California State Capitol Museum
10th and L Streets
State Capitol, Room B-27
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 324-0333
Website: http://www.capitolmuseum.ca.gov
Type Of Museum:
Capitol Building, Learning about state and laws, Garden Tours, Historical museum, Government Educational resouce
About the Museum:
California’s Capitol was designed by architects Reuben Clark and M.F. Butler. This image is a watercolor rendering thought to be made by Clark to show his vision of the completed project.
The California State Capitol Museum is the name given to the grounds and buildings of the California State Capitol. Located in Sacramento, the state capital, the building has been the home of the California State Legislature since 1869. The building underwent a major renovation, known as the California State Capitol Restoration, from 1975 until 1982 to restore the Capitol to its former beauty. Visitors can tour the restored historic offices of the Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, and Governor of California. The building features exhibits and tours, and a chance to see the legislature at work when it is in session.
In 1978, the workers and craftspeople responsible for the seemingly insurmountable job of restoring the Capitol posed for a group photo. This picture was signed by all and enclosed in a time capsule in the building’s cornerstone. The original grand staircases were removed from the Capitol in 1906 to make way for additional office space and elevators.
Visiting the Museum:
Weekdays: 9 – 5
Weekends: 9 – 5
Admission is Free
Tours Available Hourly
Groups by Reservation
Please check the website before going for any changes in the schedule.
Visit Capitol Park Garden
There are 40 acres (162,000 m²) of gardens in the surrounding Capitol Park, including trees and shrubs from around the world.
The grounds also feature memorials to significant events involving California:
- A Civil War Memorial Grove planted in 1897 with saplings from famous Civil War battlefields.
- A life-sized statue of Father Junípero Serra, a Roman Catholic missionary sent by Spain to help colonize California. At its base is a map of California’s 21 missions, from San Diego to Sonoma.
- The California VietnamVeterans Memorial, with life-size bronze figures of service men and women depicting military life in Vietnam and featuring engravings of names of Californians killed or missing in action.
- The California Veterans Memorial, a graniteobelisk honoring California Veterans from the Mexican-American War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf War.[1]
- The California Firefighters Memorial erected to honor the fallen firefighter.[2]
- Y-ET-IM TEH-LEI-LI California Indian Grinding Rock