Sacramento History Museum

On May 29, 1880, the Sacramento Daily-Record Union newspaper published a full page history of the Huntington, Hopkins, & Company building. Originally located at 54 K Street, and later re-numbered to 220-222 K Street in 1880, Collis P. Huntington and Mark Hopkins opened their hardware store in 1855. In 1861, the firm expanded and purchased the building next door. The second floor of these buildings served as the offices of the Central Pacific Railroad Company from 1862 to 1873.

In 1878, their store was remodeled. The Huntington, Hopkins, & Company building was demolished in 1966 as a result of the construction of the Interstate 5 Freeway. It was reconstructed in 1970 on I Street between Front and Second Streets, two buildings east of the Sacramento History Museum. The Huntington, Hopkins building today is modeled after its 1861-1877 exterior appearance of the hardware store and is part of Old Sacramento State Historic Park.

For a full illustration and history of the hardware store in 1880, see the Sacramento Daily-Record Union May 29, 1880 edition.

cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SDU18800529.2.57&e=-------en--…

Copy of a lithograph of the building (top) as it appeared in the May 29, 1880 edition of the Sacramento Daily-Record Union. Photograph of the Huntington Hopkins Hardware store ca. 1861 (bottom left), courtesy of the Mariners’ Museum, Virginia. Photograph of the reconstructed Huntington Hopkins Hardware Store today in Old Sacramento (bottom right).

#OnThisDay #TodayInHistory #ThenAndNow #sacramento #oldsacramento #castateparks #sachistorymuseum

14 hours ago | [YT] | 219

Sacramento History Museum

With all this talk of a potential Major League Expansion in Sacramento, we have a great new exhibit at the Sacramento History Museum all about the history of baseball in our city from the Gold Rush to today. The exhibit “Play Ball! Sacramento in the National Pastime” is on display through October.

This isn’t the first time there has been a push to get an MLB team permanently is Sacramento. On August 23, 1987, during the Athletics and New York Yankees game at the Oakland Coliseum, 21,000 Sacramento baseball fans participated in a "March on Baseball" and displayed a "Sacramento ❤️s baseball" banner at the game. This photograph is courtesy of The Sacramento Bee.

Going to a game at Sutter Health Park? Visit the Sacramento History Museum the same day as the game, present your ticket to the game, and enjoy half off admission to the museum!

1 day ago | [YT] | 185

Sacramento History Museum

On May 27, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge opened to the public for the first time for an event called “Pedestrian Day.” This began a weeklong “Golden Gate Bridge Fiesta” held to celebrate its completion of the bridge that connects the City of San Francisco with Marin County to the north.

More than 200,000 people paid 25 cents each to walk the bridge on this day. The next day at noon, President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a telegraph key from the White House authorizing the Golden Gate Bridge officially open for vehicular use.

Designed by Joseph Baermann Strauss, construction began for the 1.7 mile bridge in January 1933. The Golden Gate Bridge remains one of the most iconic and recognizable bridges in the world.

Photograph of the Golden Gate Bridge looking north on opening day from the California History Section Picture Catalog, courtesy of the California State Library.

#ThisDayInHistory #OnThisDay #goldengatebridge #sanfrancisco #SacHistoryMuseum

2 days ago | [YT] | 407

Sacramento History Museum

Step into the spirited world of the Old West with an afternoon of historic firearms, games of chance, and legendary characters brought to life. Join Sacramento Living History for our Powder, Poker, & Petticoats event on Saturday, June 13th, from 11am – 3pm at 1002 Second Street in Old Sacramento for this FREE, lively saloon-style experience for all ages. You never know what, or who, you might discover!

3 days ago | [YT] | 242

Sacramento History Museum

On May 25, 1892, articles of incorporation for the Sacramento Brewing Company were filed in the California Secretary of State's office with a capital stock of $300,000. This was a move to consolidate the Union Brewery, the Sacramento Brewery, Pacific Brewery, and the City Brewery under the leadership of Frank Ruhstaller. This was an agreement pushed by Ruhstaller that the small breweries would either contract brew for the Sacramento Brewing Company or cease their beer production.

This move essentially made Ruhstaller one of the most powerful brewers in the city at the time, not only as the head of the Sacramento Brewing Company, but he was also the vice president of the Buffalo Brewing Company. The Sacramento Brewing Company was located at 28th and M Streets, a block in the city that was home to many early breweries in Sacramento’s history such as the Galena Brewery, the Phoenix Brewery, and the Sacramento Brewery.

Advertisement for the Sacramento Brewing Company from The Sacramento Union newspaper published on August 10, 1911.

#ThisDayInHistory #OnThisDay #sacramentohistory #sacramento #SacHistoryMuseum

4 days ago | [YT] | 219

Sacramento History Museum

Join us for the Time Travelers’ Ball on June 26, 2026 at 6pm!

Step into an unforgettable evening of mystery, music, and time-bending adventure at the Sacramento History Museum. Wander through immersive spaces inspired by different eras as the museum transforms into a journey through time.

