Black Chasm, Nat'l Natural Landmark Black Chasm Cavern, named a National Landmark in 1976, is an extraordinarily beautiful cave open daily 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guided walking tours showcase a variety of calcite formations including rare helictite crystals. 866-762-2837
Gold Mining
Kennedy Mine Foundation The Kennedy Gold Mine, in conjunction with its much-heralded surface tours of this historic mine, maintains a small but surprisingly complete gift shop with a fine selection of books, jewelry and unique items for young and old.
Knight Foundry Corporation Knight Foundry Corp. is dedicated to the preservation, restoration and operation of Knight Foundry, a historic water-powered iron works. The foundry began operation in the late 1880s to manufacture machinery for Mother Lode gold mines.
Sutter Gold Mine Tours Sutter Gold Mine, open daily, provides at a moderate charge, one-hour guided tours into this authentic, modern gold mine. Learn about mining techniques and Mother Lode geology. Visit the Gold Store, theater and try panning and gemstone mining.
Historic Sites
Black Chasm, Nat'l Natural Landmark Black Chasm Cavern, named a National Landmark in 1976, is an extraordinarily beautiful cave open daily 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guided walking tours showcase a variety of calcite formations including rare helictite crystals. 866-762-2837
Bob Fyock Bob Fyock is lead docent at the Monteverde General Store Museum where he coordinates and trains docents. He is extremely knowledgeable about the museum which operated as a store serving Sutter Creek residents from 1898 to 1971.
Gabby`s Historical Gold Rush Tours Gabby is a retired local teacher who offers fun, authentic historical tours of Amador County which incorporate early California and Gold Rush history. Take a free walking tour or longer fee-based tours at $50 per hour.
Kennedy Mine Foundation The Kennedy Gold Mine, in conjunction with its much-heralded surface tours of this historic mine, maintains a small but surprisingly complete gift shop with a fine selection of books, jewelry and unique items for young and old.
Knight Foundry Corporation Knight Foundry Corp. is dedicated to the preservation, restoration and operation of Knight Foundry, a historic water-powered iron works. The foundry began operation in the late 1880s to manufacture machinery for Mother Lode gold mines.
Monteverde Store Museum The Monteverde Store Museum, which opened as a country store in 1896, still displays all the paraphernalia of the past on its shelves. Dry goods, hardware, bulk products, apparel, patterns, even penny candy were on hand for local shoppers. It is preserved as it was in 1971 when the last owner closed the doors for a few days and never reopened. It can be viewed by appointment with the senior docent: call (209) 267-0493 or (209) 267-1344 to make arrangements.
City of Sutter Creek Full-service City Government with Sutter Creek Fire Department handling fire and safety issues.
Sutter Gold Mine Tours Sutter Gold Mine, open daily, provides at a moderate charge, one-hour guided tours into this authentic, modern gold mine. Learn about mining techniques and Mother Lode geology. Visit the Gold Store, theater and try panning and gemstone mining.
Wineries
Susan's Place - Wine Bar & Eatery For fresh Mediterranean fare and a galaxy of menu choices, as well as wine tasting and sales of Sierra Foothill wines, drop in here for lunch or dinner. Dine indoors or outside under the vine-covered lattice. Open Thursday through Sunday.
Sutter Creek Wine Tasting Check out our website. Enjoy wines from three distinguished, family winemakers along with tasteful wine-themed gifts. Open daily.
Winery Tours
Amador Vintners Association The Amador Vintners Association is an alliance of over two dozen small, family wineries dedicated to promoting Amador County’s vibrant wine community and diverse, internationally renowned fine wines.
Classic Vintage Car Tours Classic Vintage Car Tours offers tours of Shenandoah Valley wineries, Sutter Creek wine sites and other Amador County venues in a luxurious 1939 La Salle automobile. Vintage car comfortably accommodates four people. Operates daily.
History
Calaveras Big Tree State Park Calaveras became a State Park in 1931 to preserve the North Grove of giant sequoias. This grove includes the "Discovery Tree", the first Sierra redwood noted by Augustus T. Dowd in 1852. This area has been a major tourist attraction ever since, and is considered the longest continuously operated tourist facility in California.
Chaw'se Indian Grinding Rock State Park Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills eight miles east of Sutter Creek. The park nestles in a little valley 2,400 feet above sea level with open meadows and large valley oaks that once provided the native Americans of this area with an ample supply of acorns. The 135-acre park was created in 1968 and preserves a great outcropping of marbleized limestone with some 1,185 mortar holes -- the largest collection of bedrock mortars in North America.
