California State Capitol Museum

Its free and a lot of information if you choose a tour guide. It was lovely to hear the music as we walked in the Capitol; they are having musical selections which varies during the week. It was very nice visit. The capitol is beautiful and regal. Im glad they decided to keep it just as it was. The attendee (forgot her name: curly hair and beautiful spirit) at the gift shop was so welcoming and amazing 👏 🤩. We had a nice time

California State Capitol Museum is a great place to learn about California’s history and government in a beautiful historic building right in downtown Sacramento. The restored rooms, exhibits, and artwork make the visit interesting even if you are not very into politics.​ The museum is located inside the working Capitol, so you can walk through the historic offices, see the rotunda, and sometimes even peek into the Assembly and Senate chambers when they are in session. There are free guided tours on weekdays that run about an hour and give a lot of background on the building, governors, and legislative process.​ Admission to the museum is free, which makes it an easy stop if you are exploring downtown or nearby Capitol Park. The grounds around the building are also worth a walk, with monuments, gardens, and plenty of spots for photos.​ Overall, it is a very informative and budget‑friendly attraction for both visitors and locals, and a good way to get a feel for California’s history and how the state government works.

A must-visit when you’re in Sacramento! The California State Capitol Museum is beautifully preserved and full of history. The architecture is stunning, from the marble hallways to the grand dome, every corner tells a story. The exhibits are well curated, offering a fascinating look into California’s political and cultural past.

Free entrance.open only weekdays. There is a gift shop but it's kind of hidden. No restaurant. MANY bathrooms on every floor. About 1/2 the rooms aren't accessible but they have the others set up as they were for their their period theme. If you like this kind of stuff definitely worth visiting. Top floor has portrates of the previous governors of the state.

This was my first time here. I didn’t get to go inside, but still an amazing view from the outside. Beautiful park surrounding it. Lots of places to sit, relax or set up a picnic area and eat. It’s bustling with people. There’s food trucks around the block. The building is absolutely amazing. They don’t make buildings like these anymore. The architecture, the design, so much thought put into building these older buildings next time. Hopefully I’ll be able to go inside.

It was my first time entering the state capitol building. I did not know what to expect, but it felt like I was looking at History. I saw offices where previous governors were at. I got a chance to take a glimpse to see the Senate Chambers. I saw portraits of previous governors. I wish their souvenir store were a little bit bigger and have more things to sell.

Interesting free self guided walk through of historic portions of the Capitol building. Current exhibits focus on historical photography in and of California. Some impressive architecture and craftsmanship to be enjoyed.

Building is really beautiful. Dome is worth seeing at least once in your life. Worse part was Arnold Schwarzeneggers picture. Every other picture was gold framed and classy looking...his portrait was a bit of an eyesore. No fees to get in. Found parking about a block away...$6 for 2 hours for street parking.

While driving home from Rocklin, CA, we stopped off in Sacramento and while my wife was looking for a place to eat, I decided to visit the California State Capitol Building. It was closed for Labor Day, but I was able to walk around the grounds and see the exterior. I've visited 4 other state capitals. I have a ways to go, but my list has started. -Sacramento, California -Salt Lake City, Utah -Phoenix, Arizona -Olympia, Washington -The Capitol, Washington D.C. My other missed opportunities were... -Honolulu, Oahu Hawaii -Austin, Texas -Carson City, Nevada -Des Moines, Iowa If you live in California, you have to visit the capital at least once in your lifetime. LOL.

I'm so glad we were able to quickly squeeze in a trip inside the capital building. With my son set to learn about California history, we thought it would be fun to give him a bit of a primer of the state capital. We got there about 30~45 minutes before closing and basically had the whole building to ourselves. It also 'helped' (but was also a bit of a disappointment) that the state senate had started their summer recess the day before so there was nothing going on. But we breezed through security and got to roam the main areas of the building all to ourselves. We even got to let our 3 kids, niece, and nephew just run around and explore without having to worry about them getting in anyone's way. The building is just absolutely gorgeous. Both inside and out. Having visited D.C., you really feel like you are in a smaller version of the nation's capital building and I really appreciated that. It gives it a nice sense of connection with the federal government even on the state level. Parking isn't the best. You will most likely have to either circle around for awhile or park a little bit away, but it's totally worth it. If you are in Sacramento, you really should spend even a little bit seeing where things get done for the Golden State. And if you can be there while one of the houses is in session, that's an even greater experience.

