Exploring California Gold Country and the state capital

For families interested in California history, a trip through Gold Country and Sacramento will hit many highlights, focusing on the Golden State’s storied gold rush past.Raft and gold pan in the same river where gold was first discovered in 1848, ride historic steam locomotives, tour the state capital…and visit countless historic museums.

Start or end in Sacramento:

old-sacramento

The state capital is, in many ways, the heart of the California history experience. Here’s what not to miss:

Explore Old Sacramento:

In addition to one of the best railroad museums we’ve ever seen (the California State Railroad Museum may even be THE best), Sacramento’s historic district hosts fun shops and eateries and carriage rides along the river. Go during the evening to avoid the heat of summer, or visit any time during the off-season. Read our review of Old Sac and the museum, and also be sure to check the fun schoolhouse museum!

Tour the Capitol:

It’s architecturally stunning, rich with history and free to the public. The California State Capitol Museum is open daily, except for major holidays. The Capitol is located on 10th Street between L and N streets, downtown Sacramento. Learn more here.

Learn even more about Sacramento history:

Don’t miss Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park, which is located in the city but feels a world away. Read our review of Sutter’s Fort. Next, pan for gold yourselves at Amador County Park’s Volcano Memorial Park, located four miles east of the town on Sutter Creek-Volcano Road. The park provides a picnic area, grassy lawns and a gold panning area where you can pan for gold nuggets. Also try Sutter Gold Mine to pan for gold and visit sites (13660 Highway 49, Sutter Creek).

Raft on the American River in the foothills of gold country:

The American River packs a big punch with history and big rapids colliding in an adventure-filled weekend. We recommend rafting the Middle Fork of the American River with OARS.

Where to Stay:

The Citizen Hotel sits adjacent to City Hall and the Capital Building in Sacramento. The historic 1926 Cal-West Insurance building with modern amenities displays such “tongue-in-cheek” touches as leather-bound vintage law books in the lobby, famed political quotes in the elevators, black-and-white political cartoon drawings from midcentury Sacramento Bee cartoonist Newton Pratt throughout the hotel, and lampshades screen-printed with the constitution of California.

Embassy Suites Sacramento is located right on the river at the entrance of Old Sacramento. We even walked from the hotel to the railroad museum. If you’re looking for a location closer to this area than to the capitol building, Embassy Suites is a good bet with their large rooms and complimentary breakfast.

Explore Nevada City:

Nevada City, north of Sacramento on Highway 49, sprang up almost overnight during the California Gold Rush. There’s a lot of history here, including museums and mine tours.

el-dorado-mine

Check out the Firehouse No. 1 Museum:

This museum is run by the Nevada County Historical Society, and despite its name, features exhibits ranging from Victorian-era bridal wear to Chinese railroad workers’ artifacts. Afterward, stop by the Nevada Theater, a big brick building downtown that has hosted the likes of Jack London.

Get more of your train fix:

If you haven’t gotten your fill of train museums, check out the Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum, located between Nevada City and Grass Valley. Learn more about the Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum.

Check out a mine shaft:

Visit Empire Mine State Historic Park, where kids can take a mineyard tour, see a mine model, visit a blacksmith shop, and hike or horseback ride over the park grounds. Daily tours are offered, and many seasonal events and special programming days occur throughout the year.

Visit Coloma:

Coloma California is where California’s gold rush began. Located on Highway 49 between Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe, the Coloma-Lotus Valley is central to California’s Gold Country. Right on the South Fork of the American River, the town offers families the opportunity to bike, hike, and raft in addition to getting their California history on.

coloma with kids

 

Start at Marshall Gold Discovery Park:

See the site of the gold discovery that started the 1849 California Gold Rush, and the working replica of Sutter’s Mill, then learn to pan for gold. Meet docents dressed in period clothes and working as blacksmiths or doing other crafts of the time. The park is pretty touristy, but the history is definitely there.

Stroll through town:

The downtown streets of Coloma is lined with historic building in varies states of repair; some are dedicated historic sites in their own right, others are crumbling in disrepair. Read the plaques on the buildings and stop for a few ‘fun’ detours to souvenir shops and ice cream parlors.

Where to stay:

Whether you’re camping or looking for a cabin stay, the American River Resort is our pick: it’s located right on the water, has plenty of activities for kids.

What’s your favorite California Gold Rush town?

 

 

Sutter’s Fort State Historical Site

2701 L Street
Sacramento, CA

If you’re passing through the Sacramento Valley on a road trip or family vacation and want to venture beyond the swinging saloon doors and adjustable bar stools of Old Town Sacramento, a visit to Sutter’s Fort State Historical Site makes for a great pit stop.

Note: Sutter’s Fort has a Kidscore of 100. Learn more about Kidscore.

Located downtown in the heart of Sacramento’s capitol district, Sutter’s Fort has been restored on its original site, allowing visitors to tour past rooms replicating fort life in the 19th century, see working dutch ovens, a blacksmith workshop, and more. Our kids loved the cannons in the towers especially, and there’s a great exhibit on John Sutter himself and his role in the California Gold Rush at the start of the self-guided tour. Rooms and other points of interest include audio stations depicting historical and cultural significance, but many areas also feature live reenactments and living history personnel. There’s a great gift shop (we recommend purchasing and reading Patty Reed’s Doll to your kids to give an age-appropriate retelling of the infamous Donner Party), picnic areas, and street parking. (Extra tip: summer temperatures soar in the valley, so plan to arrive early or do as we did: visit in December!)

Date last visited: December 2010

Admission: Adults $5, youth $3, kids under age 5: free.

Distance from the interstate: Five minutes from both I-5 and I-80.

Hours: 10 am to 5 pm daily

Directions: The park is located in midtown Sacramento between K and L Streets and 26th and 28th Streets. Traveling on I-80 from San Francisco, take Business 80/Hwy 50 east. Take the Business 80 exit (north towards Reno) to the N Street turn off. Travel straight on 30th Street then turn left under the freeway at L Street to the Fort which will be located on your right.