The other day, our librarian asked a crowd of parents and children who’d ever been to Sacramento? No hands. How about the Railroad Museum there, no, nobody?

There are plenty of wonderful day trip and weekend trip options from San Francisco — Monterey and Carmel, Wine Country, Bodega Bay, Mendocino, Tahoe — so perhaps poor Sacramento falls by the wayside when people are planning weekends away. But I’d say Sacramento makes for a curious, informative, and relaxed weekend haunt. And (apparently) you won’t be surrounded by your fellow San Franciscans while you’re there.

The highlight of our trip was the California State Railroad Museum, a 225,000 square foot behemoth at the end of a dusty road in restored old town Sacramento.

The museum houses 21 gorgeous locomotives and train cars, some open for the public to amble through. Wood finishes, metal banisters, velvet chairs gleam under the lights. My favorite was a romantic dining car, set with the china settings used during different periods.

In addition to all the jaw dropping beauty of its train collection, the museum also tells the story of California state’s expansion via the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, completed in 1869. It was an engineering and economic feat. The Central Pacific Railroad alone employed 16,000 men during the construction, 12,000 of whom were Chinese immigrants.

It was a fascinating afternoon, and a great way to cap off a trip to Sacramento.

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California State Railroad Museum

Open Daily 10am to 5pm

$10 adults, $5 Children (6-17 years old), Children under 5 are free