Old Sacramento Historic District, historic business district in Sacramento, California
Old Sacramento Historic District is a neighborhood filled with restored 19th-century buildings that reflect the Gold Rush era. The area sits along the river with original wooden storefronts, cobblestone streets, and a mix of museums, shops, and dining venues.
This neighborhood grew during California's Gold Rush in the 1850s as a vital trading port and supply center. After a period of decline, it was restored in recent decades to preserve this era as a living piece of that history.
It is best explored on foot since the streets are narrow and cobblestoned, making them ideal for walking. Most attractions are close together and require no special transportation.
The riverboats were once vital to trade and some original steamships and riverboats can still be seen docked there. They show how important the waterway was to the area's development.
Location: Sacramento County
GPS coordinates: 38.58417,-121.50472
Latest update: December 6, 2025 17:48
Sacramento offers a journey through Californian history, from the 1849 Gold Rush to today. The Old Sacramento district retains its 1850 brick buildings and Victorian facades, while the California State Capitol overlooks the city with its 16-hectare gardens. The California State Railroad Museum features more than 20 restored locomotives, witnesses to the railway development in the American West. The Crocker Art Museum, founded in 1885, houses 15,000 artworks in a building that combines heritage and modernity. The city also reveals its industrial and pioneering past. Fort Sutter, reconstructed to exact detail, recalls the founding settlement of John Sutter. The Tower Bridge of 1935 spans the Sacramento River with its golden bascule structure. Thematic museums like the California Automobile Museum with 150 historic vehicles complete this exploration. The American River and its riverside trails provide natural spaces alongside urban sightseeing.
Old Sacramento Waterfront
156 m
Crocker Art Museum
795 m
California State Railroad Museum
86 m
The Ziggurat
480 m
Tower Bridge
510 m
I Street Bridge
267 m
Delta King
248 m
Weinstock's
406 m
Wells Fargo Center
659 m
California State Military Museum
308 m
U.S. Bank Tower
795 m
Pony Express Terminal
191 m
Renaissance Tower
884 m
Robert T. Matsui United States Courthouse
526 m
Big Four Building
196 m
Eagle Theatre
57 m
Sacramento History Museum
81 m
Bank of the West Tower
759 m
Federal Building
985 m
Cesar E. Chavez Plaza
990 m
Sacramento City Library
884 m
Jesse M. Unruh State Office Building
953 m
Park Tower
912 m
Towers on Capitol Mall
479 m
Mesick House
961 m
Saint Andrews African Methodist Episcopal Church
756 m
CalSTRS Building
415 m
Alkali Flat West Historic District
944 mReviews
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