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California State Railroad Museum – This railroad
museum is stacked full of the beautifully restored railroad locomotives
and cars. On the main floor, check out the Governor Stanford steam locomotive,
the first engine that chugged down the track for the Central Pacific, or
peer inside the private "Gold Coast" train car to see how people
traveled in style, walk through a mail car (find out how mail was picked up and delivered by train). |
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Upstairs, toddlers can play with Thomas the Tank Engine wooden
trains and tracks, and anyone who loves model trains won't want to miss
the Lionel model trains and model train layout, with trains going round and round. The gift
shop has engineer's hats, wooden train whistles, books and toys about trains. |
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Catch the train – On the weekends, April to September,
ride the rails on a real steam locomotive of the Sacramento Southern Railroad. On the 40 minute train
ride, little kids will especially enjoy the whistle blowing, the big white
clouds of puffy steam and gently rocking motion as the train rolls down
the track along the Sacramento River. No food or drinks on the train, buy tickets at the booth on Front St. |
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Old Sacramento Schoolhouse – Imagine attending
school a one-room schoolhouse, where you'd wash your hands outside at the
pump or warm your hands by a pot-bellied stove in winter. You can sit at
a wooden desk with a slate and chalk, and read the 1848 list of punishments
for bad behavior, e.g. "Telling Tales out of School," 8 lashes,
"Playing Cards at School," 10 lashes. Ring the school bell (rope
is just inside the front door) or swing on swings in the schoolyard. |
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Pony Express statue – On April 4, 1860, at 2:45am, the first eastbound Pony Express rider left Sacramento, arriving in St. Joseph, Missouri eleven days later. Sacramento was the endpoint for the Pony Express, which operated until 1861. The statue is located at J and Second St. |
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Wells Fargo History Museum – Wells Fargo operated a stagecoach
service, as well as banking for gold miners. Inside the museum is a model
the Wells Fargo Coach, a beautiful old safe, gold scales. Practice your Morse code (an essential skill for telegraph
operators). Next door, in the Visitor Center is a full-size stagecoach, strongbox used to carry gold and coins, model of a covered wagon, pioneer mementos. |
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Sacramento History Museum –
This is the spot to find out all about the history of gold, the Gold Rush
and lifestyles of gold miners (rich and poor). In the Gold Gallery, there
are hands-on exhibits, gold nuggets galore, a simulated mine shaft, and
re-creations of 19th century life in and around Sacramento. |
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Getting around town – Rent bikes to pedal around Old Sacramento, or ride
in style in a horse-drawn carriage. (You can rent bikes (including side by side bikes) at Practical Cycles at J Street.) |
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Walk or bike along the river – Bike or walk on the wide promenade that goes along the Sacramento River. Start at the golden Tower Bridge and go either north or south on the American River Bike Trail as far as the kids feel like. Also, on the west side of the river is the River Walk Park with grass and picnic tables. |
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Sacramento Gold Rush Days – On Labor Day weekend, go back in time to the California gold rush, a three day celebration with people in period costumes, living history demonstrations, wagon rides, gold panning, storytelling, and music. Click here for details. |
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Tip: In summer, Sacramento can get hot
in the afternoons. Do outdoor activities in the morning –
bike rides or train ride; in the afternoon, stop into the air-conditioned
museums, such as the Railroad Museum or Sacramento History Museum. |
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April, 1860. Go with the first Pony Express, riding almost 2,000 miles, to deliver mail from Sacramento to St. Joseph, Missouri in just eleven days. (Picture book)
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In the 19th century, the railroad opened up the West, connecting the country coast to coast. Read about building the transcontinental railroad, work crews, steam trains, engineers and fireman, signals and train whistles, and how the railroad changed the United States. (Picture book)
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