Sutter's Fort State Historic Park

Sutter's Fort State Historic Park Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park is a California State Park located in Midtown Sacramento.

05/14/2026

One of the most famous groups of people who attempted to travel to Sutter's Fort in the 1840s is the Donner Party. On May 12, 1846, the Donner and Reed families departed from Independence, Missouri, the jumping off point for the Oregon-California Trail.

Roughly 2,000 miles were ahead of them before their planned destination of Sutter’s Fort, but what went wrong?

In this video, Jared discusses the history of the Donner Party including what contributed to the tragic journey and their eventual rescue. We wish we could cover the entire history of the Donner Party but at least there are a lot of books out there to read.

Thank you to everyone who attended our Demonstration Day event this past Saturday at Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park! ...
05/11/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended our Demonstration Day event this past Saturday at Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park! Our next monthly Demonstration Day will be on June 13th from 10am to 4pm.

05/09/2026

Save the date! Honored Elders Day is returning to the State Indian Museum for its 47th year on Saturday, June 6th, from 9am to 4pm!

This annual event is held to recognize the contributions and lived experiences of Native American Elders in our communities. Elders are invited to the State Indian Museum for lunch, gifts, and a cultural dance program. In addition to recognition, California State Parks, the California Indian Heritage Center Foundation (CIHCF), and our HED planning partners hope to provide a safe place for families and friends to connect and share joys and memories together.

Native American Elders are encouraged to join! To help ensure a smooth event, please let us know beforehand if you plan to attend this year's event. Early registration helps our planning efforts to provide enough gifts and meals for participating Elders.

Additionally, the governor’s office will present an official proclamation celebrating the contributions of California’s Native people.

Please help spread the word! Family, friends, and the public are all welcome to attend! Registered Elders who check in on the day of the event will receive special gifts of appreciation from the community as well as a catered luncheon.

Pre-registration is HIGHLY encouraged.

Please register online by calling the State Indian Museum directly at (916) 324-0971 or by registering online.

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/HonoredEldersDay

Who is an Elder? A person may be identified as an Elder by their Tribe or, more generally, be age 60 or older and carry important teachings, traditions, and responsibilities within their community.

05/08/2026

If you visit our park grounds, you will see a variety of California native plants and many are in bloom this time of year.

In this video, Theresa discusses the lupines, which can be found on the park grounds of the State Indian Museum and Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park near the pond. Theresa also discussed the distinctive characteristics of the three lupine varieties we have, how they grow, and traditional uses by California Native people as a food source.

05/06/2026

Have you ever wondered where the phrase “hit the hay” comes from? It has origins in the style of beds you will see around Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park. In this video, Channey explains the idiom and others while in the doctor’s office in the Central Building.

Join us for an informative (and fun) Demonstration Day at Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park (SHP) on Saturday, May 9th, ...
05/03/2026

Join us for an informative (and fun) Demonstration Day at Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park (SHP) on Saturday, May 9th, from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Experience firsthand some of the engaging activities featured in our popular school field trip programs. Participate in interactive learning stations, witness volunteer demonstrations, and attend staff-led presentations discussing the colonial legacy of 1840s Sutter’s Fort.

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ACTIVITIES MAY INCLUDE:
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- Blacksmithing demonstrations
- Baking demonstrations
- spinning wool into yarn
- Learning about overland migration at the wagon
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ADMISSION INFO:
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$5.00 - Adults
$3.00 - Youth
Children 5 and under free

As an added bonus, visitors receive complimentary admission to the State Indian Museum - Demonstration Days only!

04/27/2026

On April 26, 1893, while the walls were just partially reconstructed, Sutter’s Fort was dedicated as a pioneer monument by the early California preservation group, the Native Sons of the Golden West (NSGW). At the dedication, the NSGW displayed artifacts related to John Sutter and the California Gold Rush. It was decided at this event that once the reconstruction was finished, Sutter’s Fort would become a museum.

If Sutter’s Fort was a pioneer monument, who is being left out of the Fort’s story? In this video, Jared discusses the Fort’s original dedication and how the Fort has evolved to share a more inclusive, complex, and accurate history.

We are at Old Sacramento State Historic Park today until 3pm for the Old Sacramento Spring Festival event. Stop on by an...
04/26/2026

We are at Old Sacramento State Historic Park today until 3pm for the Old Sacramento Spring Festival event. Stop on by and say hello!

04/25/2026

From making a hook to making tools, one of the unique aspects of Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park is that many of the rooms, like the blacksmith shop, are areas where we can demonstrate historical skills and also their impacts on 1840s California history.

In this video, Channey, one of staff who works in the blacksmith shop, demonstrates the same blacksmithing methods available in the 1840s at Sutter’s Fort to make a J-hook to hang an item such as a hat.

The bellows pumps air into the forge where the iron or steel is softened to a working temperature to be shaped with a hammer on the anvil. Come see the blacksmith shop in operation on Saturday, May 9th, from 10am to 4pm, for our monthly Demonstration Day!

Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park is a California State Park located in the Midtown Sacramento, California.

04/23/2026

The third full week in April is National Volunteer Week and we want to appreciate the hard work and dedication of our many volunteers. Our volunteers serve as docents who interpret and help visitors connect to Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park. If you have ever visited during one of our Demonstration Days or some of our school programs, you likely interacted with one of our many skilled docents. Our volunteers provide vital support to our special events and school programs.

In this video, our volunteers share how long they have been volunteering and what they enjoy about volunteering at Sutter's Fort State Historic Park.

If you would like to join our community of volunteers, visit our website to complete an application.

Thank you to all our volunteers!

04/22/2026

ATTENTION TEACHERS: We are offering our popular “All About Acorns” program as a PORTScast on Earth Day, April 22nd, at 9am!

This live Zoom webinar is open to multiple groups at once, including classes, homeschool families, and lifelong learners.

In this webinar offered through the California State Parks PORTS Distance Learning Program, students will join our presenter, Travis, and explore the traditional food staple of California Native Peoples since time immemorial and learn traditional ways of gathering and processing Acorn into a sustainable food source. This program is geared towards 3rd and 4th grades but all participants are welcome.

To register for this FREE 45-minute webinar, check out:

https://ports-ca.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rAfCNux_RvebvM9OL3nyMA #/registration

Address

2701 L Street
Sacramento, CA
95816

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

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