Downtown Sacramento waterfront

Welcome to Sacramento! (Photo: Getty Images)

Weekend Getaways

Discover Sacramento, California’s Golden Past — and Hip Present on a 3-Day Weekend Escape

You can’t understand Sacramento, California, until you understand the gold rush. The 1848 discovery of gold in nearby Coloma lured thousands of fortune seekers to California. Spurred by the promise of endless wealth, prospectors made their way from around the globe to Sacramento, which quickly became the gold rush’s economic hub and eventually California’s vibrant capital.

Over the course of the weekend, see dozens of historic sites and museums and dive in to Sacramento’s contemporary side — public art, farm-to-fork eateries and a bustling brewery and cocktail scene.

As always, check for travel restrictions and closures before planning your trip.

Friday: Step Back in Time

Sacramento State Capital building
Visit the Sacramento State Capitol building. (Photo: Getty Images)

After grabbing breakfast at the hotel, start by touring the neoclassical State Capitol building, a grand and glorious structure with an imposing 128-foot dome.

The 1869 Capitol was designed to flaunt California’s gold rush wealth with lavish embellishments like a carved mahogany staircase, Italian mosaic tile floors and cast-iron grizzly bears on the rotunda ceiling.

In a room lined with portraits of Golden State governors, take notice of two movie actors: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan. Hollywood’s reach extends to Sacramento, too.

Next, take a stroll along Old Sacramento’s wooden sidewalks and cobblestone streets. This riverfront corridor was the heart of gold rush commerce during the mid-1800s. Now it’s marked by Victorian houses and fun-loving kitsch — old-timey saloons and candy stores hawking saltwater taffy.

Order a burger at Fanny Ann’s Saloon and take in its five stories plastered with historic bric-a-brac.

Stop in to the Sacramento History Museum to see dazzling gold nuggets and reserve your spot on the Underground Tour. Many buildings were destroyed by flooding in the 1860s, so Sacramento was rebuilt on a high levee above the river.

Guides take you 25 feet below the sidewalks to explore the original city’s remains. You’ll hear stories of rough-and-tumble gold rush days where gambling — and lawlessness — ruled the day.

A first-day primer to Sacramento isn’t complete without a sunset on the Sacramento River.Head out for an early-evening river cruise, then keep the nautical theme going at Railroad Fish & Chips. The casual seafood joint serves freshly fried fish and creamy clam chowder in bread bowls.

If the weather permits, enjoy your meal on the shaded patio, right on the former tracks of the Sacramento Southern Railroad.

Saturday: Admire the Art

Person holding latte with decoration
Fuel up for a busy day ahead. (Photo: Getty Images)

Start your day with a nitro coffee from Chocolate Fish, an East Sacramento morning hot spot. Swing by one of the city’s ubiquitous farmers markets — find them in Midtown, Oak Park, Capitol Mall and Arden Fair — and chat with the sellers about their purple cauliflower and fuyu persimmons.

Shift your attention to the city’s street-art scene by wandering west through Midtown. You won’t travel far before seeing one of the 50-plus eye-catching murals splashed across old and new buildings. Many were painted as part of the Wide Open Walls initiative.

Peek into contemporary art galleries like Verge Center for the Arts, which offers workspaces for artists and public classes.

Spend a few hours at the city’s more traditional bastion of art, the steel-and-concrete Crocker Art Museum, the West’s oldest public art museum. Its impressive collections — more than 15,000 works from around the globe — were donated to the city by the Crocker family of “Big Four” railroad-building fame.

In between art-ogling, fit in as many meals as you can. Get a taste of Sacramento’s culinary panache at the Michelin-starred Kitchen. Share small plates at Canon, an oasis of globe-trotting flavors. Mingle with legislators and lobbyists over wood-fired octopus at Ella. Sample the hyper-seasonal menu at Localis.

When evening falls, catch an art-house flick at the 1938 Tower Theatre, then head over to Dive Bar Sacramento to watch mermaids and mermen swimming in a 7,500-gallon aquarium above the bar.

Sunday: Grab a Bike and a Brew

You’ve already seen the Sacramento River, now take a look at Sacramento’s other river, the American. Bicycling is the best mode of travel: The paved American River Parkway skirts the river for 32 miles.

Soft tacos with lime
Tacos are on the lunch menu. (Photo: Marriott International)

Nab some lunch at Chando’s Tacos (carnitas or adobada in a torta, taco or burrito) then expand your mind at a museum tailored to your mood.

Railroad buffs, check out the restored 1860s locomotives and vintage Pullman sleeper car at the California State Railroad Museum. Car enthusiasts will covet 130 super shiny vintage cars — including five Model Ts and a 1955 Thunderbird convertible — at the California Automobile Museum.

Californiaphiles, take a deep dive at the California Museum. Learn about diverse Golden State changemakers including Cesar Chavez, Amelia Earhart, Steve Jobs and Jerry Garcia and see artifacts from more than 100 Indigenous California tribes.

When you hit museum overload, take a beer break. Get a feel for the craft brewing scene by visiting New Glory, where there are more than 25 beers on tap. Not a beer fan? The distillery Midtown Spirits makes vodka and gin from rice grown in the Sacramento Valley.

Whatever your flavor, be sure to raise a glass to Sacramento’s golden heritage and your three-day adventure in California’s capital city.