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Sacramento architecture spans a variety of styles from the Gold Rush era to Victorian structures,
classic Craftsman bungalows and more. To learn more about Sacramento’s historic architecture,
Sacramento Heritage invites you to take advantage of some of the fascinating walking tours of
Sacramento's landmark, historic places.
Through this website, Sacramento Heritage is initiating a series of its own on-line historic tours of
Sacramento while also featuring other organizations’ walking tours available in Sacramento, both
self-guided and guided. Please note that Sacramento Heritage cannot vouch for the accuracy of tour information
in tours other than its own and those produced by the Sacramento County Historical Society.
classic Craftsman bungalows and more. To learn more about Sacramento’s historic architecture,
Sacramento Heritage invites you to take advantage of some of the fascinating walking tours of
Sacramento's landmark, historic places.
Through this website, Sacramento Heritage is initiating a series of its own on-line historic tours of
Sacramento while also featuring other organizations’ walking tours available in Sacramento, both
self-guided and guided. Please note that Sacramento Heritage cannot vouch for the accuracy of tour information
in tours other than its own and those produced by the Sacramento County Historical Society.
Walking Tours of Sacramento's Historic Treasures
WALKING TOURS SPONSORED BY SACRAMENTO HERITAGE
Sacramento Heritage is creating self-guided walking tours, complete with maps that
allow Sacramentans and visitors to Sacramento to enjoy the city's historical
wonders at their own pace and on their own time. The first of these tours features
the JK Commercial corridor within the Central Business District. Other
Sacramento Heritage tours will be added in the coming months. An MP3 version is
under consideration.
Sac Heritage Tour 1:
J and K Street Commercial Corridor
The Commercial Corridor Walking Tour highlights some of the most important
historic buildings in Sacramento along J and K Streets, the central spine of the
city's formative years. J Street served as a major thoroughfare leading from the
Sacramento River to 12th Street, where routes continued east to the gold mine
settlements of Hangtown (Placerville) and Coloma, or turned north toward Auburn
and Marysville. Because J and K Streets were the most heavily-travelled,
businesses were first constructed on the city blocks lining these streets.
Note: The brochure is designed to be printed in 11" by 17" format, but can be printed in 8.5"
by 11" format. If you wish to print the brochure in 11" by 17" format, click here to view
printing, assembly and folding instructions. If you wish to print in 8.5" by 11" format,
select the 8.5" by 11" paper size in your browser's print menu.
WALKING TOURS SPONSORED BY SACRAMENTO COUNTY
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Historical Society Tour 1:
Self Guided Walking Tour of Historic Buildings on K Street
SACRAMENTO OLD CITY CEMETERY WALKING TOUR
SACRAMENTO BUNGALOW HERITAGE ASSOCIATION WALKING
TOUR
In 1998, the Sacramento Bungalow Heritage Association published a walking tour
of several Midtown/East Sac neighborhoods. While this organization no longer
exists, this tour is a reminder of the important work the Association did.
OAK PARK WALKING TOUR
CSU Sacramento Professor Robin Datel has prepared a walking tour featuring
historical points of interest in Sacramento's Oak Park neighborhood, one of
Sacramento's first streetcar suburbs.
BOULEVARD PARK WALKING TOUR
Produced in 1994 by the Historic Boulevard Park Committee, this tour features
homes and other features in one of Sacramento's most historic neighborhoods,
Boulevard Park. Once the location of the California State Fairgrounds, Boulevard
Park features an interesting and eclectic collection of Midtown Sacramento homes.
CURTIS PARK WALKING TOURS
1. Curtis Oaks Tour
2. South Curtis Oaks Tour
3. Saint Francis Oaks Tour
DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO PARTNERSHIP TOURS
The Downtown Sacramento Partnership offers a series of unique guided tours
through downtown Sacramento that introduce the people, places and events that
shaped California history. From John Sutter to Cesar Chavez, these tours cover
more than 150 years of state and local history. Topics range from art and
architecture to cultural, religious and urban history. Call 442-8575, email
dsp@downtownsac.org for prices and scheduling and to make a reservation. All
tours are guided and last approximately one hour.
DSP Tour 1: Kids Meet the City - A tour of California history especially for
kids
Designed as a fun and interactive way to introduce local history to students of all
ages. This unique walk through downtown will explore the Gold Rush, the history
and route of the famed Pony Express, John Sutter’s place in California history, and
the Big Four of the railroad industry as well as offer an introduction to city
government with a visit into City Council Chambers.
