California State Railroad Museum, Sacramento (must see)

Located at the western terminus of the first transcontinental railroad, the California State Railroad Museum is part of the larger Old Sacramento State Historic Park. Besides the museum, you'll find many restored and reconstructed buildings from the mid-1800s. Several related attractions are outside the museum but within easy walking distance. Immediately next to the museum is the Big Four Building, where the ground floor contains the reconstructed Huntington & Hopkins Hardware Store. Closer to the Sacramento River, in the historic area between I and J Streets known as the 1849 Scene, you'll find the reconstructed Eagle Theater.

The museum's exhibits focus not only on locomotives and rail cars but also on the important role railroads played in the development of California and the American West. The Golden Spike Exhibit Gallery tells the story of its completion on May 10, 1869, when the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads met at Promontory Summit, Utah.

Other exhibits explore the importance of railroads to California's agricultural sector and the diverse populations who helped build and operate the railroads. There's also plenty for younger visitors and model railroad enthusiasts. Head up to the third floor for the museum's toy- and model-train galleries. The Small Wonders: The Magic of Toy Trains exhibit contains around 1,000 vintage toy trains and an operating train layout.

Most notably, the museum is home to a collection of 19 steam locomotives dating from 1862 to 1944. These massive machines help illustrate the remarkable technological developments that took place during the age of steam. Among the locomotives is the Gov. Stanford, built in 1862 and used by the Central Pacific during construction of the transcontinental railroad. You'll find it on the first floor in the Sierra Scene, part of the Transcontinental Railroad Gallery, where the locomotive stands against a recreated Sierra Nevada construction landscape.

The Sacramento Southern Railroad operates seasonal trips from Old Sacramento, taking passengers on a 45-minute, six-mile round trip along the Sacramento River aboard historic railroad cars.