Destinations

12 Things To Do With Family In Sacramento, CA

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Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park Step back in time to the early days of Sacramento at this live history museum based around the rebuilt fort that Swiss immigrant John Sutter built in 1839. Stories of people who lived in the 1840s are brought to life by costumed docents and interpreters. These people include fur trappers, merchants, troops, and Native Americans who helped make Sacramento an agricultural hub and settlement along the Sacramento River. Hands-on displays show how to be a blacksmith, make candles, and do other jobs that were necessary to survive in that time. Walk around the outside of the fort on the same road that early settlers used and talk to historical figures who are still preserving and teaching about the fort's history. Throughout the year, there are special events like haunted lantern tours on Halloween and a holiday party in December where kids can do hands-on activities like making corn husk dolls and playing games that were popular when the fort was at its peak. See also: 12 Things To Do With Family in San Jose, California California Automobile Museum Families love the creative, multimedia, and hands-on exhibits at this museum that teach and entertain while telling the exciting history of cars in California. Up close, you can see more than 150 beautifully restored classic cars and trucks, from a 1905 Locomobile Steam Car to famous cars like the Ford Model T that changed the course of history. You can walk under a huge 395,000-gallon water tank that was moved here from 1906, which is when cars first started showing up on city streets. Kids love the complicated LEGO creations that look like old California gas stations, drive-ins, and other buildings found along the road. You can get a feel for what early car engineers went through by getting in a shake machine that simulates an earthquake. Rare cars are shown at shows every few weekends, which will please all of your family's car lovers, young and old. Inside the Streetscape show, there is a detailed Art Deco garage from the 1920s that kids can explore. Sacramento History Museum This museum, which is in the old Eagle Theatre, tells the story of Sacramento from the time it was founded to the present day. History comes to life for both kids and adults through hands-on displays, rare objects, oral histories, and multimedia shows. See a real Pony Express mochilla saddle bag and lift a heavy rock of gold ore to get a sense of how hard it was to mine during the Gold Rush. Full-size train cars can be walked through in exhibits that focus on the time of the transcontinental railroad. Walk through a neighborhood that looks like it did in the 1940s, the inside of a commercial jet, and rooms that show how important businesses have been to Sacramento's growth over the years. Families can enjoy the displays by seeing, hearing, and doing things. Kids love playing with interactive multimedia displays that show how different streets looked over 150 years ago and now. This city museum is a place where families can get together for special events, like summer camps where kids can play with real things and holiday parties. Powerhouse Science Center This science center has two large floors with dozens of hands-on science exhibits. It is a great place for kids to learn STEM skills and have fun while doing it. Permanent exhibit halls have themes like "Kids Town," which shows different community helper roles for pretend work as doctors, builders, grocery store clerks, and more. Kids can use simple machines to come up with answers to everyday problems in the Invention Convention area. Tinkering Workshops have tools and loose parts that people can use to make new things. Planet Pulse is all about environmental science, and it has fun, engaging models that families can use to learn about things like solar energy, composting, and air quality. Some really cool demos are a Van de Graaff generator that makes huge sparks that look like lightning and laying under a big whisk to learn about chemical reactions. Themed events that happen often give people more reasons to come back and explore. Sacramento Zoo Zoofari The Sacramento Zoo's Zoofari Night tours give families who want to see animals up close and personal outside of regular zoo hours a rare chance to see animals like majestic lions, playful meerkats, and endangered lemurs at night. Animal lovers can get up-close looks at more than 200 animals that live at the zoo on these guided evening walking walks, which happen after dark when animals that come out at night to play. During in-depth talks by keeper guides, you can hear the roar of lions right next to their enclosures. Get sprayed by otters having fun behind low glass while guides talk about interesting facts about these cute animals. As you watch fuzzy bats flap their wings and eat fruit kabobs that hang from trees, you can't help but laugh. When you go to the zoo after hours, you can see animals doing things you don't normally see during the day. This will make unforgettable family experiences.

  Introduction   A few years ago, I packed up the car with my kids—and a sense of adventure—and drove to Sacramento, California with no strict plan. What I discovered was a delightful weekend filled with history, nature, fun and plenty of together‑time. From stepping into Gold Rush‑era streets to watching giraffes, riding historic trains, … Read more

12 Things To Do With Family In Bakersfield, CA

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Things To Do With Family In Bakersfield

  Introduction   Our family trip to Bakersfield started almost by chance. We were looking for a destination that wasn’t too far, had a mix of outdoor space, kid‑friendly activities, and the possibility of a relaxed pace—and Bakersfield delivered more than we expected. From open parks and nature trails to engaging museums and indoor fun … Read more