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Gingerbread mansions built from redwood fortunes give Eureka one of the finest collections of Victorian architecture in the West. The seat of Humboldt County, a city of about 26,000 people on the shore of Humboldt Bay, it grew from an 1850 settlement into the lumber and fishing capital of California's North Coast.
The Wiyot people lived around the bay for thousands of years, and Tuluwat Island, site of an 1860 massacre, was returned to the Wiyot Tribe in 2019. Lumber barons such as William Carson left behind the turreted Carson Mansion and the Pink Lady across the street, while the young army officer Ulysses S. Grant served at Fort Humboldt above the bay.
Old Town's brick blocks now hold bookshops, galleries, breweries and seafood counters along a waterfront boardwalk, and the 1910 Madaket still carries passengers on bay cruises. Sequoia Park adds a redwood grove, California's oldest zoo and a canopy walkway. Redwood National and State Parks, the Avenue of the Giants and the Victorian village of Ferndale are all within an hour.
A spectacular Queen Anne mansion completed in 1886 for lumber baron William Carson, built largely of redwood and crowned by towers and carved trim. It is often called the most photographed Victorian house in America. A private club owns it, so admire it from the sidewalk at Second and M streets.
A bright pink Queen Anne house across the street from the Carson Mansion, built in 1889 as a wedding gift from William Carson to his son Milton. Its turret, gables and ornate woodwork make a perfect photo pair with its famous neighbor. It is privately owned, so view it from the street.
A historic district of restored Victorian commercial buildings near the waterfront, filled with bookshops, galleries, antique stores, cafes and breweries. The gazebo plaza hosts summer events, and a boardwalk follows the bay. Arts Alive! on the first Saturday evening of each month opens galleries late.
Opened in 1907, this small zoo is the oldest in California, set inside a redwood grove in Sequoia Park. Highlights include red pandas, river otters, a barnyard and the Watershed Heroes exhibit about local wildlife. It is compact and easy with children; combine it with the gardens and duck pond next door.
A canopy walkway of more than 1,000 feet strung between redwood trees in Sequoia Park, rising up to about 100 feet above the forest floor. Platforms let you look straight into the branches. Entry is through the Sequoia Park Zoo with a separate ticket; it suits most ages but not those afraid of heights.
An art museum in Eureka's 1904 Carnegie library, run by the Humboldt Arts Council and named for painter Morris Graves. Galleries show regional and California artists, children's art and rotating exhibitions, and the building itself is a fine sight. Visit during Arts Alive! evenings for music and receptions.
A history museum in a former bank building in Old Town, best known for its collection of Hupa, Yurok, Karuk and Wiyot basketry and regalia. Other rooms cover gold rush, logging and Victorian Eureka. It is a good first stop for understanding the region, and the building's terra-cotta facade is a highlight.
A working historic mill and craft school where Victorian moldings and gingerbread trim are still made on antique machinery. Self-guided tours wander through the shop, a blacksmith forge, a print shop and a recreated logging camp. It shows exactly how Eureka's ornate houses were built; wear closed shoes.
The site of an 1850s army post on a bluff above Humboldt Bay, where Captain Ulysses S. Grant was stationed in 1853 and 1854. A reconstructed hospital building has exhibits, and the grounds display steam donkeys and logging locomotives. The bluff gives a wide view of the bay; entry is free.
Narrated cruises aboard the Madaket, a wooden passenger boat built in 1910 and said to be the oldest in continuous passenger service in the United States. Trips pass oyster beds, Indian Island and bird colonies, and the small bar on board is famous too. Cruises run seasonally from the foot of C Street.
The last surviving lumber camp cookhouse in the West, across the bay on the Samoa Peninsula, still serving big family-style meals at long tables. A small museum displays logging tools and photos from the mill days. Come hungry, there is no menu choice, and allow time to walk the nearby Samoa Dunes.
A Eureka craft brewery founded in 1990 and one of the North Coast's best-known names, with beers such as its Great White and Downtown Brown. The downtown pub serves its ales alongside burgers and pub fare in a historic building. Order a taster flight to try several styles brewed just a few blocks away.
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California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
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