DSP Tour 2: Tales of the Central City - An overview of early Sacramento
history
Walk with down memory lane on a guided tour of one of the oldest cities in
California. Learn how Sacramento wrangled the distinction of California’s State
Capitol, walk the original route of the famed Pony Express, see the influence of
railroad’s ‘Big Four’ on early urban planning and learn why downtown sidewalks
are hollow. Our Gold Rush era specialist, Mike Munson leads this tour.
DSP Tour 3: Structural Stories - Local examples of historical architecture
styles
Stroll through the ages of architectural history right here in downtown Sacramento.
From our Renaissance-style Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament and the graceful
Art Deco shapes of Crest Theatre to Chicago style architecture here in California,
we will show you local examples of the world’s finest styles. Shawn Peter leads this
tour.
DSP Tour 4: Art is All Around Us - A tour of Sacramento’s Art in Public
Places
Tour Sacramento’s impressive collection of permanently sited works of art
integrated into Sacramento’s built and natural environments. See local works by
notable local and regional artists. This tour was developed in partnership with
Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission’s Art in Public Places program.
DSP Tour 5: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow | K Street commerce, growth
and redevelopment
Beginning in Old Sacramento at Front and K streets, this tour will trace
Sacramento’s commercial growth by traveling on foot toward 13th & K. On this
walk, see Sacramento’s first commercial district, learn about K Street’s early
history as a vaudeville and entertainment hotspot and be the first to hear future
plans for Sacramento’s most talked-about pedestrian mall. Shawn Peter or Mike
Munson will lead this tour.
DSP Tour 6: The Art of Terra Cotta | An architecture tour featuring local
clay artisans Gladding McBean
This tour discusses the history of terra cotta as an architectural art form and will
highlight downtown's best examples of this turn-of-the-century technique. This
tour emphasizes the contribution of the Gladding McBean studio, one of the
region’s best cultural and artistic assets, which has provided terra cotta tiles, pipes
and sculpture for customers worldwide. Based in Lincoln, California, this studio
has been in continual operation since 1874, with many downtown buildings
showcasing the studio’s early works. This tour will highlight these structures as
well as discuss the evolution of this notable clay studio, the process of working
with this unique type of clay and the studio’s legacy on the art of terra cotta. Mike
Munson leads this tour.
DSP Tour 7: Sacred Spaces - The story of Downtown’s religious structures
This tour offers a glimpse into Sacramento’s first faith-based organizations and
discusses the history of these churches in the context of early California history.
This tour also touches on the unique architectural features of each structure. A
portion of the proceeds benefit housing efforts for downtown homeless.
Kids Meet the City | A tour of California history especially for kids
This tour is specially designed to serve as a fun and interactive way to introduce
local history to students of all ages. This unique walk through downtown will
explore the Gold Rush, the history and route of the famed Pony Express, John
Sutter’s place in California history, and the Big Four of the railroad industry as well
as offer an introduction to city government with a visit into City Council Chambers.
Sacramento Heritage is creating self-guided walking tours, complete with maps that
allow Sacramentans and visitors to Sacramento to enjoy the city's historical
wonders at their own pace and on their own time. The first of these tours features
the JK Commercial corridor within the Central Business District. Other
Sacramento Heritage tours will be added in the coming months. An MP3 version is
under consideration.
Sac Heritage Tour 1:
J and K Street Commercial Corridor
The Commercial Corridor Walking Tour highlights some of the most important
historic buildings in Sacramento along J and K Streets, the central spine of the
city's formative years. J Street served as a major thoroughfare leading from the
Sacramento River to 12th Street, where routes continued east to the gold mine
settlements of Hangtown (Placerville) and Coloma, or turned north toward Auburn
and Marysville. Because J and K Streets were the most heavily-travelled,
businesses were first constructed on the city blocks lining these streets.
Note: The brochure is designed to be printed in 11" by 17" format, but can be printed in 8.5"
by 11" format. If you wish to print the brochure in 11" by 17" format, click here to view
printing, assembly and folding instructions. If you wish to print in 8.5" by 11" format,
select the 8.5" by 11" paper size in your browser's print menu.
WALKING TOURS SPONSORED BY SACRAMENTO COUNTY
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Historical Society Tour 1:
Self Guided Walking Tour of Historic Buildings on K Street
SACRAMENTO OLD CITY CEMETERY WALKING TOUR
SACRAMENTO BUNGALOW HERITAGE ASSOCIATION WALKING
TOUR
In 1998, the Sacramento Bungalow Heritage Association published a walking tour
of several Midtown/East Sac neighborhoods. While this organization no longer
exists, this tour is a reminder of the important work the Association did.
