Sacramento and the Gold Country
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Sacramento and the Gold Country - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Angels Camp Museum
Learn a little bit about Mark Twain's "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"—and Angels Camp's celebrated frog-jumping contests—at this museum's street-side facility, then head to the 3-acre spread behind it for a fascinating survey of gold rush–era mining history. The grounds include a carriage house with pre-automotive farming and passenger vehicles; another structure contains mining equipment. Outside, in its original mountings, stands the 27-foot-diameter waterwheel that powered machinery at the Angels Quartz Mine.
753 S. Main St., Angels Camp, California, 95222, USA209-736–2963Sight Details
Rate Includes: $15 -
2. Calaveras Big Trees State Park
The park protects hundreds of the largest and rarest living things on the planet—magnificent giant sequoia redwood trees. Some are 3,000 years old, 90 feet around at the base, and 250 feet tall. There are campgrounds, cabin rentals, and picnic areas; wading, fishing, and sunbathing on the Stanislaus River are popular in summer. Enjoy the "three senses" trail, designated for the sight impaired, with interpretive signs in braille that guide visitors to touch the bark and encourage children to slow down and enjoy the forest in a more sensory way.
1170 E. Hwy. 4, Arnold, California, 95223, USA209-795–2334Sight Details
Rate Includes: $10 per vehicle -
3. California State Railroad Museum
Old SacramentoSprawling over three floors, this museum celebrates the history of trains from their 19th-century English origins to the pre–jet age glory days of rail travel. A permanent exhibit details Chinese laborers' contributions to the transcontinental railroad's completion (Sacramento was the western terminus). Another section contains one of several gold spikes issued to commemorate the joining in Utah of the west-to-east Central Pacific and east-to-west Union Pacific lines. Up to 21 of the museum's railroad cars and engines—among them Pullman-style cars and steam locomotives—are on exhibit, and there are interactive displays and a play area for kids. Two nearby affiliated attractions (both free) worth a peek if they're open are the re-creation of the circa-1876 Central Pacific passenger station (930 Front Street) and the Huntington, Hopkins & Company Hardware exhibit (113 I Street), a facsimile of a 19th-century hardware store.
125 I St., Sacramento, California, 95814, USA916-323–9280Sight Details
Rate Includes: $12 -
4. Capitol
DowntownBuilt between 1860 and 1874 and topped by a 128-foot gilded dome, the Capitol functions as a working museum and, since 1869, the active seat of California's government. When it's open, you can wander freely past reproductions of century-old state offices or join a guided tour. Portraits of former governors on display include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronald Reagan, Earl Warren (later Chief Justice of the United States), and Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, whose father was also governor. Tours of the 40-acre Capitol Park, which contains a rose garden, a fragrant display of camellias (Sacramento's city flower), and more than 1,000 types of trees from around the world, take place on Sunday and Wednesday.
1315 10th St., Sacramento, California, 95814, USA916-324–0333Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed weekends -
5. Columbia State Historic Park
Columbia, whose mines yielded $87 million in gold, is both a functioning community and a historically preserved town. Usually you can ride a stagecoach, pan for gold, and watch a blacksmith working at an anvil. Street musicians perform in summer. Restored or reconstructed buildings include a Wells Fargo Express office, a Masonic temple, an old-fashioned candy store, saloons, a firehouse, churches, a school, and a newspaper office. At times, all are staffed to simulate a working 1850s town. Also in the park is the Fallon House Theatre, a gorgeous Victorian structure that hosts plays and live music. The town's two reasonably priced historic lodgings, the Fallon Hotel and City Hotel, perch you in the past.
11255 Jackson St., Columbia, California, 95310, USA209-588–9128Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Empire Mine State Historic Park
Relive the days of gold, grit, and glory, when this mine was one of North America's biggest and most prosperous hard-rock gold mines. The Empire-Star Mine complex yielded an estimated 5.8 million troy ounces of gold from 367 miles of underground passages. You can walk into a mine shaft, peer into dark, deep recesses and almost imagine what it felt like to work this vast operation. The grounds have the Bourn Cottage (exquisite redwood interior; call for tour times), picnic tables, and gentle trails—perfect for a family outing.
