Spotlight: Sacramento

Thanks to its proximity to the Sierra Nevada foothills’ gold mines, the San Joaquin Valley’s fertile soil, the American River, and San Francisco’s bustling financial center, Sacramento was awarded the title of California state capital in 1854. The city has always been serious about government and agriculture, but in the past two decades, it’s nurtured its cosmopolitan side. Artsy murals, third-wave coffee shops, hip music lounges, and ultramodern wine bars populate Sacramento’s tree-shaded streets, and the city’s cultural and culinary venues match those of California’s bigger cities.

State Capitol

An elegant neoclassical structure with an imposing 128-foot dome, California’s State Capitol building is an 1869 architectural stunner. On a free guided tour, visit the Senate Gallery and Assembly Room and glimpse how California’s government works while you admire the details of this ornately crafted building, like the California poppy designs in the Italian mosaics on the second floor, and the cast-iron grizzly bears baring their teeth on the rotunda ceiling. There’s a lot to see, but don’t miss the portraits of California’s governors, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan, and save time to tour the grounds. Surrounding the gleaming building is Capitol Park, a grassy expanse with historic rose gardens featuring more than 140 varieties, carefully tended camellia gardens (Sacramento calls itself “the camellia capital of the world”), bronze statues honoring California’s veterans, and squirrels hoping your pockets are filled with peanuts.

Old Sacramento

Step back in time—about 170 years—with a stroll along Old Sacramento’s wooden sidewalks. The cobblestone streets of the city’s riverfront corridor look like a set from a Hollywood western, but these buildings are the real deal, many of them dating back to the 1849 Gold Rush. Located on Front Street between the I Street bridge and Tower Bridge over the Sacramento River, Old Sac’s wooden Victorians house an eclectic collection of candy stores, souvenir shops, and museums. The Sacramento History Museum displays Gold Rush artifacts and offers underground tours and ghost tours of the historic district. Sacramento’s legacy as the transcontinental railroad’s western headquarters is documented at the California State Railroad Museum, home to 19 lavishly restored 1860s locomotives and dozens of railroad cars, from miniature-scale versions to full-size. At the Central Pacific Railroad passenger station, climb aboard a restored passenger train for a 45-minute ride along the river (April to September).

Canon

Get a taste of East Sacramento’s foodie panache at Canon, an oasis of creative shared plates, craft cocktails, and bold global flavors. Everything is elevated here, from the dining room’s soaring ceiling to the cutting-edge menu. Remember tater tots? Order them here, where chef Brad Cecchi employs 60-plus ingredients to create his mole-topped version. Many dishes are rooted in Mexican cuisine, but you’ll also find Southeast Asian and North African influences. Locally grown vegetables—marinated sweet peppers, roasted baby carrots, blistered pole beans—share the dinner limelight with king salmon and chicken drumsticks. The brunch menu delineates between sweet and salty dishes, with Bánh mi Crêpes, and Chicken & Potato Flautas starring on the salty side; Ricotta Pancakes on the sweet. Whatever you order, add on a sweet potato cinnamon roll (and remember, you’re supposed to share).

Ruhstaller Tap Room

The Sacramento metropolitan area boasts more than 30 brew pubs, taprooms, and craft breweries, but in this beer-saturated city, Ruhstaller adds a sophisticated twist. To sample some of its 18 brews, you ring a doorbell and descend the stairs to a softly lit speakeasy, where a quirky-chic vibe is highlighted by recycled wood paneling, cozy couches, and brick walls lined with historic photos. Knock around the eight ball with your friends (the pool table is free), snack on peanuts, and sample Ruhstaller’s 1881 red ale, made with hops grown only 15 miles away at the brewery’s Dixon farm. The tap room bears the name of Gold Rush pioneer Captain Frank Ruhstaller, who helped to found the Sacramento-based Buffalo Brewery Co., a late 1800s brewery that was the largest west of the Mississippi.

The Sawyer by Kimpton

Swanky, modern, and lofty, The Sawyer is Sacramento’s newest urban-elegant hotel, situated downtown next to the Golden1 Center and a few steps away from the Capitol Mall and K Street’s Downtown Commons (DOCO). Check in here if you’re headed to a Sacramento Kings game, but even if you’re staying overnight on a business trip, take time to swim in the rooftop pool, savor a lamb burger or rib-eye steak at Echo & Rig Steakhouse, bowl a few lanes or throw some darts at Punch Bowl Social, or dance to the DJ’s beats at Revival rooftop lounge. As with all Kimpton hotels, The Sawyer doles out a bounty of guest-centric amenities, like free loaner bikes, in-room spa services, pet-friendly rooms, and an evening wine hour in the lobby. For the best city view, book a room on an upper floor overlooking the Sacramento River and Old Sac’s historic buildings.

