Columbia State Historic Park, Gold Rush historic district in Tuolumne County, US.

Columbia State Historic Park is a Gold Rush mining district with numerous preserved buildings from the 1850s including stores, homes, and a schoolhouse arranged along authentic period streets. The layout and structures show how a working mining settlement was organized during that era.

The site began in 1850 during California's Gold Rush and quickly grew into one of the region's largest mining centers. Its rapid rise shows how dramatically California changed during this period.

The town keeps alive old crafts like blacksmithing and gold panning through regular demonstrations that visitors can watch firsthand. These working displays show how people here actually spent their days during the mining era.

The park is open daily from sunrise to sunset and most shops on site accept both modern and traditional payment methods. Walking through the streets allows you to explore the historic buildings at your own pace.

Much of the brick construction followed an 1857 fire that destroyed earlier wooden buildings. The town was incorporated in 1854, and its population swung between 2,000 and 5,000 during the 1850s. High Noon was filmed here in 1952, with scenes shot on Main Street, at the Wilson House and in front of Engine House #2.