Sacramento

Old Sacramento is a favorite getaway for locals and has been voted the “best place for a first date”. The district is a National Landmark, part of which is designated as a State Historic Park. The waterfront promenade where early fortune-seekers first stepped ashore, wooden boardwalks lining the streets, and historic Gold-Rush era buildings make Old Sacramento a “must-see” destination to explore!
 
In 1839, John Sutter landed on the shore of the AmericanRiver near its confluence with the Sacramento River. Sutter’s Fort was established from a Mexican land grant to Sutter and his party. The settlement attracted other businessmen looking for opportunities.  Sam Brannan established a store near the Sacramento River hoping to take advantage of the convenient waterfront location.
 
When gold was discovered in the nearby foothills, Brannan’s settlement, called Sacramento, boomed. The embarcadero (waterfront area) flourished and was the prime trading center for miners outfitting themselves for the gold fields. Prone to flooding, the city was raised 12 feet, which can be seen under the boardwalks and in its basements. 'During the next 100 years, the center of Sacramento’s commerce gradually moved east, leaving this area to languish and become a slum.
 
In the mid-1960’s, redevelopment of  the area was begun with the construction of Interstate 5 and a pedestrian underpass linking Downtown Plaza (K Street) with Old Sacramento. Today, 53 historic buildings, with shops or restaurants on the street level and professional offices or residences upstairs, are found in the easily-walkable 10 block area.
 
Check out the southwest corner of 2nd & I Streets or the alley between Front and 2nd Streets to give you a perspective on the true level of Old Sacramento in the early days. Starting in April, new Underground Tours will let you explore hidden sidewalks, find hidden doors, and tour historic buildings.
 
Come explore America’s love of trains at the California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento—America’s most popular train museum! Climb aboard a sleeping car that gently rocks through the night, a 1930s dining car filled with railroad china, and a million-pound steam locomotive. If it happened in Sacramento, the Sacramento History Museum exhibits it, as well as the people who made it happen.
 
A cluster of noteworthy early Gold Rush sites includes the Eagle Theatre, the BF Hastings Building (once home of the California Supreme Court), the western terminus of the Pony Express, and the 1855 Big Four Building, where you can find lots of interesting items in the Huntington, Hopkins and Company Hardware Store.  The Wells Fargo Museum now offers simulated Pony Express rides – watch yourself carrying the mail through the Old West!!