Mariposa, California is an historic town in the Gold Country of the Sierra Foothills. Stay in a Mariposa Bed & Breakfast while you enjoy exploring this beautiful area. Home to two world class museums; the Smithsonian Institute calls the Mariposa Museum and History Center one of the best small museums in America. It’s filled with charming displays portraying life during the Gold Rush. There’s even a real gold stamp machine, used to crush rock to extract the gold. The California State Mining and Mineral Museum is located at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds. You can walk through a replica of a gold mine, view the world’s greatest collection of gold specimens and even try your hand at panning for gold. The town of Mariposa is filled with small-town charm and friendly folks. There are plenty of antique and gift shops, restaurants and historic sites to explore. Our one-room Courthouse was built in 1854 and is still used today. There are historic Bed & Breakfast Inns in Mariposa and Coulterville, and a variety of traditional Bed & Breakfasts, ranch and home-stays and private cottages scattered throughout Mariposa and Yosemite. There is something to do here in every season, including our popular Story-telling Festival, Civil War Reenactment, Wagon Train – Cowboy Poet Festival, Rodeos, the County Fair (a real old-fashioned country fair with a terrific parade!), the Merry Mountain Christmas Celebration and much more. Mariposa has abundant recreation opportunities including lake and river fishing, boating, white water rafting, hiking, snow skiing and more. And, of course, the jewel of Mariposa County is Yosemite National Park – with such well known landmarks as Half Dome, El Capitan and Glacier Point and beautiful water falls, including Bridal veil, Nevada, Vernal and Yosemite Falls – a favorite destination for travelers from around the world.