Budget Travel: 8 Free Things to Do in Sacramento, California

The capital of California, Sacramento has a rich history and is a great place to discover. Whether you are visiting Sacramento or entertaining visitors in Sacramento, you can find many things to do for free in town. Here are 8 things to do for free fun in Sacramento, California.

1. Visit the Nimbus Fish Hatchery.
Open daily from 7am to 3pm. Located at 2001 Nimbus Road, Suite F
Gold River. Call them at (916) 358-2820 for more information or to learn the anticipated release of salmon/steelhead into the river. This should really be seen at least once in your lifetime.
website: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fish/Hatcheries/Nimbus/VisitorInfo.asp

2.Take a Walk in Old Sacramento.
Throughout Old Sacramento, not only can you find wonderful (if touristy) shops but there are quite a few historic sites scattered throughout. Within this historic district, you can look for landmarks such as the Atlantis Park/1849 Scene (West of I & J Street alley), BF Hastings Building (SW Corner 2nd & J Streets), Central Pacific Railroad Freight Depot (Front Street between J & K streets), Central Pacific Railroad Passenger Station (Front Street, just north of J Street ), Huntington & Hopkins Hardware Store (113 I Street), Pony Express Statue/Pony Express Park (2nd & J streets), Riverfront Promenade (South of the Tower Bridge, next to the Embassy Suites), Theodore Judah Monument (2nd & L streets) and the Waterfront Park (Front Street, between K & L Streets). There are also a significant number of paid admission museums in the area, the crown jewel of which is California State Railroad Museum.

3. Visit the Crocker Art Museum.
Located at 216 O Street, Sacramento, admission is free on Sundays from 10am to 1pm. Telephone: 916.808.7000. Website: http://www.crockerartmuseum.org/

4. Taste almonds at the Blue Diamond Growers Visitor Center.
Located at 1701 C Street, Sacramento, the Visitor Center is open weekdays from 10am to 5pm and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. In addition to tasting and shopping, they have a 20-minute video.

5. Tour the Wells Fargo Museum.
This museum showcases Wells Fargo's role in the Pony Express and the development of the West. The Old Sacramento site is located in the BF Hastings Building (1000 Second St) is open daily from 10am to 5pm. The Capital Mall site is open weekdays from 9am to 5pm.

6. Peruse the Don and June Salvatori California Pharmacy Museum.
Get a unique look at California history through its medicinal past featuring a 1890s room, a 1940s area and modern pharmacy. Visits are by appointment only so call (916) 779-1410 x326.

7. Walk and Enjoy Art in the City.
On the second Saturday of the month, participating galleries open their doors longer(6pm-10pm), while you walk from gallery to gallery and enjoy the art for free. If you can't join the Second Saturday Art Walk, don't worry, if you have a group of 5 or more people, you can make reservations for a free guided or self guided walking or bus tour of the city's art. You will criss-cross the City to see selected works of arts at a variety of locations. Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission website: http://www.sacmetroarts.org/app-art-walks.html

8. Visit the California State Capitol Museum.
Located at 10th and L Streets in the State Capitol, Room B-2, the Museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Tours are conducted every hour between 10am and 4pm. The Basement Theater shows films daily between 9am and 5pm and is free. California State Capitol Museum website: http://capitolmuseum.ca.gov/

There are many more things to enjoy in Sacramento, both for free and of course, for a fee. Hopefully, this list will you get you started on your next Sacramento adventure.