10791 E. Empire St., Grass Valley, California, 95945, USA530-273–8522Sight Details
Rate Includes: $5 -
7. Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park
DowntownLeland Stanford, a railroad baron, California governor, and U.S. senator, expanded the original 1856 two-story row house on this site into a 19,186-square-foot mansion. The opulent space is open for touring except on days when California's governor hosts official events. After the death of Stanford's wife, Jane, Roman Catholic nuns transformed the mansion into an orphanage and later a home for teenage girls. Luckily for the restoration efforts, which began in 1986 following the state acquiring the property, the sisters had stashed many original furnishings and fixtures on the fourth floor, and the renowned photographer Eadweard Muybridge had shot images in 1872 that made clear what rooms looked like and where things belonged. Guided tours (first come, first served) depart hourly from 10 to 4.
800 N St., Sacramento, California, 95814, USA916-324–9266Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
8. Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
The American River's south fork slices through this park commemorating California's mining history. Trails lead from the parking lot to a statue of James Marshall with sublime views; beyond it to the north stands a working reproduction of an 1840s mill erected near where he first spotted gold. Most of Coloma lies within the park. Though crowded with tourists in summer, the town hardly resembles the mob scene it was in 1849, when 2,000 prospectors staked out claims along the streambed. Coloma's population grew to 4,000, supporting seven hotels, three banks, and many stores and other businesses. But when reserves of the precious metal dwindled, the prospectors left as quickly as they had come. Rangers give gold-panning lessons (additional fee) on most days.
310 Back St., Coloma, California, 95613, USA530-622–3470Sight Details
Rate Includes: $10 per vehicle -
9. Moaning Caverns Adventure Park
For different sorts of underground jewels, wander into an ancient limestone cave, where stalactites and stalagmites, not gold and silver, await. Take the 235-step Spiral Tour down a staircase built in 1922 into the vast main cavern, or descend farther on the Expedition Tour caving adventure. It's best to make a reservation here.
5350 Moaning Cave Rd., Vallecito, California, 95251, USA209-736–2708Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tours from $23, Closed Tues. and Wed. -
10. Railtown 1897 State Historic Park
A must for rail enthusiasts and families with kids, this is one of North America's most intact early roundhouses (maintenance facilities). You can hop aboard a steam train for a 40-minute journey—bring the dog if you'd like. The docents entertain guests with tales about the history of locomotion. Listen to the original rotor and pulleys in the engine house and take in the smell of axle grease. Walk through a genteel passenger car with dusty-green velvet seats and ornate metalwork, where Grace Kelly and Gary Cooper filmed a scene in High Noon. When offered, Polar Express excursions at Christmastime sell out quickly.
18115 5th Ave., Jamestown, California, 95327, USA209-984–3953Sight Details
Rate Includes: Park $5, rides from $20 (includes park fee), No train rides Oct.–Mar. or weekdays (except Wed. in June and July) -
11. Apple Hill
From July to late December, Apple Hill Growers Association members open their orchards and vineyards for apple and berry picking; picnicking; and wine, cider, pressed-juice, and other tastings. Treasure hunts, pond fishing, pie making, and other activities attract families. On autumn weekends, take U.S. 50's Camino exit to avoid some of the traffic congestion.
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12. Black Chasm Cavern National Natural Landmark
Guided 45-minute tours take you past stalactites, stalagmites, and rare formations of delicate helictites in three underground chambers, one of which also contains a lake. Black Chasm isn't the largest cave in the Gold Country, but its crystals dazzle both eye and camera—the Landmark Chamber, the tour's third stop, inspired a scene in the 2003 film The Matrix Reloaded. Outside is an area where kids can "pan" for crystals. The same outfit also conducts tours of California Cavern State Historic Landmark, 32 miles south of Volcano, though the days open are less regular.
