Ye Olde Time Travel Tours Are Back in Old Sacramento

"HISTORY HAPPENED HERE"... is a phrase that can be accurately spoken is so many spots, but often those particular places are closed to the public. We can read about them, which is important and often fantastic, and we might be able to view them from a distance, but getting to walk the same pathways of long-ago people, while learning about the local characters of the day, can feel like a rare and special experience, one adds another layer of realness to an enterprise that can sometimes seem a bit removed from our modern lives. The history mavens of Old Sacramento have found several memorable ways to bring the past to the public in past years, a goal that makes sense, as the district is full of authentic Gold Rush character. But it isn't just the above-the-street, in-the-sunshine structures that have a tale to tell. There are...

UNDERGROUND PASSAGEWAYS... that also summon the stories of the 19th century in a visual and rather mysterious way. Those tours have returned, in a limited-capacity format, on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in April. Prepare to "... explore excavated foundations, enclosed pathways and interesting archaeology exhibits while hearing sounds of 1860 street life," while also learning about "... the devastation, perseverance, and determination that led to California’s only successful street-raising project." You'll want to remember your mask, and observe physical distancing, during the tour, and do book ahead. There's more bubbling up around the...

OLD SACRAMENTO WATERFRONT, including Gold Fever! games (you'll take on the persona of a "real-life rascal" from the region's past) and exhibits inside the Sacramento History Museum, including one that celebrates "California in Print." For all of the Old Sacramento reopenings, and the historical happenings that are returning to the picturesque plot of old-timey blocks and buildings, strike gold, or at least a golden opportunity, now.