Eureka's most distinctive attractions are concentrated in Old Town and along the waterfront. The Victorian architecture here is the real thing — built during the lumber boom of the 1880s and 1890s, not reconstructed for tourists. Allow half a day to walk the historic district properly, starting at the Carson Mansion and working down toward the water.
Beyond Old Town, Sequoia Park Zoo and its old-growth redwood grove are worth the mile-and-a-half walk south, and the Humboldt Bay harbor cruise gives a different perspective on the city from the water. The Clarke Historical Museum holds the Romano Gabriel Wooden Sculpture Garden, one of the most remarkable pieces of folk art in California.