Black Bart Hold-Up Days The third weekend in June. Historic re-inactments with horse-drawn stagechoach, 1880's costumes encouraged for all and period activities throughout the weekend.
Knight Foundry This is one of the earliest US foundry-machine shops remaining in operation and one fo the few water-powered. It was founded by Samuel N. Knight (1838-1913) to manufacture machinery for the gold mines of the Mother Lode region. Knight was one of several inventors experimenting with impulse turbines to exploit the area's abundant high-head water power for driving hoists, ore stamps, and other mining machinery. He patented an efficient water wheel that came to dominate the field prior to the introduction of the Pelton turbine in the mid-1880s. Knight turbines drive some of the machinery of the works.
Today the foundry continues to operate, producing gray iron castings for industry and tourism. The machine shop is still powered by water falling more than 400 feet from the ridge above Sutter Creek. Knight Foundry is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated a California Historical Landmark.
Monteverde Store Museum J. Monteverde General Store Museum
3 Randolph Street
Sutter Creek, CA 95685
Admission: Free
Take a step back in time at the Monteverde General Store Museum and experience a little slice of “frontier life.” John Monteverde and members of his family ran the emporium from 1898 to 1971 and you can see the authentic hardware, groceries, clothing, pharmaceuticals, candy, and miner supplies such as boots, flashlights, and tools that the Monteverde’s sold to Sutter Creek locals.
Walk into a Time Capsule
John Monteverde and his son John opened their general store in August 1898 and it changed little from its early days until Rose Monteverde, the youngest of seven children, put a hand written sign in the window on 27 October 1971 stating, “This store will be closed for a few days.” Rose never returned to the store and bequeathed it to the town of Sutter Creek in 1978, on the condition that it be converted to a museum or a library. As an homage to the frontier spirit of the Sutter Creek community, town members decided to preserve the store almost exactly as Rose Monteverde had left it.
The J. Monteverde General Store Museum is typical of old country stores at the turn of the century. Over its counters and from its shed – now the home to the Sutter Creek Visitor’s Center and Amador Arts Council – the Monteverde family offered for sale all manner and description of merchandise and came to serve as a meeting place for miners, housewives and the town children.
What Waits in Store for You
· Original grocery items still extant in their original packaging and boxes, when possible.
· Authentic miners supplies, including hob nail boots, miner hats, tools, and lunch boxes.
· All the existing original ledgers, written in spidery script, attesting to the good and bad times that befell the citizenry.
· A variety of 19th and early 20th century book titles in the “reading library” section.
· Shelves full of hose and long underwear sold to gentlemen as well as shoes, hose, bolts of materials, and patterns for the ladies. Also on display is a box of vintage Chux disposable diapers.
· And Much, Much More!
Black Chasm Black Chasm, National Natural Landmark, has been known for its outstanding geological significance since at least 1976 when it was designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Serivce. Rare and beautiful formations abound in this spectacular cave. Black Chasm is open every day of the
year - providing 45-minute guided tours to the general public, and is located off Hwy 88 in Pine Grove, just outside the little Gold Rush town of Volcano.
Check their web site at www.caverntours.com or call 209-736-2708 or toll free 866-762-2837 for more information.
Kirkwood Ski Area Kirkwood Ski Area approximately 55 miles East of Sutter Creek on Highway 88. Best ski area in Amador County.
Amador County Recreation Agency Picnic Area on the Creek Picnic area four miles out of Sutter Creek on Church Street - Suter Creek-Volcano Road. Area has ample picnic Picnic Area ample, Gold Panning, Place for Kids to Play. Four miles up Volcano road.
Sutter Gold Mine Tours SUTTER GOLD MINE
Located just 15 minutes away on Hwy 49 just north of historic Sutter Creek, Sutter Gold Mine is a fascinating and fun place to visit. Tag in, don a hard hat, board the Boss Buggy Shuttle and journey deep underground for a lesson on gold mining from the Gold Rush to the present day. Walk through a tunnel created by mining the quartz of the Comet Zone for gold by real miners just a decade ago. See mining equipment and learn how it works! Discover the difference between real gold and fool¹s gold! Above ground, try your hand at gemstone mining (pictured at left) and gold panning, or browse the Gold Store for mining equipment, gold jewelry, rocks and fun souvenirs. Next door, pop in to the Gold Theatre to see a movie on hard rock mining or the California Gold Rush.1-hour family tours are offered every day, year round from 9 am - 5 pm May through August and from 10 am to 4 pm September through April. Every participant must wear a provided hardhat for the entire tour underground. Hardhats come in sizes appropriate for toddlers through adults. Discount coupons are available for your entire family from their website at
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