We went yesterday to the Capital for Agriculture Day at the capital. The event lasted from 11:30am - 2:30 pm. We went at 11:30 am and it was already bustling with people. We even passed people leaving with their bouquet of flowers and cartons of chocolate milk. It's a fun annual event. It's located near the front steps of the capital. Vendors bring in horses and cows to show off their livestock. They have lots of food samples, free pencils, pens, brochures, and bouquets of flowers. My favorite sample was the bouquet of flowers I got and a hard boiled egg on a stick. They also served chocolate milk, but by the time we arrived it was gone. This year they served tri-tip sandwiches and pizza. There was no line for the pizza, but a long line for the sandwiches and bouquets of flowers. It was overflowing with free stuff. They were passing out lots of free reuseable bags too. I have too many so I passed, but it sure was a nice gift. I saw several people with boxes of strawberries. I just took a few to eat, I didn't know you could get a whole box. I did take a few pencils as I love using pencils with fresh erasers on top. If you have time this is an event worth going to. And if you like free samples and gifts this is an event for you.

State of California is the best of the best. Proud to be born here. Such diversity in the people. Unmatched diversity in the landscape. I'm never leaving.

Took the on the hour tour and it was very insightful! Highly recommend as it was only an hour and is free! Leave your little kids at home. It really is not appropriate for them and can be annoying to the others trying to listen to the guide.

During My Visit To Sacramento Ca The State Capitol Of California Was The One Place That I Have Never Been To & This Time On Last Visit I Finally Had The Chance To Go Inside!!!!

Came here after visiting some family this summer In Sacramento! We love visiting state capitol buildings, touring inside and outside, and discovering and learning. Parking around this area, as most capitol building are, is a bit challenging, so if you are unable to walk farther distances, you may be have a hard time getting here. Because the front entrances are blocked off at the front, you will find side entrances. Since it was our first time, it took us quite a bit of time figuring out how to get to any entrance coming from the side/back garden area, with some frustration because of lack of signage. The outside garden is well kept for the most part, and although there is quite a lot of construction, we enjoyed the garden area! It was huge and was a nice walk (although, it is still downtown). Inside after security was very cool to see! We loved being able to walk through different hallways, all the way up the different stories/levels and peak our heads into room displays and historically staged areas. There were some educational areas you could walk through, as well as the actual rooms where meeting are conducted and you can watch from the balcony above. A bonus that there are elevators and stairs, restrooms and water fountains that are well kept! Overall, we enjoyed the experience walking through each floor and getting to experience the capitol building of the state we once lived in. It is a lower volume place, so I wouldn't suggest going with younger kids that can't keep inside voices, and there aren't many interactives inside to keep them excited, but for adults who want to take in the history and present, it's a cool place to be!

First and foremost our tour guide was amazing! Isabel has been there for six years giving tours and she is very knowledgeable about the history of the capital as well as California. I wish everyone could request her. Did you know that they almost demolished that beautiful building and replaced it with twin high rises? Do you know why Sacramento is the capital of California? These are just some of the facts you can learn. Old and young can learn from this tour. Our visit this time of the year also included a special event of the local high school symphony orchestra and chorus performance. Awesome acoustics in this beautiful rotunda and they certainly "broke a leg." If you do nothing else in Sacramento, this is worth the trip alone. Enjoy. PS- Don't forget to visit the Jerry Brown portrait!

Although the entrance is around construction, there are still free tours available on the hour. Just showed up and another tour started in 15 minutes. Spent some time browsing in the basement gift store and then took the tour: a history briefing in a hearing room, and then time with the Assembly and Senate in the gallery. What a great tour!

