California's Gold is a public television human interest program that explores the natural, cultural, and historical features of California. The series ran for 24 seasons beginning in 1991, and was produced and hosted by Huell Howser in collaboration with KCET, Los Angeles. The series ceased production when Howser retired in November 2012, shortly before his death on January 7, 2013, although episodes continue to be shown on KCET and are featured on the page at the station's website about his shows.
The show's theme song varies between several renditions of "California, Here I Come", but was most often played on the series by local musicians Eddie Enderle and Richard Chon.
Episodes Season Season 24 · 0/10 Season 23 · 0/29 Season 22 · 0/13 Season 21 · 0/10 Season 20 · 0/12 Season 19 · 0/1 Season 18 · 0/1 Season 17 · 0/1 Season 16 · 0/1 Season 15 · 0/1 Season 14 · 0/1 Season 13 · 0/1 Season 12 · 0/2 Season 11 · 0/1 Season 10 · 0/1 Season 9 · 0/4 Season 8 · 0/1 Season 7 · 0/1 Season 6 · 0/1 Season 5 · 0/1 Season 4 · 0/1 Season 3 · 0/2 Season 2 · 0/7 Season 1 · 0/13 0/10 watched · 2011
S24E01 FDR’s Boat 2011-11-10 29m
Huell takes an inspirational voyage upon Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Presidential Yacht, the U.S.S. Potomac. Now stationed at Jack London Square in Oakland, the ship is operated by a staff of volunteers and is now open for public tours. more
S24E02 Chavez Center 2012-01-12 30m
Huell travels to the Tehachapi Mountains to visit The Cesar Chavez Foundation. Set on 187 acres, the buildings where once home to a tuberculosis hospital and then it’s where Cesar lived and labored during his last quarter century as he fought for better rights for migrant workers. Now the Center is a carrying on Cesar’s dream and welcomes visitors to learn about this important chapter in our states history. Huell gets a very special and personal tour of the Center from Cesar’s son Paul. more
S24E03 S.S. Catalina Update 2012-04-10 29m
Huell traces the history of the S.S. Catalina, which carried 24 million passengers to-and-from Catalina Island from 1924 to 1975. Considered by many to be the West Coast’s most storied vessel, the S.S. Catalina fell into disrepair while docked at Ensenada and efforts to rescue and restore the legendary ship ultimately failed. It was dismantled and scrapped. Today, some of the ship’s original signs, doors, and benches decorate the home of Coos Bay resident Dave Engholm, whose love for the S.S. Catalina led he and his family into a remarkable restoration project. more
S24E04 Sea Shadow 2012-07-07 30m
Sea Shadow was the Navy’s “Stealth Ship,” a futuristic vessel built in 1984 to test new naval technologies, especially Signature Control, better known as “stealth”. Follow Huell to San Diego for an extraordinary tour, and find out the fate of the now-retired vessel. more
S24E05 Cabrillo’s Ship 2012-07-05 29m
Huell travels to Point Loma to learn about the history of Juan Cabrillo’s ship, the San Salvador, which arrived at San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542. We then meet the builders and see the progress of a full-scale replica of the ship at the San Diego Maritime Museum. more
S24E06 Jacaranda 2012-07-06 26m
Huell, with the help of his friends from the Braille Institute, learns about the history of jacaranda trees in California, which dates back to the 1890s when horticulturalist Kate Sessions first planted the seeds in Balboa Park. The blooming purple trees can now be seen all across the state, and we will find that some people call the jacarandas a “mess” while others call them a “miracle”. more
S24E07 Spam 2012-08-10 29m
This episode is all about Spam! Huell revisits an old episode where he attended the “Best Spam Recipe” contest at the Los Angeles County Fair. more
S24E08 Hot Dog on a Stick Update 2012-08-20 28m
In this update episode, Huell revisits his segment on Hot Dog on a Stick. Huell goes off to Santa Monica Beach to the site of the very first Hot Dog on a Stick stand, where he gets a behind the scenes look on the company. more
S24E09 Watts Towers Update 2012-09-19 28m
Join Huell as he looks back to when he first visited the Watts Towers in Watts, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, back in the 1990s. He revisits the historic landmark, now known as Watts Towers Campus, to see what has changed. more
S24E10 Classic Arts Showcase 2012-09-19 27m
Huell tours the Glendale office of Classic Arts Showcase, a free cable TV program comprised of video samples from the worlds of ballet, opera, and theater. The program was the vision of philanthropist Lloyd Rigler, who practiced the cost-effective use of resources in order to achieve the greatest good. more 