OAK PARK WALKING TOUR
CSU Sacramento Professor Robin Datel has prepared a walking tour featuring
historical points of interest in Sacramento's Oak Park neighborhood, one of
Sacramento's first streetcar suburbs.
BOULEVARD PARK WALKING TOUR
Produced in 1994 by the Historic Boulevard Park Committee, this tour features
homes and other features in one of Sacramento's most historic neighborhoods,
Boulevard Park. Once the location of the California State Fairgrounds, Boulevard
Park features an interesting and eclectic collection of Midtown Sacramento homes.
CURTIS PARK WALKING TOURS
1. Curtis Oaks Tour
2. South Curtis Oaks Tour
3. Saint Francis Oaks Tour
DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO PARTNERSHIP TOURS
The Downtown Sacramento Partnership offers a series of unique guided tours
through downtown Sacramento that introduce the people, places and events that
shaped California history. From John Sutter to Cesar Chavez, these tours cover
more than 150 years of state and local history. Topics range from art and
architecture to cultural, religious and urban history. Call 442-8575, email
dsp@downtownsac.org for prices and scheduling and to make a reservation. All
tours are guided and last approximately one hour.
DSP Tour 1: Kids Meet the City - A tour of California history especially for
kids
Designed as a fun and interactive way to introduce local history to students of all
ages. This unique walk through downtown will explore the Gold Rush, the history
and route of the famed Pony Express, John Sutter’s place in California history, and
the Big Four of the railroad industry as well as offer an introduction to city
government with a visit into City Council Chambers.
DSP Tour 2: Tales of the Central City - An overview of early Sacramento
history
Walk with down memory lane on a guided tour of one of the oldest cities in
California. Learn how Sacramento wrangled the distinction of California’s State
Capitol, walk the original route of the famed Pony Express, see the influence of
railroad’s ‘Big Four’ on early urban planning and learn why downtown sidewalks
are hollow. Our Gold Rush era specialist, Mike Munson leads this tour.
DSP Tour 3: Structural Stories - Local examples of historical architecture
styles
Stroll through the ages of architectural history right here in downtown Sacramento.
From our Renaissance-style Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament and the graceful
Art Deco shapes of Crest Theatre to Chicago style architecture here in California,
we will show you local examples of the world’s finest styles. Shawn Peter leads this
tour.
DSP Tour 4: Art is All Around Us - A tour of Sacramento’s Art in Public
Places
Tour Sacramento’s impressive collection of permanently sited works of art
integrated into Sacramento’s built and natural environments. See local works by
notable local and regional artists. This tour was developed in partnership with
Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission’s Art in Public Places program.
DSP Tour 5: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow | K Street commerce, growth
and redevelopment
Beginning in Old Sacramento at Front and K streets, this tour will trace
Sacramento’s commercial growth by traveling on foot toward 13th & K. On this
walk, see Sacramento’s first commercial district, learn about K Street’s early
history as a vaudeville and entertainment hotspot and be the first to hear future
plans for Sacramento’s most talked-about pedestrian mall. Shawn Peter or Mike
Munson will lead this tour.
DSP Tour 6: The Art of Terra Cotta | An architecture tour featuring local
clay artisans Gladding McBean
This tour discusses the history of terra cotta as an architectural art form and will
highlight downtown's best examples of this turn-of-the-century technique. This
tour emphasizes the contribution of the Gladding McBean studio, one of the
region’s best cultural and artistic assets, which has provided terra cotta tiles, pipes
and sculpture for customers worldwide. Based in Lincoln, California, this studio
has been in continual operation since 1874, with many downtown buildings
showcasing the studio’s early works. This tour will highlight these structures as
well as discuss the evolution of this notable clay studio, the process of working
with this unique type of clay and the studio’s legacy on the art of terra cotta. Mike
Munson leads this tour.
DSP Tour 7: Sacred Spaces - The story of Downtown’s religious structures
This tour offers a glimpse into Sacramento’s first faith-based organizations and
discusses the history of these churches in the context of early California history.
This tour also touches on the unique architectural features of each structure. A
portion of the proceeds benefit housing efforts for downtown homeless.
Kids Meet the City | A tour of California history especially for kids
This tour is specially designed to serve as a fun and interactive way to introduce
local history to students of all ages. This unique walk through downtown will
explore the Gold Rush, the history and route of the famed Pony Express, John
Sutter’s place in California history, and the Big Four of the railroad industry as well
as offer an introduction to city government with a visit into City Council Chambers.
PROMOTING & PRESERVING
SACRAMENTO'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
SACRAMENTO'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
| HISTORIC PLAQUE PROGRAM |
| Unless otherwise noted, all photos on this Website are by Lisa Ouellette |