California Railroad Museum, Sacramento
Address 111 I St, Sacramento, CA Map, Tel 916-445-6645 Call, Location corner of Second and "I" Streets in Old Sacramento, Directions From I-5 (which merges with Hwy 99), continue south to downtown Sacramento. Exit at "J" Street (a one-way, eastbound street) and go two blocks to Fifth Street. Turn left, then turn left again at "I" Street. Follow the large overhead signs to Old Sacramento/Railroad Museum. Website
Amy of Pitstops for Kids says:
You know those places you loved as a kid, then took your own children back to eagerly only to find them somehow lacking? This is not one of those places.
The California State Railroad Museum is simply stunning, whether you first saw it in 1985 (like me) or are visiting for the first time in 2009. And you don't even have to be a train enthusiast to love it. The museum is primarily about California history, which is fitting, considering that it's situated in the center of Old Sacramento (worth walking through afterward).
The exhibit halls are cavernous and impressive. Young kids will love walking through the engines and cabooses and peeking into the cabins of sleeper and diner cars (there are always very well-informed docents on-hand) and the halls depicting the railroad's role in the early days of the California Gold Rush are amazing. There's a great IMAX-style video presentation as well. On spring and summer weekends, stream train rides are offered. We've never taken advantage of this (I think the 40-minute ride time dissuaded us), but if you have a real train-crazy kid on your hands, it might be worth the better part of an hour (and the extra cost).
Admission is very reasonable for what you get: $8 adults; $3 youths ages 6-17; children ages 5 and under free. Beware the gift shop though: it's as excellent as the rest of the museum and kids will find many things worth begging for (and those old-fashioned wooden train whistles will seem like less and less of a good idea the further down I-5 you get).
Reader Trisa Knight adds "It is great for all ages and they actually learn while exploring the trains and having fun"