Sacramento Area Attractions

Sacramento is far from a tourist town, but it does have its share of touristy activities. Visitors and locals alike enjoy spending the day walking through Old Sacramento, floating down the American River, or biking the shady paths along the Sacramento and American rivers. Locals fondly refer to their water-bordered town as "River City." And did we mention that in summer the weather is seriously hot? So much so that San Franciscans drive to Sacramento just to thaw out.

California State Railroad Museum
125 I Street • Sacramento, CA • 916.445.6645
Well worth visiting, this museum is the highlight of Old Sacramento. You won't miss much if you bypass the memorabilia displays and head straight for the museum's 105 shiny locomotives and rail cars, beautiful antiques that are true works of art. Afterward, you can watch a 20-minute film on the history of the Western railroads that's quite good, then peruse related exhibits that tell the amazing story of the building of the transcontinental railroad. This museum is not just for train buffs: Over half a million people visit each year, and even the hordes of schoolchildren that typically mob this place shouldn't dissuade you from visiting one of the largest and best railroad museums in the country.

Crocker Art Museum
216 O Street • Sacramento, CA • 916.264.5423
This museum houses an outstanding collection of California art, as well as temporary exhibits from around the world. The museum itself is an imposing century-old Italianate building, with an ornate interior of carved and inlaid woods. The Crocker Mansion Wing, the museum's most recent addition, is modeled after the Crocker family home and contains works by Northern California artists from 1945 to the present.

California State Capitol
10th Street • Sacramento, CA • 916.324.0333
Closely resembling a scale model of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., the beautiful, domed California state capitol was built in 1869 and massively renovated in 1976. Sacramento's most distinctive landmark, the capitol has been the stage of many important political dramas in California history. The 1-hour guided tours provide insight into both the building's architecture and the workings of the government it houses. Note: Security has gotten much tighter since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, so be prepared to show some identification.

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