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Noted as a historical showcase, the Gold Rush town of Jacksonville has been designated as a National Historic Landmark Community. Located in the foothills of the Siskiyou Mountains, this old west town has over 90 original brick and wooden buildings that date back to the 1850s. Using the 100 year old photographs of pioneer Peter Britt, many have been restored to their original state. Strolling by the historic buildings on Oregon and California Streets will take you back to the frontier days of this mining town.

Peter Britt, a Swiss native, lived in Jacksonville. He was an accomplished photographer and horticulturist, who took the first photos of Crater Lake. These photographs later aided in the decision to designate it as a National Park. His photographic work can be seen at the Jackson County Museum. His elaborate and extensive gardens, (the Peter Britt Gardens at First and Pine Street), were the site of the original Peter Britt Music Festival. Now held at the Britt Pavilion just south of the Gardens, the festival has internationally renowned performers, and features jazz, popular, classical, bluegrass and country music, as well as dance, musical theater, Broadway musicals and more. It is a series of approximately 40 concerts, scheduled from the last week of June through the first week of September.

The Jacksonville Museum is in a brick and stone Italianate building built in 1883 that formerly served as the courthouse, until the county seat was moved to Medford. There is a section featuring the works of Peter Britt, as well as exhibits on the history of the Oregon and California Railroad in the Rogue Valley, mining, the Chinese, and Jacksonville history in general. The nearby Children’s Museum is housed in the 1910 Jackson County Jail. It has exhibits including old fashioned toys, walk through exhibits for a pioneer jail, kitchen and tepee and a collection of Vance Colvig memorabilia and cartoons. Vance (”Pinto”) Colvig, a Jacksonville native, was the voice for many Walt Disney characters, including Goofy, Grumpy (in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), and Pluto.