Enjoy delicious appetizers and non-alcoholic refreshments throughout the evening. Wine and beer will also be available for purchase with $5 drink tickets.

Experience interactive scenes and activities throughout the museum, including:

Tea leaf readings
A live typewriter poet
Vintage baseball activities
Make-your-own masquerade masks
Era-inspired décor and vignettes
And more surprises waiting to be discovered
Dress in your favorite masquerade attire, vintage fashion, steampunk, or time traveler-inspired look and prepare for a night unlike any other.

Ticket Prices:

General $40
Members $35
Youth $30

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Costumes and masks are encouraged

Community Partners:
Sacramento Living History
Sacramento Art Deco Society
Hello Sunshine Sac Collective

This is not your average museum gala — it’s a time-bending celebration where eras collide and the past gets playful. Costumes are highly encouraged – from steam to swing and everything in between!

Dress in your favorite masquerade attire, vintage fashion, steampunk, or time traveler-inspired look and prepare for a night unlike any other while experiencing interactive scenes and activities throughout the museum. The Time Travelers’ Ball is hosted at the Sacramento History Museum, 101 I Street in Old Sacramento. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Enjoy music, food stations, and a no host bar.

shopsachistorymuseum.org/EventPurchase.aspx?datese…

5 days ago | [YT] | 206

Sacramento History Museum

Visiting Sacramento for Memorial Day weekend? Come to the Old Sacramento Waterfront this weekend and take a tour with us!

Our Old Sacramento Underground Tours are a great way to explore the historic district and get the low down on how Sacramento raised the city in the 1860s.

Go to our website below to check out tour times, availability, and to book your tickets! You can also buy tickets in person at the Museum or by phone at 916-808-7059.

Tickets include free admission to the Sacramento History Museum, which includes our NEW exhibit, “Play Ball! Sacramento in the National Pastime,” all about the history of baseball in Sacramento.

shopsachistorymuseum.org/Events.aspx

1 week ago | [YT] | 332

Sacramento History Museum

On May 21, 1927, the Carquinez Bridge was dedicated and marked the completion of the first direct highway link between the cities of Sacramento and San Francisco. Prior to the completion of the bridge, ferry service was used to transport vehicles across the Carquinez Strait, which had been in existence across the Carquinez Strait since the late 1840s.

Designed by the engineering firm of Robinson & Steinman, the Carquinez Bridge took 4 years and 8 million dollars to construct. Over 14,000 tons of steel was used for the 3,300 feet long bridge as it spanned the Carquinez Strait between the cities of Vallejo and Crockett. In 1958, due to increased traffic, a second bridge was built parallel to the 1927 bridge. Hailed for its engineering, this bridge was the second largest bridge in the United States when it was first built. The 1927 bridge was deemed seismically unsafe and was replaced in 2003.

Photograph of the Carquinez Bridge looking from Vallejo towards Crockett ca.1930, courtesy of the California State Library.

#OnThisDay #TodayInHistory #carquinezbridge #vallejo #SacHistoryMuseum

1 week ago | [YT] | 438

Sacramento History Museum

On May 20, 1873, Levi Strauss and Jacob W. Davis received a patent for “Improvements in Fastening Pocket-Openings.” This was riveted denim work pants under the name Levi Strauss & Co., a popular blue jean company that is still in business today. Davis, a tailor from Reno, Nevada and who was one of Strauss’ customers, went into business with Strauss in the early 1870s.

Levi Strauss was born in February 1829 in Bavaria. At the age of 18, he moved to the United States to run a dry goods store with his brothers in New York. During the California Gold Rush, Strauss traveled to San Francisco in 1854 to open a west coast branch to sell goods and supplies to gold miners. His business sold a variety of clothing items, including trousers made from canvas. Davis, who came up with the idea for metal riveted pants, sought Strauss as an investor and to submit the patent together.

Photograph of Levi Strauss ca. 1860, courtesy of the San Francisco Public Library.

#onthisday #todayinhistory #levistrauss #levis #bluejeans #californiahistory #SacHistoryMuseum

1 week ago | [YT] | 410

Sacramento History Museum

On May 19, 1857, the Antelope Hotel on K Street, between Front and Second Streets, was demolished to make way for the planned construction of a three-story brick hotel. According to the Sacramento Daily Union newspaper, citizens applauded the removal of the “dark, dingy, unsightly shanties” on the city block.

The 20 feet by 75 feet planned hotel was financed by two German brothers by the names of Charles and Frank Ebner. The construction of the Ebner Hotel cost $18,000. When the hotel opened later that year, in October, the Ebners charged $8 to $12 per week for lodging and meals. The Ebner Hotel building was demolished in 2003 after it was deemed structurally unsound. The Ebner Hotel was reconstructed at its same location in Old Sacramento in 2010.

Copy of a lithograph of the Ebner Hotel from “A Birds-Eye View of Sacramento” in 1857 by George H. Baker, courtesy of the California State Library.

#TodayInHistory #OnThisDay #sacramento #oldsacramento #SacHistoryMuseum

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1 week ago | [YT] | 546