Sacramento (Spanish for Sacrament meaning religious ceremony) is the capitol city of California. It is about 126 miles north of San Jose and takes about 2 hours, if the traffic is light. We began our tour of the city at the Capitol building.
- Sacramento Capitol Building
- Old Sacramento
- Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park
- Sacramento Tower Bridge
Sacramento Capitol Building – Built in the 1860s, the capitol building underwent significant restoration in the 1970s, updating the Capitol to modern building code and preserving some of the most historic rooms. It is today the center of state government and also operates as the California State Capitol Museum. The public can do a self-tour of the historic halls on week days. There are also guided tours of the building on week days on the hour from 9am-4pm.
Capitol Rotunda – This is one of the most amazing features of the building. The rotunda divides and unifies the Senate and the Assembly, the two houses of the California State Legislature, which occupy the south and north wings of the Capitol, respectively. This circular room is 53 feet in diameter and rises 128 feet from the basement of the building to the oculus at the apex of the inner dome.
The Senate and Assembly were in session when we visited the building. We were allowed to sit and observe the Legislature in action. The green of the Assembly and the red of the Senate are borrowed from our centuries-old British parliamentary heritage. Between the two galleries, portraits from former governors decorate the walls.
Old Sacramento – Located along the city’s waterfront, it covers eight blocks of historic buildings and is designated as a National Historic Landmark. Many of the buildings are occupied by over 125 locally owned shops, restaurants, hotels, and museums, which makes the area appealing for tourists. We spent an hour wandering around this place.
Some of the Gold Rush-era structures are now part of the Old Sacramento State Historic Park. The What Cheer House which is a historic building, supported the California Gold Rush Pioneers, and was built near the Sacramento waterfront and Central Pacific Railroad station. After the California State offices moved out, the What Cheer House became a warehouse for the Sacramento waterfront shipping.
Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park – Located a few blocks from the State Capitol building, this beautiful mansion was originally built in 1856 by Gold Rush merchant Sheldon Fogus, and was later purchased and remodeled (twice!) by Leland and Jane Stanford. Leland Stanford served as Governor of California from 1862-1863. The Mansion served as the office of three governors during the turbulent 1860’s – Leland Stanford, Fredrick Low and Henry Haight. In 1978 the State of California purchased the property for use as a state park. The imposing structure was listed as a National Historic Landmark in May 1987.
The mansion is now used to house foreign dignitaries and hold state functions. Free guided tour of the mansion are available daily from 9 am – 4 pm on the hour lasting 45 minutes. Tours may be canceled if state functions are scheduled.
Sacramento Tower Bridge – Completed in 1935, the Tower Bridge across the Sacramento River, replaced the M Street Bridge, constructed in 1911, to accommodate the growing influx of traffic at the time, and to beautify the state capital. In 1982, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2002, the bridge was painted metallic gold signifying the “Golden State” and the history of “Gold Country.”
