The largest known Pelton Wheel, which stands 30-feet high, sits in its original location near the intersection of Freeman Lane and Allison Ranch Road in Grass Valley as part of the North Star Mining Museum and Pelton Wheel Exhibit, which will open soon after a year of closure.
Photo: Elias Funez
The North Star Mining Museum, at 933 Allison Ranch Road in Grass Valley, will reopen for the 2021 season on May 1, after remaining closed last year due to the pandemic.
The museum, which first opened in 1971, traditionally opens to visitors from May 1 through Oct. 31 each year.
The North Star Mine powerhouse has since been restored and constructed into a museum housing many operating mining implements, including a working stamp mill.