Empire Mine State Historic Park

04/01/2026

Mine Soda! Coming soon to an Empire Mine State Historic Park near you (we’re franchising). With just one ingredient, pure unfiltered water straight from the depths of the Empire Mine, this soda is a great option for folks looking to cut ultra processed water out of their diet.

Available for purchase for just one ounce of pure gold! Gold is the only currency we will accept for this soda. You can use cash or card for everything else in the gift shop, but mine soda MUST be purchased with no less than one ounce of gold.

Happy April Fool’s Day from Empire Mine SHP!

Not that you can get to it, but please don’t actually drink mine water. It really does contain lots of heavy metals and is quite toxic.

02/17/2026

ALERT: Due to adverse weather conditions, the visitor center and historic grounds of Empire Mine State Historic Park will be closed today, 2/17/26 and tomorrow, 2/18/26.
EDIT: We continue to be closed 2/19; if you plan to visit this weekend, please call our Visitor Center at (530) 273-8522 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to confirm if we have reopened.

Thank you and please enjoy this old photo of the cottage in the snow!

08/27/2025

08/22/2025

Tomorrow! It’s looking like it’s going to be a hot day, so make sure to bring plenty of water with your picnic and come early to avoid the heat! The park also has brand new bottle filling stations for your reusable water bottles.

08/15/2025

Miner's Picnic is ONE WEEK away!
On Saturday, August 23rd from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., enjoy a picnic lunch on the park’s historic grounds, accompanied by live mining-era music and performances by the Nevada County Tommyknocker Cloggers, Buffalo Crossing, Highwater and the Kin, Cast Iron Shoes, and Twisted Licorice on clarinets!
There will also be vintage children’s games, hard rock mining activities to try your hand at, and mine yard volunteers blacksmithing and running the mining equipment. On the lush estate grounds, view classic Model A’s and tour the historic buildings and gardens. Orlo Steele, the last living miner that worked the Empire Mines, will share his mining memories and answer questions at the mine shaft.
Don’t miss the Mine Disaster Rescue melodrama at high noon, with Grass Valley Fire Department’s vintage fire truck responding to treat the “injured miners!”
Doors open at 10:00 a.m., and festivities begin at 11:00 a.m. Bring your own picnic lunch, or ice cream, pasties, hot dogs and more will also be available for purchase.
Entrance fee is $5 per person; age 5 and under are free. Fourth Graders and their families get in free with the California State Parks Adventure Pass (please obtain pass prior to arrival; visit www.parks.ca.gov/AdventurePass for information).
This annual event is organized in cooperation with the Sierra Gold Parks Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports educational and interpretive programs for the three California State Parks in Western Nevada County.

07/03/2025

Rose Sale Cancelled for 2025
We are sorry to announce that Empire Mine State Historic Park's annual Angie Slicker Rose Sale will not be held this year, due to the discovery that root stock was possibly mixed in with our vintage rose cuttings. We wouldn't want you to have anything less than our beautiful vintage roses!
The Angie Slicker Rose Sale will resume in August of 2026; we apologize to any gardens that will have to wait!

03/26/2025

Due to the recent rainstorms, the Hardrock Trail repair timeline was set back. Please continue to stay out of the closed areas until further notice. We apologize for the delay, thank you for your patience!

Hard Rock Trail and the Penn Gate parking lot will be temporarily closed to entry from E. Empire Street to the Osborn Loop Crosscut intersection for erosion repair.
Trailer parking is not permitted at the main parking lot.
Per Title 14 CCR § 4326(a), entry during the closure period is subject to citation.
We apologize for the inconvenience, and will advise when the trail and Penn Gate parking lot reopen.

02/21/2025

Hard Rock Trail and the Penn Gate parking lot will be temporarily closed to entry from E. Empire Street to the Osborn Loop Crosscut intersection for erosion repair.
Trailer parking is not permitted at the main parking lot.
Per Title 14 CCR § 4326(a), entry during the closure period is subject to citation.
We apologize for the inconvenience, and will advise when the trail and Penn Gate parking lot reopen.

12/13/2024

https://www.theunion.com/news/as-good-as-gold-empire-mine-gift-shop-a-hidden-gem/article_25503b44-b280-11ef-a555-af904477fac5.html

It’s no secret that the Empire Mine State Historic Park in Grass Valley is a popular destination, offering visitors the chance to immerse themselves in Gold Rush-era history. However, the