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Angels Camp is located along Hwy 49 also known as City of Angels is the only incorporated city in Calaveras County. With a population just under 5000 this old gold country town is also sometimes known as “frog Town” based on a Mark Twain tale and is celebrated with an annual Frog Jubilee at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds. It is a small town with total area of 9.3 km2 (3.6 mi2) and was founded by George Angel in 1849, who established a mining camp and trading store. Angles Camp was registered in 1938 as a California Historical Landmark and the Angels Camp museum was founded in 1951.
The Angels Camp museum opens at 10:00 AM but is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The museum has a hall display of information about Mark Twain and his story. There are some old equipments and many old housewares on display which were used during the California Gold Mining times. There are both indoor and outdoor exhibits, including a 1904 all-steel thresher, 1917 horse-drawn road scrapper, 1916 Fitch four-drive tractor, and a building that displays all the mining equipment from hand tools to explosives to machines. You can learn how tough it was to get the gold from the field. Angels camp is home to one of the largest collection of carriages and wagons in USA at the Carriage House Here you can find numerous restored horse-drawn vehicles and many others that are still in need of funding to restore.
Historic Angels Camp retains its gold rush architecture, making it a pleasant walking and shopping experience. It is a wonderful preserved small town with many historical buildings such as the famous 1865 Angels Hotel and more.
The historical downtown features a movie theater, historical buildings, and a limited selection of shops and restaurants. It has a large beautiful park where you can find some shade and relax in the outdoors. In the new part of town you will find some modern stores and food providers like Save mart for groceries, a Starbucks, McDonald’s, and more. There is also a golf course and a few options for over night accommodations as well. For a full list of activities and things to do from Angels camp be sure to read our other article “things to do in Angels Camp”
Fun Facts:
UFC fighter TJ Dillashaw grew up in Angles Camp and Attended Bret Harte High School
Angels Camp’s had as many as 4,000 miners working gold claims during the California Gold Rush era.
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