Knight Foundry

Went there with my dad who worked in a similar factory, so I'm clearly biased. We loved the tour. It had huge amount of details, working tools and set up. It really showed how it was. In many ways, time had stopped there and it's great for a realistic place like this. The receptionist and the tour guides were fanatics, hands-on dedicated people who never the stories and techniques used. They were very welcoming and great story tellers. The town is nice, too, and has a lot of food options nearby.

Drove from Roseville just to make a stop here. 2nd and 4th Saturdays they have tours. Worth the trip for sure. It is like going back in time for sure. All original items inside. You will learn all about how one man changed the foundry machining etc world. The docents are very knowledgeable and there are plenty of them if you have any questions. They also have a working blacksmithing area (and you can even sign up for classes) on their website. Also watch the youtube video on their website before going it is 47 min but wow so informative.

Definitely worth stepping away from the tasting rooms and souvenir shops to get a taste of historic Sutter Creek back in 1875. The foundry is a monument to mechanical engineering and the growth of industrial technology during the the late 1800's. The Foundry was completely water-powered which gives one pause in considering today's need for alternative power sources. We ended up having a private tour by Frank, one of the founding board members of the Knight Foundry Alliance. He was knowledgeable about all aspects of the foundry and the mechanics and the process of casting iron. He was able to answer my gazillion questions in understandable terms. All of the equipment is the original - it was really built to last. It is also a work in progress and is not a neat, clean museum but a dirty messy working foundry where you can watch and talk to and learn from the skilled craftsmen casting metal items using the machines, methods and tools from 1875. Highly recommended!!!

A great oppotunity to see and hear about how a foundry from the late 1800's through works. Great docents explain what everything is and how the work was done. They love to answer questions. The best part are the demonstrations of making molds for casting, metal casting, and blacksmithing. The store sells products from the casting and blacksmithing. Everyone is frriendly. It's a great activity for anyone interested in Gold Rush history, anything mechanical, or just would like to see real casting.

Not for everybody. If, however, you're interested in learning how stuff that will rust away first started out as molten iron poured into sand cast molds using wooden templates to produce rough castings that are then precision machined into a finished product, then you will be fascinated. Back in the day, this boomtown place was a total manufacturing center. All without the aid of electric power, air conditioning, internal combustion engines, or CAD/CAM software. Water power, sweat, pencil, paper, ruler, and horse drawn wagons. Historic.

absolutely fantastic!!!!the history of the foundry is amazing!seeing an anvil cast from mold to finish wasso cool we bought one.thank you to the docents

The guided tour of this historic facility was amazing. The docents knew the works so well that they could explain the process from a customer's need to the final cast product. Great video presentations completed the presentation to the point where you could almost feel the heat from the furnace. If you are even just a bit curious about how they made those huge gears and wheels in the past, you will find the answers here. The people are especially friendly and interesting.

Very knowledgeable and friendly volunteers. Great info and history! Fun for all ages.