Old Sacramento Waterfront, Historical museum in Sacramento, United States.
The Old Sacramento Waterfront is a museum district along the river in Sacramento, California, with restored mid-1800s buildings and exhibits about regional history. The site covers several blocks with wooden walkways, cobblestone streets, and storefronts from that period.
The settlement began in 1849 as a trading post for miners traveling to the gold fields in the mountains. Flooding in the 1860s led to raising the street level, leaving the original ground floors below the new surface.
Visitors can understand the neighborhood name at the museum, which refers to the wharves where steamboats docked during the Gold Rush era. The exhibits show everyday items and tools that settlers and miners used in their homes and businesses.
The district is located in central Sacramento, within walking distance of the Capitol and close to the river. Most buildings have ground-level access, though some areas have cobblestones that can be difficult for wheelchairs.
Beneath the current walkways are the original entrances and storefronts, visible on guided tours through underground passages. These hidden spaces show how the city responded to floods by literally building a new level over the old one.
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