Old Town Eureka in Eureka, California

Eureka, California

Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....

, is listed on the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

. This Historic district

Historic district (United States)

In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...

 is a 350 acres (1.4 km²) area containing 154 buildings mostly from the Victorian era

Victorian architecture

The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...

. 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 from the 1850s to the present. Though not officially within the district, the Carson Mansion

Carson Mansion

The Carson Mansion is a large Victorian house located in Old Town, Eureka, California. Regarded as one of the highest executions of American Queen Anne Style architecture, the home is "considered the most grand Victorian home in America." It is one of the most written about and photographed...

, the undisputed Victorian jewel of the city and region, commands the highest elevation at the eastern edge of the district. Art venues, coffee shops, bed and breakfasts and inns, antique stores and shops, restaurants, museums and galleries, and public areas (complete with views of Humboldt Bay and its marinas) are among the highlights of this gem of the West Coast. Of particular note is the remarkable authenticity of the district simply because it did not suffer the ravages of extensive fires or redevelopment like many other historic commercial centers.

History

The city began as an 1850 settlement on the edge of Humboldt Bay where the district is today. Developers and settlers planned for Eureka to aid in the provision of miners working inland to the east. By 1865 the central core of what would become Eureka's "Old Town" was considered "a lively place for a small town, full of business and with plenty of money...the roads beyond Second street (the equivalent of "Main" Street) were covered with stumps from the (recently logged) Redwood forest and not yet open.

Old Town today

Old Town is the thriving, cultural heart of Eureka, California

Eureka, California

Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....

 and the region. The area is an attraction for visitors and locals alike. Its placement on the California North Coast

North Coast

North Coast or Northcoast may refer to :Australia* North Coast , a regionCanada* "North Coast" in British Columbia means the northernmost region of the British Columbia Coast, primarily the communities of Prince Rupert, Terrace and Kitimat and surrounding areas** North Coast , an electoral district...

 is indisputably beautiful. The area, often shrouded in fog and very definitely behind the Redwood Curtain

Emerald Triangle

The Emerald Triangle refers to a region in Northern California so named because it is the largest region in The United States that produces illegal cannabis. Mendocino County, Humboldt County, and Trinity County are the three counties in Northern California that make up this region...

 is very different from the rest of California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. The vibrant art scene that has grown up there in the final decades of the 20th century led to the declaration that the city was one of the 100 best art towns in America. Among restaurants and inns, there are multiple bed and breakfasts, including the award winning Carter House Inn

Carter House Inn

The Carter House Inn is a hotel in Old Town Eureka, California. It is known both for housing Restaurant 301 and for being a replica of a Queen Anne style building by Newsom & Newsom.-Restaurant 301:...

 Restaurant 301, noted for repeatedly winning the "Grand Award" from Wine Spectator

Wine Spectator

Wine Spectator is a lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine and wine culture. It publishes 15 issues per year with content that includes news, articles, profiles, and general entertainment pieces...

 Magazine due to extensive collection of wine.

The Clarke Historical Museum

Clarke Historical Museum

The Clarke Historical Museum in Eureka, California contains the area's premier collection of far California North Coast regional and cultural history, with significant focus on the 19th Century Victorian era...

 is located at the corner of 3rd and E Streets. The collection includes extensive representation of basketry of indigenous native cultures throughout the region and regional and cultural history, with focus on the Victorian era.

Eureka's California State Historical marker, #477, is located on a plaque near the intersection of Third and "E" Streets.

Culture

• Blues By the Bay occurs in late summer on City of Eureka property below the Carson Mansion.
• First Saturday Arts Alive! occurs each month in the Old Town and Downtown sections of Eureka. More than 80 local galleries and other shops display local art to the public. The open house event often features wine, non-alcoholic drinks, and hors d'oeuvres. Live music venues abound and performances by musicians, jugglers, fire dancers and poets are often visible on street corners as well as in the shops and galleries. The event often coincides with performances of the Eureka Symphony in the Arkley Performance Center (beautifully refurbished "Old" State Theater Building). Children can be safely cared for in the Discovery Museum, while parents participate in the North State's largest ongoing community arts event.

• Fourth of July celebration

External links

General guides

• Eureka Old Town
• Old Town and Downtown Eureka
• Humboldt County Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Old Town Eureka
• The "Hum Guide:" Extensive area resources and information

Arts, music & museums

• Arts Alive!
• Clarke Historical Museum
• Eureka Art and Culture Commission
• HSU First Street Gallery
  HSU First Street Gallery
  HSU First Street Gallery is a contemporary, fine arts gallery located on the north coast of California, USA. The gallery, which supports the Exhibition Programs of Humboldt State University, is an off-campus,non-profit gallery located in the historic Old Town district of Eureka, California. This...
  
   - Fine Arts Exhibitions owned and operated by Humboldt State University
  Humboldt State University
  Humboldt State University is the northernmost campus of the California State University system, located in Arcata within Humboldt County, California, USA. The main campus, nestled at the edge of a coast redwood forest, is situated on Preston hill overlooking Arcata and with commanding views of...
  
  
• Humboldt Arts Council and Morris Graves Museum Website
• Redwood Art Association
• Redwood Curtain Theatre