Envisioning a Visitor Center that Strengthens Civic Engagement
The Annex Project aims to strengthen civic engagement and pride in being a Californian. It offers the chance to plan what a day in the Capitol offers visitors to add to their understanding of California, their place in it, and how work done in the Capitol safeguards our common future, both at home and across the globe.
Can a visit to California’s People’s House inspire and connect visitors of all ages and abilities so they leave feeling excitement and pride about being a part of California and its hopeful, dynamic and inventive embrace of the future?
Each visit becomes a jumping off point to a lifetime of civic engagement.
There are at least four kinds of images/information which can help shape the experience of a day in the Capitol from beginning to end.
- California’s Natural Endowment, i.e., California’s beauty seen in its distinctive places and diverse people and social life;
- California History;
- Civic Education and Engagement; and
- California’s Global Brand.
By presenting information about California in ways that emphasizes how being a Californian makes one an heir of all this content, the center should promote an understanding of the visitor’s place in California. The aim is to inspire awe, appreciation and a greater sense of life connection to our state and government as visitors see themselves and their communities in the Capitol.
Re-Invigorate Historic Capitol Symbols
California’s Capitol and grounds are rich with exhibits of history and symbols conveying an understanding of the stature and significance of state government. The Capitol Annex Project, and specifically the Visitor Center, offers a chance to refresh some of these, highlighting their understanding of California government, and re-appropriating these ideas for their relevance to civic understanding and engagement. The following symbols tell stories of our government’s guiding principles.
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1315 10th Street Sacramento, CA 95814
Monday - Friday
Daily tours departing at the top of each hour
Closed: Major Holidays
Free Admission
California State Capitol Museum
916.324.0333
The California State Capitol Museum operates inside the State Capitol Building, where visitors can experience California’s rich history and witness the making of history through the modern lawmaking process.
Discover the architecture, history, and development of the California State Capitol from its initial formation to the modern day. At the State Capitol, the past, present, and future of California interact with equal impact. The State Capitol Museum is proud to be part of California State Parks.
Free hourly Public Tours: 10am-4pm (Mon-Fri)
Free Park Tours: Sundays at 11am (1pm during the Winter season), weather permitting.
Junior Ranger Programs: Sundays at 10:30am (during Summer season). Preregistration required.
Looking to register for Free Museum Weekend? Click the button below to see participating museums and sign up for your free ticket! Advance registration is required and capacity is limited! Once tickets are all reserved regular admission rates will apply!
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California State Capitol Museum
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Book a Tour
Reservations are recommended .
The Capitol Visitor Center is open Monday-Saturday from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tours begin every 10 minutes until 3:20 p.m. All tours are led by our professional tour guides and visit the Crypt , the Rotunda and National Statuary Hall . The tour does not include the Senate and House Galleries . The tour route is subject to change.
Reservations are recommended, but not required. Visit the schedule a tour page to select a day/time for a reservation. Same day passes may be available. Visitors without reservations are encouraged to arrive at the Capitol Visitor Center as early in the day as possible, but no later than 2:30 p.m., to obtain passes.
All tours, programs and activities are free of charge.
Visitors enter through the Capitol Visitor Center, located underground on the east side of the Capitol. Please leave time to go through security and review the U.S. Capitol’s prohibited items list before your visit.
You can begin your Capitol experience at the Visitor Center by visiting Exhibition Hall , perusing our Gift Shops or getting a bite to eat at the Capitol Cafe.
For information on tours offered in Mandarin and Spanish, please view the Foreign Language Tours page.
How Do I Cancel My Reservation?
You can cancel your reservation through your account in the Capitol Visitor Center’s online reservation system.
- Go to https://tours.visitthecapitol.gov (A new page will open.)
- Beneath the blue banner reading “Reserve a Tour of the Capitol,” click on the link to log in. (A sign in/signup dialog box will open.)
- In the sign in section, log in with your email address and password.
- Search for reservations by clicking “More” in the “My Reservations” tab.
- Once you have located your reservation, click the link to “Cancel.”
