The California State Mining and Mineral Museum, at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds on Highway 49, holds the official state mineral collection and is considerably more interesting than its location at a fairgrounds might suggest. The collection spans gold specimens, crystals, gems, and industrial minerals from across California, with an emphasis on the mother lode country that runs through this part of the Sierra Nevada.
The centrepiece is an extensive display of natural gold in all its forms: crystalline gold, wire gold, leaf gold, and specimen nuggets. A reconstruction of a hard-rock mine tunnel runs through part of the building, giving you a sense of the conditions in which most Gold Rush gold was actually extracted. There is also a large collection of gemstones and fluorescent minerals. Allow 60 to 90 minutes. Address: 5005 Fairgrounds Road; check current hours as seasonal schedules apply.