We were visiting the area for a work conference. We knew we wanted to visit the State Capitol, but we didn't get there in time for a tour with a guide. We ended up doing a self tour in the areas we were able to go to. Currently, they are renovating the area and they had a separate entrance. There a lot of photo opportunities of the State's history and a LOT of stairs. They do have elevators to get you up and down to each level you're aiming to go on. I found the treasury office was the neatest.

Short but free! The first time I visited, I took my daughter to get her used to walking around old buildings. There's a lot of interesting history in this three-story building. I went with a friend the second time. We walked through everything we were permitted to in an hour. Parking on the street was $2/hr. The security was friendly. Some of the rooms are still used. You can also schedule a tour.

A nice building, very busy while in session. Some key points of interest. There are a few museums in the building. A great statue of Ronald Reagan, "hidden" in the basement floor. This should be on the main floor. We'll I guess he wanna Democrat, so there you go. See our YouTube channel Coolest Life.

SO cute during Christmas with decor outside and it was wonderful to look at old time rooms. I didn't do a tour but I think they are free. There was not really parking so we went from golden one stadium. I thought it was nice to see the past here :) especially being form CA you get to see history and where the representatives meet

Long time ago when I was young, we went to the Capitol in Downtown Sacramento. Five months ago, I went to the State Capitol Museum during the field trip at Meristem. This place is about a history of California. I saw the picture of Ronald Reagan because he is the 40th president of the United States. He was born in 1911 and he died in 2004. The Ronald Reagan Library is a library museum in Simi Valley when it opens in 1988. I saw the US and the California flag inside, just like us where I live.

A whole lot of neat stuff in here , the California state Capitol building is a beautiful place with lots of history, the tours are neat and informative. I've been here twice over the years and have enjoyed my visit each and every time . Definitely worth a visit , I got to see a live session of the California state assembly , that was awesome .

Hubby & I were on an overnight trip to Sacramento. We decided to visit the State Capitol during our stay last week. We found paid street parking about 1/4 mile away. Currently the Capitol is under renovation but there's a side entrance. We went through security and made our way to the rotunda where there's a tour desk. We made it for the 1 pm guided tour. Tours given on the hour on weekdays. It was very busy due to spring break. Many visitors including school age kids. The docent led tour begins on the ground floor, then moves upstairs. We were lucky the day we visited. Both the Assembly and the Senate were in session. After the tour ended hubby and I went down to the basement. There's a small gift shop, an eating area, and a statue of Ronald Reagan, former California governor and US president. We spent about 1 1/2 hours.

4.5 stars. Our tax dollars at work here. I love being able to visit the state capitol with no entry fee. They are checking bags and you go through a metal detector now, but it's a small inconvenience for seeing a beautiful building with no entrance fee. Staff are very helpful. Self guided tours are available as well as docent led tours. Very nice architecture and woodwork. If in Sacramento, it's worth a visit.

Wow 10 stars and free! Tours on top of the hour. I suggest calling ahead of time to ensure there are tours!

This capitol building also considers itself a museum. I was able to take a very informative tour of the building, and afterwards visit the museum exhibit rooms inside the building. It's a beautiful historic building, like most capitol buildings. I was surprised it's on the small side, when California is the country's most populous state. They had to build both a court building and another office building next to it because it's not big enough to run the business of the state. The capitol has a pretty dome and a nice rotunda underneath it. Symbols of the state are embedded throughout the design. The state seal and motto are prominent throughout. Nothing wowed me like other capitol buildings. The museum exhibits do make this capitol unique. The California state museum was closed when I visited, so it was a big help to me to be able to learn more about California's history right here in the Capitol building.