California State Capitol Museum
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California State Capitol Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Sacramento: California's Capital
Day 1: Sacramento
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Visit the California State Capitol Building
Visit Capitol Park with photostops at:
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- Civil War Memorial Grove
- Statue of Juniperro Serra
- California Veterans Memorial
Visit Sutter's Fort State Historic Park
Visit the California Museum
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- California Railroad Museum
- Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum
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Please call the Capitol Tour Office at 916-324-0333 with any questions. The Capitol Park remains open daily. Tours. ... The California State Capitol Museum has many accommodations for those with disabilities, so everyone can enjoy their trip to the museum. ... Visitors entering the Capitol building will subject to security-control measures and ...
Visitors can tour the restored historic offices of the Secretary of State, Treasurer, and Governor of the State of California. The building features exhibits and tours - and possibly an opportunity to watch the legislators debate a bill or cast a vote. Capitol Park. Covering forty acres, the Capitol Park contains species of plant life from ...
With its noble columns and snappy cupola, all painted wedding-cake white, California's State Capitol building looks like a mini replica of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Take a free docent-led tour to learn about the 1869 building's architecture and history.
It's a living museum dedicated to sharing California's past and working to build California's future. The grounds and building are open seven days a week for the public to explore. The Capitol building. Entering on the north side of the building (L Street side) you walk into the state's county exhibits. Each of the 58 counties has a display ...
With its noble columns and snappy cupola, all painted wedding-cake white, California's State Capitol building looks like a mini replica of U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Take a free tour to learn about the 1869 building's architecture and history. In the Capitol Museum, check out the collection of cool flags—including those carried by California soldiers during the Civil War, the ...
The Capitol Annex Project, and specifically the Visitor Center, offers a chance to refresh some of these, highlighting their understanding of California government, and re-appropriating these ideas for their relevance to civic understanding and engagement. The following symbols tell stories of our government's guiding principles.
The rate for the garage is $1.50 per half hour. The maximum charge on a weekday is $20. On weekends and evenings, the maximum charge is $5. The Capitol is open seven days a week. Weekend hours are 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Weekday hours are 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tours are available by signing up with a docent in the Capitol Rotunda.
At the State Capitol, the past, present, and future of California interact with equal impact. The State Capitol Museum is proud to be part of California State Parks. Free hourly Public Tours: 10am-4pm (Mon-Fri) Free Park Tours: Sundays at 11am (1pm during the Winter season), weather permitting. Junior Ranger Programs: Sundays at 10:30am (during ...
California State Capitol Museum. 1315 10th Street Sacramento, CA 95814. : (916) 324-0333. Visit website.
The Capitol Visitor Center is open Monday-Saturday from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tours begin every 10 minutes until 3:20 p.m. All tours are led by our professional tour guides and visit the Crypt, the Rotunda and National Statuary Hall. The tour does not include the Senate and House Galleries.
The California State Capitol Museum consists of a museum in and grounds around the California State Capitol ... In the basement can be found the tour office (B-27 ... Bridge is in the upper left corner, crossing the Sacramento River, leading east along Capitol Mall towards the Capitol building and the Capitol Park grounds. There are 40 acres ...
California State Capitol Museum. 1,395 reviews. #5 of 339 things to do in Sacramento. GardensHistory Museums. Closed now. Write a review. About. This 19th-century granite building, modeled after the U.S. Capitol, is home to the California Legislature and houses a public museum and a surrounding garden.
Day 1: Sacramento. Arrive in Sacramento. Visit the California State Capitol Building. Visit Capitol Park with photostops at: Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Civil War Memorial Grove. Statue of Juniperro Serra. California Veterans Memorial. Visit Sutter's Fort State Historic Park.
It helps citizens learn about their responsibility - and opportunity - to shape California's future by actively participating in the political process. The site enables on-line visitors to learn more about California's government and take a "virtual tour" of the Capitol with 360-degree views of the building and park. The site's on-line Citizen ...
The presence of a gold ball, reminiscent of a gold nugget, reminds visitors to the California Capitol of the state's Gold Rush heritage. On October 29, 1871, the crowning ornament, a gold-plated copper ball, was affixed to the cupola at the apex of the Capitol. This ornament, nearly three feet in diameter, was part of architect Rueben Clark ...
The Capitol is open Monday-Friday, 7:30-5:00. The Visitor Information Desk is open Monday-Friday, 9:00-4:00. Free guided tours are available Monday through Friday, on the hour between 10:00am-3:00pm (June and July only). Free DOME ONLY tours will be available on the half hour, from 9:30am to 2:30pm (June and July only).Capitol tours are limited to 30 people on a first come, first served basis.