The Mariposa County Courthouse is the oldest courthouse in California still operating in its original function — a fact that earns it a kind of quiet celebrity in a county that has been remarkably good at holding onto its history. The building is a simple white clapboard structure on a hill above the main street, constructed in 1854 and looking almost exactly as it did on the day it opened.
The courthouse is open to visitors when court is not in session, and the interior is well worth a look: original woodwork, the old jury box, historic documents, and a sense of unbroken continuity with the Gold Rush era that is genuinely unusual. The surrounding hilltop provides good views over the town and the surrounding foothills. A short stroll from downtown Mariposa; free to visit.