I'm somewhat surprised I had never been inside here before, especially as a youngster tortured on a school bus during a field trip with my civics class. But no such educational voyage occurred. Budget limitations no doubt. So here I was better late than never this past fall when I spent a crisp afternoon in Sacramento. This city has its charms, but it will always be known as the seat of our state government for better or worse. It's no surprise that it looks like the Weight Watchers version of the U.S. Capitol because that's the architectural inspiration. I didn't visit at an ideal time since much of it appeared under renovation including much of the surrounding Capitol Park. I entered the building from the 12th Avenue entrance where I found the security clearance quite a breeze. Walking through the hallways, I perused several preserved historic rooms. There was also a separate room dedicated to the state's iconic symbols. Apparently there are 42 of them. Who knew? This led to the Rotunda, the high point in more ways than one (photo). Unfortunately the lower level was closed which meant I couldn't see the murals or the exhibit highlighting each county of the state. However, I was able to go up to the third floor where the governor portraits hang. Yes, Ah-nuld was there (photo: https://bit.ly/3VLwuie). Did I mention it was free? RELATED - Exploring Sacramento? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3UetBpa

Thoroughly enjoyable! The architecture here is breathtaking. I was pleasantly surprised by the entire experience. Gardens are majestic and make for such an lovely afternoon. Building and grounds kept immaculate.

Tonight I attended a Summer Soirée, Pop Up Market, Local Small Home Businesses, Sacramento Yelp Event at the California Museum. I was there as part of the Sacramento Yelp/Yelp Elite Invitation only group. Lovely event, beautiful museum. Although I was unable to see the entire museum, what I did see was beautiful, informative, cool displays and very cordial, professional staff members. There were some commemorative Mickey Mouse statues on display along with plaques describing them. Beautiful display of people recognized by the museum including Steve Jobs, Ronald Regan, Ansel Adams, Willie Mays, Robert Mondavi and more. Architecture, decor, design and colors beautiful, vibrant and contemporary. The courtyard outside is also quite beautiful, spacious and the DJ music sounded amazing for the area. Lots of small, home based vendors. I will be returning soon to spend as much time as needed to see the entire museum. I know it will not disappoint and I look forward to my return visit.

Came here on a solo field trip, went thru some metal detectors to get in, and not complaining, I like to be safe. I finished the while building due to its reconstruction in about an hour. Hit the gift shop at the end, I fully recommend it. Tons read about.

My whole family went to the Capitol over the Easter break and met a tour guide named Robin and she was the best. Robin gave such a flavor to the history of every room that it made it all come alive for us. i couldn't recommend a tour more.

It's a cool building. Officers are super nice and helpful. It's old and needs some updating. Food wasn't good, drinks are terrible, and to many rats running around in the planters.

Enjoyed a tour of the Capitol building. Our docent was Logan and he did an excellent job of telling the history of California and the legislature. He was very willing to answer questions and share his knowledge.

Definitely you to check it out! This is amazing and very informative also it free. The people here are super nice and helpful friendly.

The park is great to walk around. You can go to get your steps in. You can also read the plaques on the trees to learn about them. There are also statues all over the park, so it makes things interesting. The building is beyond beautiful and inside is even cooler! If you're planning on visiting Sacramento, you have to come to the capital building. Find some parking and go on a walk around CALIFORNIAS CAPITAL. Thank me later!

Really cool for history enthusiasts as well as those just looking to learn about the history of California. The building on its own is very impressive, with beautiful designs throughout, and the area is wonderful in late July.

Dated, but so worth the visit! I feel like a lot of the state capitals around the US have a very similar layout and the California State Capitol is no exception (Long hallways with your typical dome in the middle). Unsure why they list this as a museum as it made me laugh a tad as this is a functioning state business building, while you can walk around viewing some art work on the wall, it is not a museum. Cost is free, and the staff are extremely helpful if you need any directions, but please be aware of the rules as they carefully watch all guests. You can easily spend an hour or two here as an adult, but I'd expect the kids to be quite bored unless they are really into California history (Governors, Counties, etc.). While the inside is quite nice especially if its summer time and outside is blistering, do not forget to walk the external grounds! Another fun spot to hit if you have some spare time in Sacramento.

