Legends Books, Antiques and Soda Fountain

One of Sonora's more unusual businesses, Legends combines a used bookshop, an antique store, and an old-fashioned soda fountain in a building on Washington Street. The novelty is that part of the shop extends down into an original mine shaft beneath the floor — glass panels let you look into the old workings, and the owners have left some original equipment in place.

The soda fountain serves milkshakes, sundaes, and egg creams from a beautifully preserved counter that looks like it has barely changed since the 1950s. It's a good place to browse Gold Rush-era photographs and mining memorabilia while cooling off on a hot Gold Country afternoon.

things to do sight
A story
The shop occupies a shaft that was once part of an active gold mine. When the building above was constructed, the miners simply kept working below — and the owners of the current bookshop have kept the underground access open so visitors can peer into the old workings.