Educational Programs
All programs are grade level appropriate and aligned with California curriculum standards. Due to the physical lay-out of the museum, all in-house programs can accommodate no more than 30 students at a time. Duration of each varies, so please be sure to ask when making your reservation.
Please click here to download the 2012-2013 Education Brochure (pdf)
Old Sacramento Puppet Show (Twenty minute program, in-house only)
Join the Widow Chambers for an Old Sacramento puppet show. Puppets tell the tale of the Gold Rush, the coming of the railroad, and life in Sacramento City in twenty minutes. Suitable for younger students, pre-K and up.
Agriculture and Life on the Farm (Hour long program, in-house and outreach)
What was life like on the farm? What fruits and vegetables were grown in the Sacramento Valley? Learn about life on the farm and California's Agricultural History through artifacts, hands-on activities, and farm equipment. Meets California Curriculum Science Standards 2.a-2.e
May Woolsey's Trunk (Hour long program, in-house and outreach)
How do historians use artifacts to decode the past? Open a Victorian era trunk filled with clues
to tell the story of a 12 year old Sacramento girl in the late 1800s.
Meets California History and Social Science standards 1.4, 2.1.1, 2.1.2
Nisenan - California Indians of the Sacramento Region (Hour long program, in-house and outreach)
Centuries before James Marshall found gold, there was a thriving community here in the Sacramento area.
Using hands-on artifacts, students get to know the earliest inhabitants of the area – the Nisenan. Explore
how they acquired food and building materials, prepared for ceremonies and rituals, and created a society
that flourished for centuries.
Meets California History and Social Science standards 3.2.1 – 3.2.4
The Gold Rush (Hour and a half long program, in-house and outreach)
How did one man's dream of creating his own empire lead to one of the greatest human migrations in history?
Explore these questions and more as students delve into the story of the California Gold Rush of 1849.
In addition, every student will try to make their own fortune as they pan for gold and other treasures.
Meets California History and Social Science standards 4.4.1 – 4.4.9.
Head West (Hour long program, in-house and outreach)
Why did thousands of pioneers risk their property, families, and lives to make the overland journey to
California? Using stories and hands-on artifacts, students learn about life on the westward trail and make
some of the same difficult decisions the pioneers did.
Meets California History and Social Science standards 5.8.2 – 5.8.6
OLD SACRAMENTO WALKING TOURS
Sacramento City: California's Gold Rush Legacy (Hour long tour)
A fascinating and entertaining tour hosted by one of Sacramento's colorful characters from the past. The Sacramento City tour captures the flavor of the 1850s and beyond through tales of miners, merchants, and politicians. Discover the Pony Express, Transcontinental Railroad, and Gold Rush amid the original and reconstructed backdrop of historic Old Sacramento.
Architectural Tour: From Canvas to Brick (Hour long tour)
The development and expansion of Sacramento from a water-logged tent city to an established city is reflected in the architecture of Old Sacramento's buildings. The architectural tour traces the history of Sacramento from the floods, fires, Gold Rush, and coming of the capital. Details of the decline and eventual redevelopment of the historic buildings is portrayed in a unique and informative tour for architectural novices and fanatics alike.
Old Sacramento Underground Tour (Hour long tour)
Get the low down on Sacramento's efforts to save the city from devastating floods in the 1860s and 1870s! Visitors uncover evidence of the city's successful attempts to raise its streets, including historic buildings, basements, and underground hollow sidewalks. Tour group size is limited to 20 people per tour including the teacher. Underground Tours are only available for school groups Wednesday - Friday in September, October, March, April, and May. Don't miss out on this brand new tour, book early!
MORE OPTIONS – ENHANCE YOUR FIELD TRIP EXPERIENCE
Pan for Gold (and more!)
Students learn how to pan for gold and other minerals, the difference between real gold and fool's gold, and keep their loot! (included in "Gold Rush" program)
Historic Print Shop
How did the world learn about the discovery of gold without television, telephones, or the internet? Where do the terms "upper case" and "lower case" come from? Students learn first hand how newspapers were produced on our operational 1850s era hand press. Plus, if you send us a list of your students' names at least one week in advance, each one will receive a personalized "WANTED" poster.
