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December 2025 Preservation ePost | | Holidays in Historic State Parks | | |
Many of California's Historic State Parks will be celebrating the holiday season the old-fashioned way. From living history demonstrations at William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park to roasting chestnuts at Empire Mine, to a holiday carol sing-along at Sonoma State Park, these historic parks will provide a glimpse into a historic holiday season.
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Restoration Architect (JC- 500191)
Application Deadline: 12/16/2025
Are you dedicated to preserving California’s architectural heritage?
The Department of Parks & Recreation is looking for a skilled Restoration Architect to support statewide historic preservation efforts and ensure the protection of California’s most treasured historic properties.
In this role, you’ll:
✔️ Apply your expertise in the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Properties
✔️ Ensure compliance with the ADA and the California Historical Building Code
✔️ Provide professional architectural support for state and federally mandated programs
✔️ Assist with preservation initiatives
| | Historic Places on Screen | | The diverse California landscape has served as the backdrop for thousands of television and film productions. Whether transporting viewers back in time or establishing a specific location, these historic places are accessible to the public to explore and appreciate. | |
Columbia State Historic Park
Columbia
Columbia State Historic Park, also known as the Columbia Historic District, is a preserved and restored Gold Rush-era town. Roughly thirty buildings from the 1850s still stand, including a barber shop, firehouse, jail, and cottages. This historic backdrop has appeared in over 300 films and television shows, including High Noon, Back to the Future III, and Little House on the Prairie. The area was dedicated as a State Park in 1945. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
Photos courtesy of California State Parks
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Angels Flight Railway
Los Angeles
This funicular railway in the Bunker Hill district of Downtown Los Angeles was used to transport people up the steep incline between Hill Street and Grand Avenue. It has appeared in over 100 films and television shows, including La La Land, Dragnet, and Perry Mason. The two-car rail system was originally built in 1901 and relocated to its current site in 1996. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.
Photos courtesy of National Park Service
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Tower Bridge
Sacramento
Designed by Alfred Eichler and opened in 1935, this bridge was the first vertical lift bridge on the California Highway System. Originally painted silver, the now-golden bridge has appeared in the Sacramento-based television show, The Mentalist, although primary filming took place in Los Angeles. The bridge can also be seen in recent films, Lady Bird, Sacramento, and One Battle After Another.
The Tower Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Photos courtesy of National Park Service
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State Historical Resources Commission Meeting
November 6, 2025
The next regularly scheduled State Historical Resources Commission (SHRC) meeting is February 6, 2026, at the California Natural Resources Agency Auditorium, 715 P Street, Sacramento, CA, at 9 AM. The SHRC meets quarterly each year. Commission meetings are open to the public and live-streamed through the Cal-Span network. Meeting and workshop dates, times, and agendas are posted on the SHRC Meeting Schedule and Notices page of the OHP website.
For upcoming nominations, visit the Pending Nominations page. Nominations already heard by the Commission are listed on the Actions Taken page, and video recordings of SHRC meetings are posted to Meeting Recordings & Summaries.
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California Strategic Growth Council
The California Strategic Growth Council released a new Tribal Technical Assistance Guidance to its Technical Assistance toolkit. This new section includes background on California’s unique historic relationship with Tribes, a set of core principles for working with Tribes, best practices for developing a Tribal-specific TA program, resources to inform Tribal engagement, and a Tribal-specific glossary.
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California State Library
"Ready—Or Not”: Cultural Heritage Disaster Preparedness Project
Funded by the California State Library, this free in-person workshop will introduce key disaster recovery concepts, including risk assessment, preparedness, response procedures, and recovery actions.
These workshops are open to individuals in California associated with cultural heritage organizations, such as libraries, archives, museums, and historical societies; government departments; state historic parks; cultural centers; tribal nations; county clerks; and others who work with historic and cultural resources. Click the link below for more details on dates and locations. Advance registration is required.
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California Grants Portal
Hosted by the California State Library, this is a one-stop portal for searching for grants and loans offered by state agencies.
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National Trust for Historic Preservation
Articles
| | Items posted in the ePost are presented as an informational courtesy and do not constitute an endorsement by the Office of Historic Preservation. | | |
News from California State Parks
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