shasta state historic park

Great museum, rich history, beautiful setting. The town is cute and very close to Whiskytown Lake. So after seeing the sites in Old Shasta head to the lake..

Just outside of Redding heading west, on 299. Nice Barn, museum, 5 or 6 gutted buildings on boardwalk, bakery, store, restroom, little park, old Mason building, courthouse, jail. Free. On street parking. Stretches for about 2 blocks in main, then bakery a block east, then another building 2 blocks west, and across the street is park, restrooms, museum, masonic lodge, barn, and schools (I missed those). BE AWARE if you are disabled, the north side is cracked pavement and dirt path down a slope, NOT EASY for the disabled, the museum is stairs. The gutted buildings have ramps and you don't have to go in, you see them from the boardwalk. Street is very wide to cross and cars coming at speed. Use crosswalks. I am crippled and it was okay but speed along (open space, not necessarily safe), the north side I needed an aide to help me down into the park and I could not do the museum. Site was not designed for ADA problems, they do their best, but the pavement is cracked and uneven and goes down into the flatter grassy area. So, use your walker or have a buddy with you. For the fit of body, no problem. Nice 45 minute stop. $3 to see the courtroom and jail, all else is free. One docent and on Fri some people in costume are briefly there. READ SIGNS to your kids or they will just see empty walls and a barn.

Touring the old courthouse and jail was fascinating. Many of the remaining walls of the old buildings have been reinforced and staged to suggest what Old Shasta was like. Beautiful setting.

This is an easy park to stop at on the way to the visitors center. The signage is good and you can see the walls and across the street is a Masonic building. It tells a story of California's prejudiced past where many minorities were not allowed. In Shasta the Chinese had to stay off the streets even tho it was more progressive than other areas of California.It is certainly worth the stop.

We stopped here on the fourth of July for a quick look on our way to Whiskeytown. We ended up staying for 2 hours and quite enjoying it. They have done a wonderful job with the exhibits inside and leaving some semblance of ruin on the outside. Definitely worth a stop to explore the history of the area. Nice job CA state parks!

on our drive from eureka to lassen we stumbled upon Shasta historical site. It was so great to see what an old western town was like. Wished we had stopped on a day the museum was open. Check the website as it is open only certain days. whisky town lake was nearby and that was also a great find for hiking and swimming.

We parked at the park entrance and while I was talking to the park ranger, people in a white van pulled into the parking lot and tried to abduct my wife who was taking video. I had my back to the parking lot and fortunately another car pulled in as a man had jumped out of the van and approached my wife in a threatening manner. When the car pulled in, they abandoned their effort and left in a hurry. I was shocked that this event could occur within 50 yards of the park office. The message is to always be careful especially at tourist locations where these predators tend to operate and be aware of your surroundings at all times.

This historic village is a wonderful place to visit. The museum is one of the best we have seen. Be sure to visit the jail in the lower level of the building AND walk within the cell area. Beware! The thrill of imagining times of old makes this visit very special.

well maintained clean staffed park, no worries here, they keep the place clean and is historically accurate

We took the family to see the Shasta State Historic Park. There was not a lot to see. There was about 5 restored buildings, about 10 left over brick walls from old buildings, and a small museum.There appears to be a blacksmith store open on certain Saturdays in the year, but there were not open when we stopped by. The stop included a few old carriages to look at and a small park / picnic area next door. There was a bathroom which was helpful. We only stayed about and hour and headed to our next destination. We had thought there would be more to look at, but the sights were pretty limited. Your best bet is to do a quick let's learn stop and then go another 8 miles and swim in the Brandy Creek Swim Area in the Whiskeytown Lake.

Known in 1849 as the “Queen City of the Northern Mines” it boomed for 40 years, many old partial buildings still remain Restored 1861 Courthouse museum is a must containing artifacts of the area and an early California art collection donated by a woman who had lived in Shasta as a child and went onto become a leading San Francisco citizen Open Thursday thru Sunday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Wonderful information about Shasta! Historic building still standing showing a past of how the city would look like. Great place to learn a little history about Shasta City. Take so great photos of a town and a walk of the past.

The highlight of our visit is the museum with it's gallows and jailhouse. The picnic area outside the museum is a great place to relax in the shade of the large trees while you have a bite to eat or just a cool drink.

Good museum and pitiful outdoor buildings. They call this place a ghost town? I have been to lots of them. Bad advertising. But, it is on the main road from the west to Redding.

Aside from the museum, not a lot left to see. Some of the walls are still standing but not much else. Most of the history of Shasta is seen at the museum. Good for about an hour.