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Photo: Jan Kronsell, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
The historic heart of Eureka. Home to beautiful Victorian era buildings, which house dozens of locally owned and operated stores ranging from beads to coffee to clothing. A must-see for those traveling via 101.
Old Town Eureka in Eureka, California, is a historic district listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places. It is a 350-acre (1.4 km2) area containing 154 buildings mostly from the Victorian era. The core of the district runs the length of First, Second, and Third Streets, between "C" and "M" Streets, and includes many types of architecture including Eastlake, Queen Ann, Greek Revival, Classical Revival, and Second Empire styles from the 1850s to the 20th century. Though not officially within the district, the Carson Mansion commands the highest elevation at the eastern edge of the district.
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This is a very respectable museum for a smaller area, and the architecture itself is quite artistic. The structure was the first Carnegie library in California and was completely renovated in the late 1990s. The Museum today houses seven galleries including a Courtyard Sculpture Garden, a Museum Store, classroom facilities, an Arts Resource Center and a Performance Rotunda.
Regarded as one of the most extravagant Victorian-style homes in the United States, the Carson Mansion was constructed in 1884 and served as the home for local lumber baron William Carson. Members of the Carson family sold the mansion in 1950 to the Ingomar Club. Not open to the public, although visitors are permitted to photograph the house and surrounding garden.
In operation since 1907, the Sequoia Park Zoo is the oldest zoo in California has long been considered one of the most important cultural facilities in the area. It also features the Redwood Sky Walk, an approximately 0.25-mile long sky walk suspended 100 feet above the ground that provides visitors a chance to view coastal redwoods above ground level.