Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Nevada City (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Nevada Theatre, Nevada City Downtown Historic District, and Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum. Also, be sure to include Nevada City Firehouse No. 2 in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Nevada City (California).
Table of Contents
Nevada Theatre
Theatre in Nevada City, California. The Nevada Theatre, also known as the Cedar Theatre, located in downtown Nevada City, California, is California's oldest existing theater building. Its principal periods of significance were 1850–1874, 1875–1899, 1900–1924, and 1925–1949.[1]
Address: 401 Broad St, 95959-2407 Nevada City
Nevada City Downtown Historic District
The Nevada City Downtown Historic District is a 16-acre historic district in Nevada City within the U.S. state of California. Located in Nevada County, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It dates from 1917, with examples of Moderne and Italianate architecture. The period of significance is 1856-1917. The historic district covers the downtown section roughly bounded by Spring, Bridge, Commercial, York, Washington, Coyote, and Main Streets. It includes 70 contributing buildings including the National Hotel, which is separately listed on the National Register. Several historical buildings have received California Historical Landmark status, and have been preserved.[2]
Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum
The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad & Transportation Museum is a transport museum and heritage railroad located in Nevada City, California.
The museum offers a collection of railroad artifacts, photographs, and documents related to the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad, the 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge railroad that operated in Nevada and Placer Counties from 1876 until 1942. Exhibits include Engine 5 which appeared in many movies, and various pieces of restored rolling stock. Short excursions on board a variety of railroad equipment are offered in the museum's rail yard.
The county's first steam automobile and displays of local aviation history are also presented.
Admission is free.[3]
Address: 5 Kidder Ct, 95959-3235 Nevada City
Nevada City Firehouse No. 2
Museum in Nevada City. Nevada City Firehouse No. 2 is a historic firehouse located at 420 Broad Street in Nevada City, California. Built in 1860–61, the firehouse was the first built in Nevada City. At the time, Nevada City had two factions competing for public funds for a firehouse: the Broad Street fire company and a group based on Main Street. While the Main Street company officially organized a day before the Broad Street company, the Broad Street firehouse had more private funding and was completed first, and hence Firehouse No. 2 became the first in the city. The firehouse features a two-story portico in front and a Greek Revival cornice.
The firehouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 3, 1974. It is now operated by the Nevada County Historical Society as a museum of local history.[4]
Doris Foley Library for Historical Research
Public library in Nevada City, California. The Doris Foley Library for Historical Research is a reference and research library in Nevada City, in Nevada County, California. Built in 1907, the Romanesque Revival style building is currently a branch of the Nevada County Library System.[5]
Trinity Church
Church in Nevada City, California. Trinity Church is an Episcopal Church located in Nevada City, California, within the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California.[6]
Miners Foundry
The Miners Foundry is located at 325 Spring Street, Nevada City, California, USA. Built in Nevada County in 1856, it is a California Historical Landmark as, in 1879, the foundry became the first manufacturing site of the Pelton wheel.[7]
Aaron A. Sargent House
Historical landmark in Nevada City, California. The Aaron A. Sargent House was built prior to 1856, and is located in Nevada City, California at 449 Broad Street. Its architecture and engineering were significant during the periods of 1850–1874, 1875–1899, 1900–1924. The single family home is an Italianate Style Victorian design.
When Aaron Augustus Sargent brought his new bride, Ellen Clark Sargent, to Nevada City on 23 October 1852, he provided a home near the intersection of Broad and Bennett Streets, an area later referred to as Nabob Hill. Over the years, the Sargents and other renovated the home.
At one time, it was owned by physician, Dr. Carl Muller. It is currently the Grandmere's Inn.[8]
Ott's Assay Office
Ott's Assay Office is a historic assay office located at 130 Main Street in Nevada City, California. The building was constructed in 1851 as a drug store; James J. Ott opened his assay office in the back of the store in 1857. In 1859, Ott assayed a sample of silver ore discovered in the Washoe Country; this ore marked the discovery of the Comstock Lode, and the resulting silver rush eventually led to Nevada's statehood and several advancements in mining technology. The silver rush also gave Ott a reputation as a quality assayer; he ran his office until his death in 1907, and his son continued the business until 1955.
The adjoining building, which shares a common wall and is often considered part of the same building, was built in 1855. It served as the offices of the South Yuba Canal Company, which was formed in 1851 to bring water to the gold mines north of Nevada City. The company owned the oldest mining ditches in California, and it was the first in the United States to provide water to gravel mining operations. By 1855, it had become California's largest ditch company.
The buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 14, 1975.[9]
Martin Luther Marsh House
The Martin Luther Marsh House was built in 1873, and is located at 254 Boulder Street in Nevada City, in the Gold Country of Nevada County, California.[10]
Nevada Brewery
Building in Nevada City, California. The Nevada Brewery is a historic building located at 107 Sacramento Street in Nevada City, California, United States. A brewery on the site dates back to 1857, with granite walls constructed in 1882. The Nevada Brewery's time of significance was during the period of 1850 through 1899. Though its original use was as a brewery, it later served the community as a restaurant, bowling alley, stable, and dance hall.[11]