnegie Library, circa 1912. Placer County Museums collection.
557 Lincoln Street, Roseville

Between 1890 and 1917, Andrew Carnegie funded the establishment of 1,679 public libraries in the United States including 142 in California. Three of these libraries were built in Placer County, in the cities of Lincoln, Roseville, and Auburn.

Carnegie made his fortune in the steel industry which he sold in 1901 to J.P. Morgan for $480 million. As a philanthropist, Carnegie saw libraries as being an important public service and vital for community benefit through providing knowledge and opportunities for self-education. To receive one of his library grants, communities needed at least 1,000 residents, a suitable site, and a commitment to a 10% tax of the total gift annually for maintenance, books, and staff.

The Roseville Carnegie Library, a vision of the Women’s Improvement Club in 1910, received a $10,000 grant in 1911. The site was donated by A.B. McRae, and architect W.H. Weeks designed the building, incorporating architectural elements from Gladding McBean and Company in Lincoln. Dedicated in October 1912, the library served as Roseville's main public library until September 1979, when a new library building opened. It continued as a branch until 1982, when it closed due to costs and declining circulation. Since then, the Roseville Historical Society has managed repairs and fundraising efforts to preserve the historic building and interpret the history of Roseville through its museum.

On Saturday, June 6th, the Roseville Carnegie Museum will open its doors from 10am – 4pm as part of the Heritage Trail Museums Tour throughout Placer County. Stop by to explore historic Roseville and step inside a former Carnegie Library.

To learn more https://www.placer.ca.gov/7375/Heritage-Trail

Our curator of collections just put some new, but actually very old, dresses on display at the Bernhard Museum. Several were donated recently and thus have never been on display before. Come down to the Bernhard to check them out. It's open Tuesday through Friday from 1-4pm and 11- 4pm on weekends at 291 Auburn Folsom Road.

Attached are photos and below are the dress details.

Lace wedding dress c. 1901-1915.
Belonged to Theresa or Genevieve Largente.
* This dress was donated recently and has never been on display.

2-piece silk ensemble c. 1890.
Day or visiting dress.
* This dress was donated recently and has never been on display.

2-piece blue silk wedding ensemble, 1868
Worn by Bertha Pisor Nader when she married Henry Nader on March 15, 1868, in Germany. The family settled at Ewings Station near Sheridan, north of Lincoln. They ran a grocery business and later farmed. They had 12 children.

The DeWitt History Museum and the Bernhard Museum will be closed for events today. Sorry for the inconvenience.
5/27/26