Self Guided Old Sacramento Walking Tour Explore Gold Rush History

By Drives & Detours

Free cancellation available

Features

Free cancellation available
2h 30m
Mobile voucher
Instant confirmation

Overview

Discover California's Gold Rush era on this self-guided walking tour through Old Sacramento, where you'll find preserved nineteenth-century storefronts and charming wooden boardwalks.

This immersive experience is enhanced by vivid audio narration that shares tales of fortune seekers, devastating floods, and the engineering feats that shaped Sacramento.

Learn how this riverside town became the western terminus of the Pony Express and the starting point for the Transcontinental Railroad, pivotal milestones in the American West's history.

— Immerse yourself in the rich history of Old Sacramento's Gold Rush era
— Enjoy an engaging audio narration guiding you through significant landmarks
— Explore at your own pace and discover hidden gems along the way
— Perfect for history enthusiasts and curious travelers wanting a unique experience

Activity location

B. F. Hastings Bank Building
- 1000 2nd Street
- 95814, Sacramento, California, United States

Meeting/Redemption Point

Tower Bridge
- 95814, Sacramento, California, United States

Check availability

Self Guided Old Sacramento Walking Tour Explore Gold Rush History in English

2h 30m
Opening hours: Tue 8:00am-8:00pm
English

Travelers

Language options: English

Price details

$7.99 x 1 Adult$7.99

Total

20% off

What's included, what's not

Flexible Usage (unlimited access)
Audio Guide
App and Tour Download
Smartphone (bring your own)

Know before you book

Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Works entirely offline once downloaded—no cell service required
GPS-triggered audio plays automatically based on your location
Flexible - Buy once, use any day/time—access never expires
Get the Drives & Detours app download the tour ahead of time

Activity itinerary

B. F. Hastings Bank Building

The western terminus for the Pony Express, this building also housed California’s Supreme Court, Wells Fargo, and telegraph offices. Its walls hold the echoes of 19th-century communications, commerce, and civic power.

Big Four Building

Here is where the powerful Big Four railroad entrepreneurs organized the Central Pacific Railroad and cemented California’s connection to the East. The building blends commerce, ambition, and railroad lore within its historic façades.

California State Railroad Museum (Pass by)

One of the foremost railroad museums in the U.S., the California State Railroad Museum displays restored locomotives, vintage cars, and interactive exhibits that trace the 19th-century rail boom. It anchors Old Sacramento’s identity as a transportation crossroads.

Central Pacific Railroad Freight Depot

Once a hub of freight movement along the Sacramento River, the depot’s original wood-frame structure stood as a workhorse in the railroad's operations. Today, it invites reflection on the logistics behind the transcontinental rail system.

Delta King Hotel

Now repurposed as a floating hotel and restaurant, this 1927 paddlewheel steamboat recalls a time when river travel linked cities and economies. Docked on the Sacramento River, it offers both views and history afloat.

The Eagle Theatre (Pass by)

The original Eagle Theatre was California’s first permanent theater, opening in 1849. Though rebuilt over time, the site marks the early cultural ambitions of frontier Sacramento.

Lady Adams Building (California Historical Landmark No. 603)

Built in 1852 from materials brought around Cape Horn, this building was one of the earliest import houses in Sacramento. It survives as a rare relic of Gold Rush-era trade architecture.

Pony Express Statue

This bronze tribute honors the daring riders who traversed thousands of miles in frontier America. It stands near the Hastings Building as a visual echo of dispatches once carried across the continent.

Sacramento History Museum (Pass by)

Housed in the rebuilt 1854 City Hall and Waterworks building, this museum chronicles Sacramento’s civic, technological, and cultural evolution. Its exhibits tell how a frontier town grew into a modern capital.

What Cheer House

Built in 1853, this building once housed state offices and later became a hotel, warehouse, and entertainment venue. Its name evokes pioneer optimism—“What cheer, partner?”—and its layers of reuse echo Sacramento’s adaptive spirit.

Tower Bridge

This striking vertical lift bridge spans the Sacramento River in gleaming gold paint. It links Old Sacramento to West Sacramento and has become a modern image of the city’s riverfront revival.

Theodore Judah Monument

This monument honors the visionary engineer who laid much of the conceptual groundwork for the transcontinental railroad. His name is woven deeply into Sacramento’s railroad legacy.

Transcontinental Railroad Mile Marker 0

This marker denotes the western starting point of the First Transcontinental Railroad. It stands as a compact symbol of Sacramento’s national significance in rail.

Central Pacific Railroad Passenger Station

The original passenger station in Sacramento saw the departure of emigrants, dignitaries, and goods heading east. Today’s station continues that legacy at a site with centuries of transit activity.

Pioneer Park

This small plaza preserves the original street alignment and scale of early Sacramento, reminding visitors of how the city once felt before trains and traffic.

Location

Activity location

B. F. Hastings Bank Building
- 1000 2nd Street
- 95814, Sacramento, California, United States

Meeting/Redemption Point

Tower Bridge
- 95814, Sacramento, California, United States

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