15701 Pioneer Volcano Rd., California, 95689, USA209-296–5007Sight Details
Rate Includes: $20 -
13. California Agriculture Museum
This gigantic space north of Davis in Woodland provides a thorough historical overview of motorized agricultural vehicles through dozens and dozens of threshers, harvesters, combines, tractors, and other contraptions. A separate wing surveys the evolution of trucks, emphasizing those used for farmwork.
1958 Hays La., Woodland, California, 95776, USA530-666–9700Sight Details
Rate Includes: $10, Closed Mon. and Tues. -
14. California Automobile Museum
DowntownMore than 150 vehicles—from Model Ts, Hudsons, and Studebakers to modern-day electric-powered ones—are on display at this museum that pays tribute to automotive history and car culture. Check out a replica of Henry Ford's 1896 Quadricycle and a 1920s roadside café and garage exhibit. The museum is south of Downtown and Old Sacramento.
2200 Front St., Sacramento, California, 95818, USA916-442–6802Sight Details
Rate Includes: $12, Closed Tues. -
15. California Museum
DowntownShowcasing longtime and temporary residents who helped elevate the Golden State, this museum contains permanent exhibits covering statehood, the experiences of California Native Americans, life for Japanese Americans in World War II internment camps, and the impact of women. The California Hall of Fame honors Walt Disney, Jackie Robinson, Bruce Lee, Amelia Earhart, writer and Sacramento native Joan Didion, and other familiar names.
1020 O St., Sacramento, California, 95814, USA916-653–7524Sight Details
Rate Includes: $10, Closed Mon. -
16. California State Mining and Mineral Museum
A California state park, the museum has displays on gold-rush history including a replica hard-rock mine shaft to walk through, a miniature stamp mill, and a 13-pound chunk of crystallized gold.
5005 Fairground Rd., Mariposa, California, 95338, USA209-742–7625Sight Details
Rate Includes: $4, Closed Mon.–Wed. -
17. Central Pacific Railroad Passenger Station
Old SacramentoAt this reconstructed 1876 station there's rolling stock to admire and a typical waiting room. On some days, a train departs from the freight depot, south of the passenger station, making a 50-minute out-and-back trip that starts along the banks of the Sacramento River. Cookies and hot chocolate are served aboard sellout Polar Express rides (book way ahead) between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
930 Front St., Sacramento, California, 95814, USA916-445–5995Sight Details
Rate Includes: Train rides from $15, Hrs vary -
18. Gold Bug Park & Mine
Take a self-guided tour of this fully lighted mine shaft within a park owned by the City of Placerville. The worthwhile audio tour (included) makes clear what you're seeing. A shaded stream runs through the park, and there are picnic facilities.
2635 Goldbug La., Placerville, California, 95667, USA530-642–5207Sight Details
Rate Includes: Park free; mine tour $12, Closed weekdays late fall–early spring except for a few holidays -
19. Kennedy Gold Mine
On weekends much of the year and some major holidays, docents conduct guided 90-minute surface tours of one of the gold-rush era's most prolific, and one of the world's deepest, mines. Exhibits inside the remaining buildings illustrate how gold flakes were melted for shipment to San Francisco and how "skips" were used to lower miners and materials into the mile-long shaft and carry ore to the surface.
Kennedy Mine Rd., Jackson, California, 95642, USA209-223–9542Sight Details
Rate Includes: $7 self-guided tour, $15 guided, Closed most weekdays yr-round, most weekends Nov.–Feb. -
20. Knight Foundry
Pivotal accomplishments in engineering history occurred at the nation's last functioning water-powered foundry and machine shop, established in 1873 and these days run by volunteers. Namesake Samuel Knight's innovations included a revolutionary system for casting iron and the one-piece Knight Water Wheel for generating power. You can tour on the second Saturday of the month or on workdays (usually Wednesday). Plaques and outdoor exhibits accessible at all hours convey some of this facility's fascinating story.
81 Eureka St., Sutter Creek, California, 95685, USA209-560–6160Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tour $15, outdoor exhibits free
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