In celebration of Black History Month, the California State Railroad Museum is proud to present two special guest presentations and book signing opportunities with Professor Theodore Kornweibel, Jr., author of Railroads in the African American Experience: A Photographic Journey.    After 30 years of research and work in the field of black history, Kornweibel will share his thoughts and findings during two special illustrated presentations on Saturday, February 18, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., each to be followed by book signing opportunities.  His photographic book is a captivating, illustrated tour of the black railroad experience from slavery to Amtrak. It includes nearly 200 compelling image

No Valentine this year?  No worries! Sacramento area singles looking for a fun new way to meet interesting people won’t want to miss the one-night-only “Singles Night at the Sacramento History Museum” in Old Sacramento on Thursday evening, February 9.  The special festivities include tasty appetizers and wine sampling at the Sacramento History Museum starting at 5 p.m., an evening Old Sacramento Underground tour at 5:30 p.m. led by the crowd-favorite Miss Odessa, followed by a fun and friendly museum scavenger hunt.  Then, for those who have worked up an appetite, the popular Rio City Café is offering a 15 percent discount on dinner for everyone with a valid “Singles Night at the Sacrame

Fascinated by railroading history? Interested in working on a train? Enjoy working with visitors, children and school groups? The California State Railroad Museum and Old Sacramento State Historic Park (SHP) are now recruiting adults (18 or older) who are interested in volunteering in early 2012 to help communicate the West’s fascinating heritage of railroading and the California Gold Rush.  The volunteer orientation will begin on Saturday, February 25, but interested volunteers must apply and be interviewed in advance. Volunteer applications are being accepted now through Monday, February 6.  Community members are encouraged to get involved in this worthwhile program that offers an opport

A west bound Amtrak train suddenly stops on the I Street Bridge on January 1, 2012 at 12:35 p.m. The train was detained for twenty minutes then was pulled back to the Sacramento train station.  A few minutes later, the bridge swiveled over to let a Hornblower cruise ship past through.  To see the train being rolled back, click video. 

It’s that special time of year on Capitol Mall and Old Sacramento, Christmas lights are up inviting people to walk a few blocks and the Capitol Christmas Trees decked out in all its splendor. Over the last several years, it appears as if more lights have gone up to enrich the overall experience as an inviting destination to visit and enjoy. The Wells Fargo Center has done a fantastic job with a beautiful tree in the lobby and twinkling lights inside and out. Merry Christmas!  

As always, Sacramento steps up to the plate with holiday events of all sorts. At Sacramento365.com, we see a lot of events come through the site every day. Though there are myriad options in our Holiday Event section, we've narrowed down the list to 10 to get help you pick your Christmas Eve & Christmas Day festivities. Christmas Eve Events: Sure, the night before Christmas should be spent snuggled in bed waiting for Santa Claus, but why not get out and about during the day. Here are some options to keep you entertained around town: 1. Free Admission at Fairytale Town & Sacramento Zoo: FTT 10am-2pm; Zoo 10am-1:30pm Treat the kiddies to a day out while both Fairytale Town & the Sacramento

A windstorm that destroyed the Christmas tree in Old Sacramento didn’t get the last laugh, as the company that provided the tree worked over several days to replace it out of pocket. “There is really not a good explanation for what happened to the tree,” said Chris McSwain, district manager for the Old Sacramento Business Association. “The immediate cause is wind damage. I’d say two-thirds to three-fourths of the needles blew off.” Last weekend’s windstorm might have turned a once-full tree to a skeleton, but that’s when the tree provider, Carlton Christmas Trees from the Redding area, stepped up to replace it. “They’ve never seen anything like this happen in 40 or 50 years,” McSwain sa

It’s Polar Express time again in Old Sacramento. If you have been anywhere near Old Sacramento lately, you may have been surprised to see children of all ages roaming the streets dressed in their pajamas. It’s the annual running of the Polar Express, in Old Sacramento. Every year, the volunteer docents of the State Railroad Museum conduct special one-hour train rides from Old Sacramento down the river side tracks to the North Pole. Along the way, songs are sung, hot cocoa is served, and each passenger gets a small gift from Santa. It’s a perennial treat, and with only 19,000 tickets available, they sell out in a few hours. So, even though you can’t get tickets to ride the train, it’s wor

Over 4,000 of us Christmas enthusiasts crowded together  on K St in Old Sac tonight for the third annual Theatre of Lights. Mayor Johnson lit the Christmas tree. A beautiful 60-foot white fir is poised on Front St near the Delta King Riverboat. Turned on, it's like a chameleon, changing colors and design.Two white-haired gentlemen made an appearance - Mark Twain and, of course, Santa Claus.Twain narrated "Twas the Night Before Christmas" from a balcony of one of the lit up buildings.A chorus comprised of volunteers from Old Sac Living History sang tunes with Father Christmas (above and below).   Over About 50,000 visitors experienced the show last year. The light show continues through

Widely known as North America’s most popular railroad museum, the California State Railroad Museum has exciting plans to dazzle, delight and engage post-Thanksgiving visitors with a special “Small Train Holiday” focus on November 25 and 26.  Expanded holiday offerings inside the Museum include fun interpretive handcar rides, crowd pleasing scale models and toy train displays, story time with Mrs. Claus, period-appropriate holiday decor and much more. In addition to these new activities, the “Small Train Holiday” focus includes other fun favorites such as amazing scale models and toy train layouts on display throughout the Museum, a Polar Express model train running on the “Small Wonders”

