This is a grand three-story Classic Revival structure topped by a bracketed cornice and simple Renaissance Revival inspired dome.  Monumental stairs lead to a main second floor from both the north and south.  This building is one of four surviving northern and central California courthouses which retain most of their architectural ornamentation and magnificent domes.

Before the formation of Placer County in 1851, this hilltop where the present courthouse now stands was the site of bull and bear fights and public hangings.  The County's first courthouse, built of wood and cloth with an adjacent log jail, was erected on Court Street.  A new two story wooden courthouse with a bell tower was built on the hill in 1853.  The log jail burned in 1855, and in 1857 a new two story brick jail was built to the west of the courthouse on the hill. The two buildings were connected via an iron bridge running from the jail to a second story courtroom.

The Placer County Courthouse you see today was completed in 1898 with most of its building materials coming from Placer County: the granite from Rocklin, the bricks and terra-cotta trim from Lincoln, lime and lumber from various other areas in the county.  The slate roof is from El Dorado County.  The courthouse bell came around Cape Horn and was used regularly to summon officials to court.  This building is listed on The National Register of Historic Places.

The first floor originally held the county jail, the Sheriff's Office, the Treasurer's Office, and the County Clerk's Office. Today the the jail is our Museum Gallery, which provides an overview of Placer County's history.

Some of our highlights include: a holographic image of a miner, the stagecoach which ran from Auburn to Michigan Bluff, a video presentation on the history of the transcontinental highway system that runs through  the county, and our store window which  changes themes on a seasonal basis.

Our featured exhibit, the Pate Collection of Native American Art, contains artifacts from all of California, the southwest, the northwest coast, Alaska and the eastern United States.

The Sheriff's Office has been restored to recreate the early days of the building. With its original furniture back in place, it looks like Sheriff McAuley will walk in the door at any moment.

The Treasurer's Office has been converted to the Placer County Museum Gift Shop. Manager Donna Howell carries a fine line of local crafts and publications as well as postcards and souvenirs. You can still view the Treasurer's Vaults in the Gift Shop. In the near future, the lower vault will house Placer County's spectacular gold collection.

The Clerk's Office is now the Placer County Research Center. Here you can get information about Placer County's history. Currently, the department's collection of photographs and documents are being digitized. These will eventually become available to the public via the internet.

We are open Tuesday - Sunday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.   There is no admission charge. Members of the Placer County Museum Docent Guild will provide tours of the museum on request.

The Placer County Department of Museums system is composed of six museums that focus on various aspects of the rich heritage of Placer County. Please call the adminstrative office at (916) 889-6500 for more information on any of the museums or contact them individually from the list below.