The Top 5 Reasons to Visit Sacramento, California Now
WRITTEN BY 5 REASONS TO VISIT® EDITORIAL STAFF
PUBLISHED AUGUST 2022 • 4 min read
Sacramento is America's Farm-to-Fork Capital and the only star on the map of California. The city is buzzing with things to taste, see and savor. From gold Rush-era attractions to colorful street murals—pick your pleasure.
Image courtesy of Visit Sacramento
1. THE SHOPPING
Sacramento is an excellent shopping destination. Trendy Midtown boutiques are complemented by the souvenir shops in Old Sacramento, shopping malls with national retailers and a wide variety of specialty shops with local handmade goods and unique gifts.
Image courtesy of Visit Sacramento
A jewel among the beautiful landscape of Northern California, Arden Fair is Sacramento’s premier shopping destination with over 165 specialty stores such as Macy’s, Apple, Coach, J. Crew, Michael Kors, Banana Republic, and more.
2. THE ART
Art is a passion for many Sacramentans, whether it’s creating it, collecting it or appreciating it. The Midtown area is one hot spot for local galleries, and if you’re in town on the second Saturday of the month, you’re in luck, as the art galleries participate in the Second Saturday Art Walk.
Image courtesy of Visit Sacramento
The Crocker Art Museum was created to house the arts picked up by the Crocker family on a long trip through Europe in the 1870s with the goal to becoming the cultural hub of Sacramento. Today, the museum is housed in a building that has two distinct wings: the Victorian house built in 1873, and the new Teal Pavilion. Known for its collection of California Impressionist art, German drawings and everything ranging from contemporary to antiquity, it is a must-see on a trip to Sacramento.
The whole city is an outdoor art gallery in a way, thanks to more than 700 murals. The Wide Open Walls mural festival has added to the number each year. Each August, local and international muralists converge on the city to paint murals throughout the region. Locals and visitors alike enjoy watching the artists as they paint the murals.
3. THE COCKTAILS & CUISINE
The Red Rabbit Kitchen & Bar is a bit like Sacramento: sophisticated, well-traveled, but grounded in their roots. Located on J Street between 27th and 28th in the heart of Midtown, experience an extensive handcrafted cocktail menu and a beautiful ambiance. For your artisanal cocktail fix, we recommend trying the Krakow Salt Mine—concocted with Zubrowka vodka, fresh apple cider, squeezed lemon, sea salt, cocktail syrup, and ginger beer.
The Red Rabbit Kitchen & Bar in Sacramento, California
Farm-to-table food: That’s the name of the game. Made with sustainable, local and ethically-sourced ingredients—let’s start with brunch and their infamous French Toast with brioche, vanilla bean custard, local strawberries, fresh maple syrup, and candied walnuts, and Avocado Toast! with smashed avocado, cherry tomatoes, mixed greens, pickled red onion, bacon, grana, and balsamic drizzle.
For dinner, favorites at The Red Rabbit Kitchen & Bar include Oh Kale No! with shredded kale, buttered croutons, grand cheese and caesar dressing, a revolving Pasta of the Day, and Vegan Eggplant Involtini! with grilled eggplant, cashew tofu ricotta, marinara and micro basil, as well as Green Curry Tofu with crispy tofu, coconut green curry sauce, basmati rice, asparagus and Thai basil.
4. THE GARDENS
In 1863, California Governor Leland Stanford envisioned a Victorian garden “with a beauty and luxuriousness that no other capitol can boast” surrounding the California State Capitol. Well over a century and a half later, California’s Capitol Park Gardens has a luxuriousness and beauty that few capitols can compete with. Here you can sit under trees that were thought to be extinct, enjoy a pond surrounded by draping foliage while viewing living and static memorials, or relax during lunch under the shade of trees which are the largest of their kind in the state. Walkways crisscross the park, enabling opportunities to view its bounty in gardens such as Camellia Grove, which were first introduced to California in the 1850s and have become a Sacramento tradition.
In the Desert Garden you’ll discover a collection of native plants representing the natural flora that thrived in California before Europeans arrived. From desert to high mountains, foggy coasts to warm inland valleys, this diversity has produced a large number of native species that grow only here and nowhere else. The World Peace Rose Garden is a living reminder that peace begins within the hearts of each one of us. The Victorian style garden, with a fountain as its centerpiece, features more than 650 roses with more than 153 varieties, colors, and fragrances. Stroll the garden’s numerous pathways or relax on the benches that line them.
5. THE ARCHITECTURE
Built in 1856 by Gold Rush merchant Sheldon Fogus, the Stanford Mansion is a stunning example of the splendor and elegance of the Victorian-era in California. In 1861, the home was purchased by Central Pacific Railroad co-founder and President, Leland Stanford, before he became California’s eighth governor and founder of Stanford University. The 19,000-square-foot mansion presents 17-foot ceilings, gilded mirrors, elegant 19th century crystal and bronze light fixtures, exquisitely detailed carved moldings and historic paintings, and original period furnishings that belonged to the Stanfords.
The 19th-century style gardens surrounding the mansion embrace the interior’s grandeur. Located just two blocks west of the state capitol, the Stanford Mansion is open for tours, while also serving as California’s official reception center for diplomatic leaders from around the world and as an official workplace of the Governor of California.
WHERE TO STAY IN SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
Kimpton Sawyer Hotel brings an entirely new level of sophistication and exclusivity to Sacramento. The unparalleled locale on Downtown Commons and one-of-a-kind pool deck overlooking Golden 1 Center make this hotel the social epicenter of Sacramento. Discerning guests will be drawn to Kimpton’s genuine hospitality and the many curated treasures of this unrivaled urban retreat. Socialize over cocktails at Sacramento’s coolest pool; By day, soak up Sacramento’s sunshine and lounge in the pool or on private shaded daybeds.