With its noble columns and snappy cupola, all painted wedding-cake white, California’s State Capitol building looks like a mini replica of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Take a free tour to learn about the 1869 building’s architecture and history. In the Capitol Museum, check out the collection of cool flags—including those carried by California soldiers during the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and World War I, as well as artwork by former legislators and government staffers. Kids can download puzzles and coloring sheets that feature fun Golden State facts. (Quick: Which city is the Raisin Capital of the world?)

This is very much a working capitol building, and, if legislators are in session, ask about access to public galleries to watch bills being debated or votes being cast. Outside, stroll through the adjacent 40-acre Capitol Park, where you can admire trees from around the world, and visit the sweetly scented International World Peace Rose Garden. Take note of the Civil War Memorial Grove—in 1897, saplings from famous Civil War battlefields were planted here.

When glittering nuggets and veins of gold were discovered in the Sierra Foothills in 1849, a massive tide of humankind, hell-bent on finding their fortune, raced as fast as they could to the Gold Country. Sailing as far as they could up from San Francisco Bay east on the Sacramento River, the gold-hungry pioneers pulled up at the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers, the furthest point they could go in their sailing ships. A town sprang up almost overnight, with many buildings constructed out of leftover ships timbers and sails. Sacramento was born. Today, on the sycamore-shaded banks of Sacramento River, get a sense of those raucous early years in renovated Old Sacramento, now a 28-acre/11-hectare National Historic Landmark. While there are the requisite trinket and t-shirt shops and ice cream parlors in restored buildings, there are also excellent museums, including the California Railway Museum and the California Museum. A restored riverboat, the Delta King, invites you on board for brunch, dinner, and even an overnight stay. Horse-drawn carriages offer rides, and docents in period costumes lead historic walking tours—a great way to learn about some of the district’s secrets, like underground passageways and chambers. (Kids love the spooky ghost tours, offered in October.) Climb aboard a historic steam locomotive for a scenic ride on the Sacramento Southern Railroad. If you prefer to be on the water instead of beside it, hop aboard a scenic one-hour Hornblower cruise.

Consistently ranked as one of the best railroad museums in the country, the expansive California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento presents 21 meticulously restored “iron horse” locomotives, plus period-perfect railway cars, many open for one-of-a-kind walk-throughs. Incredible attention to detail—authentic china and silverware in dining cars, velvet and finery in the Pullman sleeping cars, a charmingly stubby wooden caboose—give you a sense of what it was like to travel by train before cars became king.

Numerous exhibits detail the ways that railroads shaped the lives, economy, culture, and history of the Golden State. Kids will enjoy being able to step aboard Pullman-style sleeping cars, a dining car filled with railroad china, and a replica of a railway post office. There’s even a high-speed train simulator that allow visitors to feel what it’s like to pilot a modern high-speed train. Guided tours of the museum are offered daily and special events include the “Spookomotive Train Ride“ on weekends in October and a winter holiday train ride, complete with a visit from a gift-bearing Santa, in November and December.

On spring and summer weekends (April–September), the museum offers excursion rides every hour on the popular Sacramento Southern Railroad, which chugs along the banks of the Sacramento River right through Old Sacramento. Take in the view from a first-class observation car, a closed coach, or an open-air gondola (guess which one kids like best).

The first public art museum founded in the Western United States, the Crocker Art Museum is still one of the leading museums in California today. If being the oldest art museum west of the Mississippi sounds like a stodgy claim to fame, forget about it. This is one vibrant, eclectic, fascinating, and altogether of-the-moment museum, with an unparalleled collection of both historic and contemporary art.

First, the historic. The original Crocker Museum was a gift to the city, a move by Margaret Crocker, heiress of the fabulously wealthy Crocker family, to let the people of Sacramento have permanent access to her family’s astounding personal galleries, housed in an Italianate mansion a pleasant stroll from the Capitol Building. The elegant building, as well as the adjacent family home, still showcase that collection, which includes European works as well as the Californian collection, now considered one of the finest of its kind in the United States.

Over time, the collection grew to include an amazing wealth of international ceramics, sculptures, and works by contemporary California artists, many who taught at nearby U.C. California at Davis. Fast forward to 2010, when a dramatic new gallery space, the ultra-modern Teel Family Pavilion, was added to the 1800s-era Crocker compound, a bold and visually stunning move. These wide open, naturally lit gallery spaces have become the home of the contemporary collection, and they are your chance to see original works by some of the state’s finest artists. Here, experience black-and-white originals by the celebrated photographer Ansel Adams—the difference of seeing his real images of Yosemite’s Half Dome versus a poster replica is breathtaking. Over there are Wayne Thiebaud’s whimsical paintings of pie, or sculptor Roy Arneson’s wacky ceramic head.

The Crocker caters well to families too: Areas like Tot Land and The Story Trail help kids of all ages engage with the art in fun ways, and standing events like Wee Wednesday and Sunday Playday offer hands-on activities. Check the museum calendar for drop-in events where kids can sketch with guidance from an art teacher, or parents and caregivers can escort tiny ones on the Baby Loves Art gallery walk. Altogether, the Crocker, old and new, creates one of the best experiences in California’s surprising capital city.