Alkali Flat is the oldest standing residential neighborhood in Sacramento, with homes and businesses that date back to the early 1850s. The story of Alkali Flat is etched in the constantly shifting cultural and socioeconomic climate and the homes and buildings themselves. Alkali Flat is nestled between Midtown and downtown. It lies within the boundaries of H Street and North B Street and extends from Seventh to 13th streets. I have lived in Alakli Flat with my husband for nearly six months. Curious about the history of the buildings that I walk by regularly, I started researching the stories behind the homes and businesses that surround us. Tom Tolley and James Scott’s book, “Sacramento

Local historian, author and preservation buff William Burg was appointed Tuesday to the Sacramento Heritage, Inc. Board of Directors – an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich history of Sacramento. It comes as no surprise that Burg should be interested in the position: With three published local history books under his belt, a degree in public history from Sacramento State and years on the boards of both the Sacramento County Historical Society and the Sacramento Old City Association – history is what Burg is all about. “Public history is for historians who do things other than teach,” Burg said Monday. “It’s for historians working in museums, archivists – anyone i

As about 40 customers browsed Halloween costumes on the second floor of Old Sacramento’s Evangeline’s Costume Mansion Monday, Manager Jen Kossmann remarked that business was slow, as the rain kept people at home. Costumes for adults have grown in popularity over the past five years, and Kossmann said this year was no exception, with the store expanding its costume mansion opening hours from as early as February. Traditionally, the costume mansion opens around August. “We’ve just been really busy, and we normally only open (the costume shop) to escort people up in the off season,” Kossmann said. “This year, we had so many people going up there, it just made sense to open it all the time.”

The Sac World Fest was celebrated with various modern and classical dances from around the world in Old Sacramento on Sunday, October 2. Continuous dancing, singing and performances were scheduled throughout the day on five stages on Front Street. Several dozen vendors and informational stations were set up, as was a children’s craft area. Performances ran from 10 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon and featured music and performances as diverse as the residents that live in Sacramento. This is the fourth year that Sacramento World Music and Dance Festival has been held and it continues to attract residents and visitors from Northern California. Several thousand visitors were able to

Due to continued public interest in “above ground” walking tours, the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation has extended the touring season to include two educational yet entertaining tours each weekend through October.   On Saturday at 1 p.m., the Sacramento City: California’s Gold Rush Legacy Tour is offered.  Then on Sunday at 1 p.m., the From Canvas to Brick: Old Sacramento Architectural Tour is available. For the Gold Rush Legacy Tours, docents in historically appropriate attire take guests on a journey back to the 1850s using original and reconstructed Gold Rush-era buildings as a compelling backdrop to describe what the town was like during that fascinating period in California’s hist

Well into its second full season, the popular Old Sacramento Underground tour program is now redefining “Date Night” with special adult-only evening tours being offered for a limited time.  In fact, six special “Date Night” underground tours are available on the following evenings departing at 6 p.m.:  9/29, 9/30, 10/6, 10/7, 10/13 and 10/14.  Available for guests ages 18 and over, the special “Date Night” Underground Tours last approximately 90 minutes and will include tales of devastation, perseverance, and determination that led to California’s only successful street-raising project, but will also include lots of shady stories and decidedly adult tales about colorful characters from Sac

All aboard for Halloween fun!  For three weekends beginning in mid-October, the California State Railroad Museum will once again offer engaging and entertaining rides aboard its popular “Spookomotive” train this fall season. “Spookomotive” trains operate Saturdays and Sundays beginning the weekend of October 15-16 and continuing the weekends of October 22-23 and October 29-30. For these three weekends only, “Spookomotive” trains depart on-the-hour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., departing at the Central Pacific Railroad Freight Depot at Front and “K” Streets in Old Sacramento. The diesel-powered “Spookomotive” pulls the whimsically decorated train, crawling with spiders, cobwebs and cornstalks an

The California State Railroad Museum and Old Sacramento State Historic Park (SHP) are now recruiting adults (18 or older) who are interested in volunteering this fall to help communicate the West’s fascinating heritage of railroading and the California Gold Rush. The volunteer orientation will begin on Saturday, September 24, but interested volunteers must apply and be interviewed in advance. Volunteer applications are being accepted now through Monday, September 12, and involved community members are encouraged to get involved in this worthwhile program.    Anyone who has ever visited the California State Railroad Museum and Old Sacramento SHP has undoubtedly crossed paths with a docent.

This was my third yearly visit to Gold Rush Days in Old Sac. I just walked around and grabbed shots of things happening. There seemed to be lots of activity in the surrounding  perimeter streets. The California Band of the Battalion - "Music from a time when instruments had character...... and characters had instruments" Tent City: A recreation of town life in early Sacramento City where you can visit saloons, a gambling tent, doctors, dentists, and even an undertaker! Tent City will also offer a variety of tasty treats available for purchase, including fish & chips, roasted corn on the cob, fresh-made kettle korn, homemade sarsaparilla, root beer, draft ale, local wines, and more!

The California State Railroad Museum will debut a fascinating documentary-style exhibit titled “Wedlock’s Gift: California Railroad Depot Images in Ink” in two phases with the first set of 26 sketches beginning on September 1, 2011 and continuing through February 2012.  Then, in August 2012, the second set of 26 sketches will debut and continue through December 2012.  Following the completion of his quest to interpret many of California’s disappearing historic railroad depots in brush and ink, commercial artist Walter J. Wedlock gifted the complete set of 52 drawings and one watercolor to the California State Railroad Museum in 1985 after seeing the collection together for the first time d