Whatever you do, if you're in beautiful Sacramento make sure you visit the incredible beautiful California State Capitol Museum!! Not only is it free but it also offers a lot of cool displays and California History! This was one of my favorite places to visit while in town and I'm glad I did. I'll be back!!!

I'm so glad I had extra time to explore this park on my last visit to Sacramento. Even though it was during the rainy season the grounds were just as beautiful with the vibrant colored fall leaves and trees. There's something about the rain that enhances the colors. My favorite part of this park was the firefighters memorial tribute. The statues were all beautiful, and the memorial wall of our fallen heroes was a very nice remembrance to honor those who are no longer with us. I didn't get to explore the rose garden, but walking past it smelled very fragrant . There are tons of beautiful trees, foliage, squirrels, the state capitol, the firefighters memorial, and I'm sure much much more that I didn't cover. I can imagine this park being jam packed with people during the spring and summertime. I know I would be here taking advantage of it. Overall a very enjoyable place to check out!

Visited for state board of nursing meeting. I encourage the state to invite more opportunities for development of relationships such as this with the community. I appreciate the access and watching our government at work and being part of the regulatory process.

I'm definitely the type of person who does museums fast, but I was still impressed by how much you can learn during the weekend - less going on - and just using the self-guided tour pamphlet. (That being said, I'm sure you could get a lot more out of the experience if you catch one of the free hourly tours.) The building itself is quite impressive. There are a lot of interesting details to take in, including obviously the inside of the dome. Right now there's an exhibit going on about the restoration of the Capitol, with lots of interesting historical photos and some artifacts. A lot of the rooms on the main floor are also set-up to look like the rooms did in the early 1900's, which are amusing in and of themselves. Gift store is in the basement and small, but it's jam packed full of all the California paraphernalia you could think of. My favorite part was all the diorama-like displays from all of the CA counties. Lots to learn a lot of creativity was put into each display. (San Diego's was my favorite!)

We took a tour of the Capitol on a weekday.  The whole place was bustling with people working, visitors, and various school groups.  They offer free tours on the hour every weekday and Eric was our tour guide.  He gave a fantastic tour as he was very knowledgeable and he made the tour interesting.  It was fun to see our state Capitol and learn a bit about it's history.  Currently there is a lot of construction going on at the Capitol because they are expanding the office space, so allow extra time for parking because it was a bit difficult to find a space.

I felt like I was on a field trip when I stopped by and toured this solo. They offer free tours hourly and they are fascinating. I'm actually more engaged now that when I was 10. A little bit of civics and a bit of an architectural and history tour.

Great history here:) Beautiful interior and parks near by:)

Recently took my parents on a daytrip to Sac and visited the California State Capitol. WOW, what a remarkable experience it was! Besides the California State Capitol, I've also toured both the Florida Capitol and Texas Capitol where I was a former resident of the states. I enjoyed visiting both capitols but the California State Capitol is hands down my favorite. The capitol building/museum, a marvelous architecture landmark, is located in the well maintained capitol park oasis. There are so much to see and absorb. Our docent was phenomenal. He was funny, engaging, and so knowledgeable. I highly recommend taking a guided tour which starts on the hour and lasts about an hour. I learned many things about my beloved state I chose to live in including its history, government, legislation, and more! Seeing the assembly and senate was an incredible experience. While I am on it, I will quiz you on how many counties California has! I bet you didn't know. Me neither. There are 58!!! My parents loved the experience so much that they both bought souvenirs from the capitol museum store and they are never the souvenir type! I can deff say I am a proud CA resident. I know there are many things the CA government can improve on such as homelessness, drug abuse, crime, etc. BUT let's not get into politics and just enjoy the fact that we are now in the Golden State, shall we?!

Interesting place to visit with your family and friends. I will update later with photos.

I was in Sacramento for an interview and decided to visit the capitol museum. My friend and I had a great time here visiting all the different rooms from the past. Everything was pretty well maintained. We were also able to go upstairs and view the state assembly and senate chambers, although no one is allowed on the floor except for senators and invited guests. We walked around and explored for about an hour. We found metered street parking on the streets behind the Capitol building, away from the park.

