3 Museums to Explore in Amador County

The Amador Whitney Museum exists to promote an interest in the history and culture of the Mother Lode region among both residents and visitors.This building, originally the Kling Building is probably the oldest commercial building in town. It dates back to 1860. Throughout the years, it has housed many types of businesses including the Wells Fargo Drayage Company.

Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park is a California State Park, preserving an outcropping of marbleized limestone with some 1,185 mortar holes This is the largest collection of bedrock mortars in North America. The park is nestled in a little valley. This museum within the park grounds features a variety of exhibits and a vast collection of Sierra Nevada Indian artifacts.

This was a reform school located in Ione, California, in Amador County. Its mission is to preserve, rehabilitate and utilize the historic Preston Castle site as well as preserving the history of the school, its staff and boys. The Romanesque Revival style of architecture was to make the building look like a school rather than a prison. Today, theCastle is open to the public for tours and events.