About Murphys
Love Murphys
Murphys feels as if it was lifted from the celluloid of a major motion picture, transported to a magical place under the canopies of soaring ancient big trees and delicately nestled in the Sierra Foothills.
Deemed one of the “8 California Small Towns to Visit Right Now,” by the San Francisco Chronicle, Murphys (located in Calaveras County), is an unrivaled and incomparable historic Gold Country town nestled in the Sierra Foothills a mere 2.5 hour drive from San Francisco or San Jose and 1.5 hours from Sacramento.
And, according to the Calaveras County Visitors Bureau, the significant number of Angelenos who make up the large percentile of annual visitors to Murphys, and Calaveras County as a whole, have no issue with the six hour drive to escape from Los Angeles and Southern California cities.
Wine and Dine
As you mingle with other visitors or sit and dine at any restaurant, you’ll be greeted by countless visitors who have traveled from all around the country and the world who have come to experience Murphys as once many did after the discovery of Gold in 1849. But, in this era, it’s for the wining, dining, and good timing.
Once you park your car, Murphys truly is a fully strollable town with fine dining, historic attractions, boutique shopping, bars, bistros, bakeries, a beer garden, numerous live music options, and, arguably, one of the greatest concentrations of wine tasting rooms (25 tasting rooms representing 30 labels, at last count), all of which line the quaint, serene and inimitable half mile long Main Street.
There are an additional 9 wineries and tasting rooms all within 1.5 to 5 miles driving distance from the center of town.
Many visitors report that after arriving in Murphys, the one and only other time they’ll get back in their car is days later when it’s time to depart for home.
Murphys' Main Street
As you traverse Main Street, you seem to time travel between the present day and long gone decades and centuries. Perfectly maintained and preserved historic architecture from as early as the mid-1800’s blends seamlessly with the old-world-ambience-combined-with-the-new-world-charm of newer architecture.
During the construction expansion in Murphys in the early 1990s, business owners came together to ensure the town would maintain its unique western character and appeal. The newer construction, designed in a “miner’s exchange” style complements the existing western “false front” and placer and field stone buildings which were all so common in the varied architectural makeup of mid to late 1800’s western towns.
One is hard pressed to differentiate a building of historic appearance constructed in the 1990’s from another actually constructed in the 1850’s. This leaves visitors with a sense they’re meandering a town blended from movie sets and backdrops pulled from Deadwood, Silverado, Wyatt Earp and Westworld combined with the relaxed and casual atmosphere and elegance of Sonoma and Napa of the early 1970’s.
Everybody's Workin' for the Weekend
The best part about Murphys is the weekend always starts on Thursday.
Like clockwork, visitors and second home owners always arrive early on Thursday and the fun begins promptly on Thursday night.
Whether it’s live music at The Watering Hole or Murphys Irish Pub or Trivia Night at the Murphys Pourhouse, the town’s never-ending entertainment options kick into gear on Thursday afternoon and continue right up to when everyone starts to depart for home on Sunday evening.
From Friday through to Sunday, there can be, at least, 15 or more entertainment options at Main Street tasting rooms and pubs, wineries on the outskirts of town such as Stevenot Winery, Folk and Americana music acts to live Shakespeare at Brice Station, to exhilarating concerts by leading touring multi-platinum Rock and Roll and Country music acts at Ironstone’s incredible 6,900-capacity outdoor amphitheater.
Annual Events and the Awesome Daily Stuff to Do
And then there are the special annual street fair festivities that draw revelers from near and far such as our own events; the Love Murphys Valentine Wine and Dine Soiree, now every second weekend in February, and the inimitable Murphys Witch Walk, the most successful and lucrative street festival in Murphys history, which is held annually on every third Saturday in October.
Additionally, other festival events include The Murphys Irish Day Street Fair in March, The Gold Rush Street Fair in October, El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in November, and The Murphys Open House Christmas Parade in December.
Mountain Sports and Adventures
If you’re ambitious for mountain sports, scenery, valleys, climbing, rivers, vineyard tours, lakes, swimming, boating, biking, kayaking, S’up boarding, skiing, remote wilderness hiking, caverns, zip-lining, standing in awe in the shadows of the biggest trees in the world and other adventures, from Yosemite 2 hours to the south and South Lake Tahoe 1.5 hours to the north, Murphys is the perfect jumping off point for every bit of action one could desire, encounter or conceive.
The Queen of the Sierra
While Murphys is very much a joyous, fun and festive “entertainment town,” it never loses or even dilutes its quaint character and charm, which are its most endearing and attractive characteristics, hence maintaining it’s well deserved title of “Queen of the Sierra.”
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Murphys is a stunningly romantic destination that feels as if it was lifted from the celluloid of a major motion picture, transported to a magical place under the canopies of soaring ancient big trees and delicately nestled in the Sierra Foothills.
It's the perfectly picturesque location for your destination wedding, anniversary or bachelorette party, special event or milestone affair. Sign-up to get our infrequent newsletter to learn about why Murphys should be your choice for your next soiree.