Capital was under re-construction, but a tour was available and it was informative and concise. Not a lot to see as opposed to some other capitals in the way of artifacts, murals or extensive architecture. Some older offices were preserved for tourists to see.

Never actually been, but here's a photo of outside the capitol! This place seems pretty nice and I regret not having convinced my family to go in. After all, it is free!

Great following protocols for COVID. Enjoyed the way the museum was set up, and the history. Enjoyed being able to see the government in work since the museum is located within the capitol. A great way to escape the heat and learn about california all at the same time. Enjoyed the outside grounds, grassy, beautiful as well. Would definitely recommend.

There are a few places that every California resident should visit: Coloma, where gold was first found. The Golden Gate Bridge, both the most beautiful major bridge in the world and an engineering feat. The Earthquake Trail, Point Reyes, showing the 100-year-old effects of the 1906 shaker. And the State Capitol. The museum is part of the actual capitol, so don't think that you're seeing only an example of the real thing. Nope, along with the county exhibits, statue of Columbus, and pictures of current Assembly members, you also see portraits of each governor, the Gov's office doors, and a second-story view of the Assembly Hall. And that's just the self-guided tour. The actual tour gives you more, but my family took that tour eight years ago and I don't remember it enough to write details here. But this is the real thing. I do remember the tour guide saying that the Governator (Schwarzenegger) sometimes came out to sign autographs. Our self-guided tour was spur-of-the-moment, and I am not a spur-of-the-moment guy. But because our drive from I-5 to some Midtown clothing stores would take us within 1-2 blocks of the Capitol, I took a detour to Capitol Ave so the girl could see it. This became a photo op, which turned into us entering the N Street Pavilion, going through security, and seeing it for herself. The sight of her looking up to the top of the rotunda and saying "wow" will stay with me for a while. As of this writing, she's in 6th grade, so she appreciates the significance of this building more now than she would have even two years ago. The California State Capitol. Good for school groups, family outings, or political or history buffs. Or you can sit outside under one of the yuge trees and have a nice picnic to escape the hundred-degree summer heat. Whatever. If you live here, or even if you're a tourist, just GO.

My love for historical tall buildings with beautiful ceilings and large gardens are endless. Inside The California State Capitol you can find a museum in the first floor and it's mostly shows you how they used to work before computer.

I took a couple tours in Sacramento on a recent visit, and the free capitol tour was hands down the best of them all. I imagine there's a lot of variation depending on which docent you get, but the one who lead my group was phenomenal. Most of the tour was through public access areas of the capitol building, but we learned so much more history and fun facts than you would get from walking around on your own. We also got to see both chambers of the legislature, only one of which was open to the public that day. And there are no info plaques there, so everything to be learned care from our guide. But the best part was that the tour was patriotic without being sappy, and our guide was confident in the power of democracy and the ability of people with differing ideas to come together and find compromise. In today's divisive political climate, it was a message I wanted to hear.

Excellent place to see the entire state from one place. Shows off the different counties California has as well as highlights such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan when they were governors. Great little gift store in the basement and super clean bathrooms. For a free entrance to this amazing capital building, just remember they have security screening like an airport, complete with CHP officers.

Beautiful building, inside and out. So many things to see and learn about. And we had a really interesting tour given by our wonderful guide Robin. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent here.

We entered the security check point and the security guy was so rude to everyone. He obviously hated his job. Anyways, I'm glad this place is open on a Saturday for us to check out. This state Capitol was pretty but unfortunately, it was not impressive as Boise, Idaho and Austin, Texas. The House Gallery was not open, which was disappointing. Obviously, we have no control of the crowd but it was a Saturday when we went so there were a lot of tourists. There was one room that was pretty and pink! The Senate...something (haha, sorry). My boyfriend and I enjoyed walking around our state Capitol because we like this kind of stuff. I recommend everyone going to every state Capitol they come across because they're all different.