Sacramento's Memorial Auditorium opened in 1927, providing the city with an impressive stage for professional performances. It is named in honor of service members who died in World War I. With the exception of a ten-year period, the venue has hosted everything from concerts to high school graduations to gubernatorial inaugurations for almost a century. It seats 3,850 and continues to host events today. The building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of the Sacramento Convention Center Complex.
In addition to being one of Sacramento’s oldest church structures, St. Paul’s Episcopal claims the title of oldest continuously functioning parish in the city, being directly descended from a small Episcopal community that first met in blacksmith shop in 1849. After residences in several structures through the 1800s, the cornerstone of St. Paul’s present structure was laid in 1903. The church features some of California’s most prized stained glass windows, which were donated by prominent parishioners Leland Stanford and Mrs. Charles Crocker, respectively.
The Sacramento Masonic Temple was completed in 1918 and was designed by Rudolph Herold. The building is largely unaltered from the time of its construction and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
This historic Sacramento building became the tallest in the city when it was completed in 1926 at a cost of $1.5 million. The 242-foot structure was designed by local architect Leonard F. Starks who complied with the request of Elks Club members that their building surpass the height of the California State Capitol by five feet. With the completion of Elks Tower, several states and municipalities passed laws which stipulated that private construction projects could not exceed the height of government buildings. The structure’s Italian Renaissance styling makes Elks Tower a recognizable feature of the downtown skyline, even though the Order of Elks was forced to sell the iconic structure in the 1970s as their membership and influence declined. Some of the building's interior underwent a hasty remodel in that era, but current owners and tenants such as restaurants, offices, and lofts have supported a gradual restoration of the building's historic interiors. In addition to its architectural significance, Elks Tower reflects the influence of leading fraternal organizations and the construction boom of the late 1920s.
Built from 1886-1889, the ornate Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament was, at the time of its construction, the largest cathedral west of the Mississippi--and though currently dwarfed by Sacramento’s downtown skyscrapers, at a towering 216 feet it was also the tallest structure in the city for a time. The cathedral was the brainchild of Catholic Bishop Patrick Manogue, who had previously mined gold in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains to pay for his church education. John Mackay, owner of the famed Comstock Lode silver mine in Nevada, was one of the cathedral’s key financiers. Built intentionally near the State Capitol, it has held inaugurations and funerals for mayors and governors through the decades. A recent $34 million restoration has reopened the iconic dome to the public again for the first time since the 1930s.
Built in 1924 in the Renaissance Revival style, Sacramento's grand Hotel Senator has long been an integral part of city life, in one capacity or another. For decades, it functioned as a hotel, hosting both politicians and celebrities. Since the 1980s, the building has housed offices used by lobbyists, giving them easy access to the capitol, which is across the street.
The only monument in the nation honoring Mexican American soldiers that is located on the grounds of a state capital, “El Soldado” recognizes the service of nearly three hundred thousand Californians. The movement to create the memorial began as widows and mothers of Mexican American soldiers who were killed during World War II held meetings and raised funds for three years. Thanks to these efforts, this monument was dedicated in 1951 at the Sacramento Mexican American Center. The monument was refurbished in the 1970s and moved to the California Capitol Mall in 1990. Restored again in 2017 thanks to volunteers, a new plinth includes the names of California’s Mexican American Medal of Honor recipients. Efforts to expand the memorial are currently underway.
Three 9-foot tall bronze statues preside over this memorial to over 1,500 California Peace Officers who have fallen in the line of duty since statehood was achieved in 1850. The three figures on the memorial, which was dedicated in 1988, represent the different eras of law enforcement in California history, and were designed and sculpted by a retired County Sheriff Division Chief. Annual ceremonies are usually held at the site to commemorate the lives of officers lost each year.
The California State Capitol Museum interprets the history California, the city of Sacramento, and the State Legislature. Housed in the historic Capitol building, the Museum includes two exhibit galleries and restored offices of the Governor, Secretary of State, and Treasurer, along with a tour office that offers guided or self-guided tours, a theater that screens an introductory film, and a gift shop. Visitors can explore museum exhibits along with art, architecture, and legislative proceedings throughout the Capitol building and the memorials and monuments in Capitol Park.
Located on the grounds of the State Capitol Park, a statue and plaque honor the life and work of Father Junipero Serra. Though not without controversy, Serra is indisputably a central figure in California's history, credited with bringing Catholicism to California through the establishment of the Franciscan mission system and extending Spanish rule into "Alta California" in the late 1700s. The Christianizing and Europeanization of native tribes throughout California, however, led to their decimation through cultural suppressions and the deaths of hundreds of thousands by disease and warfare over the next century.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
A short walking tour providing a quick cross-section of architectural highlights and public monuments! A great way to learn about some of Sacramento's downtown historical gems in an easy loop that starts and ends at the Convention Center.
