Joss House Museum, Auburn

About Joss House Museum

The Joss House Museum in Old Town Auburn preserves the history of Chinese immigrants to the region. Visitors tour the historic house and view interior rooms that reflect the lives of Auburn's early Chinese community. The museum displays personal correspondence from the 1960s written by Chinese immigrants, offering insight into their home lives and experiences. These letters, translated from the original Chinese, reveal the everyday concerns and connections of families separated by distance. The Joss House documents Auburn's unique cultural heritage through its collection of artifacts, furnishings, and domestic spaces that illustrate how Chinese residents lived and worked in the area. Guided tours allow visitors to explore the building and learn about local history firsthand. The museum serves those interested in understanding California's Chinese American past and the contributions of Chinese residents to the town's development.