Visit the polished exhibits of the California Automobile Museum that mirror the state’s love affair with beautiful cars, which began in the late 1880s.
Start your museum tour with real oldies, including an early Columbia “Penny Farthing” bicycle and replica 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen. At the Make A Move exhibit, see shiny Fords, Studebakers and Cadillacs that captured people’s attention in the early 1900s.
Don’t miss the Cars of the Stars, such as a stately Lincoln that cruised around California in the 1930s. At the wheel was A.P. Giannini, founder of Bank of America. About a quarter of the cars in the permanent collection are owned by the California Vehicle Foundation. However, most cars displayed belong to private exhibitors, which means the collection changes constantly.
Enjoy the more free-spirited auto designs of Post-War America. Show horses, including Lamborghinis, Porsches and Ducatis, feature alongside trusty workhorses such as a Ford F100 truck. The 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am may remind visitors of the 1977 version in the Smokey and the Bandit action movies. Admire sleek race cars of the ’80s and ’90s and understand futuristic environmentally friendly cars in the Going Green exhibit of 21st-century models.
Allow at least 1.5 hours to see the permanent displays as well as interesting rotating exhibits. Docents are often available to provide free guided tours.
Special classes cover everything from car mechanics to “ARTomotive Photography.” On the first Friday of the month, bring kids to Story Time, narrated museum exploration tours encouraging them to touch and climb into different cars. Visit the website to reserve a spot in events such as a beer bus tour, docent training, Model T driving and student engineering programs.
The California Automobile Museum is south of Old Sacramento, with free parking in front. From downtown Sacramento, travel about 10 minutes by car or bike or 25 minutes by bus. The museum is closed Tuesdays and major public holidays, but stays open in the evening every third Thursday. “Vintage visitors” and students and military members with IDs receive discounts, minors enter for half price and those under the age of 4 have free admission.