Self-Guided Museum Tour
For a self-guided class tour of the museum, you will have the option of going on a scavenger hunt or simply walking through and enjoying the exhibits. In consideration of our other guests, we request that you bring one adult for every eight students (not including teachers) and that each chaperone be pre-assigned to a group.
General Information
Accessibility
The Sacramento History Museum is fully accessible to persons with disabilities. All three levels can be reached
by elevator. Accessible restrooms and drinking fountains are located on the first floor.
Food
Food and drink are not allowed inside the Sacramento History Museum. There is an outdoor picnic area as well as
a large grassy area a short distance from the museum. Student backpacks and lunches may be stored at the museum
for the length of the program with prior notice.
Location
The Sacramento History Museum is located at the corner of Front and I Streets in Old Sacramento (near the Sacramento
riverfront).
Parking
A small number of limited term, metered parking spaces are available on the streets of Old Sacramento. However,
these spaces are not suitable for guests visiting longer than 90 minutes. All-day parking is available in the large
garage at the I Street entrance to Old Sacramento, for a nominal fee. School bus parking is available on a first
come basis behind the California State Railroad Museum. Additional bus parking is available at the California Automobile Museum.
Seasons/Climate/Recommended Clothing
Many of our programs contain an outdoor component. Summer and spring can be rather warm while fall and winter tend
to be cool. We advise layered clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
PRICING
IN-MUSEUM PROGRAMS
| PRICE | |
| Students | $3 each |
| Teachers | FREE |
| 1 chaperone/8 students | FREE |
| Additional adults | $5 each |
OUTREACH PROGRAMS
| PRICE | |
| 1 Presentation | $200 |
| Each additional presentation | $50 |
| Mileage (outside city of Sacramento) | Varies |
PAN FOR GOLD
| PRICE | |
| Gold panning only | $3/student |
| Adding to other program | $1/student |
HISTORIC PRINT SHOP
| PRICE | |
| Presentation only | $2/student |
| "WANTED" posters | $1/student |
SELF-GUIDED MUSEUM TOURS
| PRICE | |
| Students | $3 each |
| Teachers | FREE |
| 1 chaperone/5 students | FREE |
| Additional adults | $5 each |
SACRAMENTO CITY AND ARCHITECTURAL WALKING TOURS
| PRICE | |
| Students | $3 each |
| Teachers | FREE |
| 1 chaperone/8 students | FREE |
| Additional adults | $7 each |
OLD SACRAMENTO UNDERGROUND TOURS
| PRICE | |
| Student tour with museum visit | $8 each |
| Student tour ticket | $5 each |
| Teachers | FREE |
| 1 chaperone/8 students | FREE |
| Additional adults | $15 each |
TO MAKE A RESERVATION:
916-808-4980 or jwest@cityofsacramento.org
Esquire IMAX Combination Programs
Through a unique partnership with Esquire IMAX Theatre, your class can plan an entire day of fun and learning for one low price!
Tour #1: Going West
A fun-filled day including the Head West Program from the Sacramento History Museum and the Lewis and Clark: Great Journey West IMAX feature. Students will discover the hazards of traveling west along the Santa Fe, California and Oregon Trails as they make decisions about what to take on their own westward journey. Students will see first-hand the wild landscape of the west as Lewis and Clark make their way across the continent. Content Standards: Social Science, History, Geography, Language Arts Students - $9.50, Adults - $13.00 (Groups of 20 or more)
Tour #2: Going for the Gold
Become a miner for the day; pan for gold and learn about California's Gold Rush Story at the Sacramento History Museum and visit the IMAX and see Adventures in Wild California. Students will experience the Gold Rush for themselves as they learn about competition in the mines, town life, and see California's history and geography come to life before their eyes. Content Standards: Social Science, History, Geography Students - $9.50, Adults - $13.00 (Groups of 20 or more)
Tour #3: Create your own
Take a self guided tour of the Sacramento History Museum and do a Museum Adventure with your students and choose any IMAX Education Film of your choice. Students $9.50, Adults - $13.00 (Groups of 20 or more)
- All prices include IMAX & Museum admission
- Groups must be 20 or more
- Combination tours based on availability
- Discounted concessions available upon request starting at $3.50