Blocked off to street traffic, this corner of the Old Sacramento Waterfront relives the days when the Pony Express and first Transcontinental Railroad rolled through town. Run your hand against the exterior walls of the historic Eagle Theater, a replica of the original 1849 structure. Like many buildings of the time, it was constructed of canvas and wood salvaged from ships, earning Sacramento the early title of tent city. Other notable buildings include the 1855 Huntington-Hopkins Hardware store, opened by Big Four railroad magnates Collis P. Huntington and Mark Hopkins, which today stocks fun trinkets from the era.
There are plenty of charming things to do on the Old Sacramento Waterfront, but the most essential is rather obvious: taking an old-fashioned stroll. Minutes from Sacramento’s modern Golden 1 arena and bustling downtown, an afternoon spent meandering this riverfront Old West town—lined with wooden sidewalks and 19th century brick buildings—is worth every step. California’s state capital is home to the largest concentration of Gold Rush-era buildings in the nation, most of which are set here, along the eastern banks of the river, in the Old Sacramento Waterfront neighborhood.
This atmospheric area immerses visitors in a time when Sacramento was a Gold Rush commercial hub and served as the West Coast endpoint for the Pony Express and Transcontinental Railroad. Today, its historic 19th-century buildings house contemporary shops, bars, and restaurants with nods to SacTown’s rollicking past.
Here's what to see and do in Old Sacramento, from old saloons to museums and antique shops. And, after you've explored this old-timey neighborhood, don't forget to check out everything downtown Sacramento has to offer, too.
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