Think about taking a few moments or an afternoon to slow down and enjoy a brief “escape” to a local museum, such as the Crocker Art Museum. Spending a quiet hour or two in a museum can be relaxing, informative – and as stimulating as you choose it to be.

Museums are nonprofit and educational institutions that make a unique contribution to our community by interpreting and preserving the things of this world, according to the California Museum Association.

There is a museum for every taste and interest. There are art and natural history museums, science and technology centers, historical societies and museums, botanical gardens, zoos, children’s museums and much more.

There are 1,300 museums in California. We are fortunate to be within less than an hour’s drive of many fine museums in the region. Sacramento abounds with great museums. There are too many to mention – for a full listing, visit www.sacmuseums.org to discover and learn more. The California Museum in Sacramento is acting as the hub for this month’s event, and will be hosting buses as well as selling box lunches for hungry visitors.

Here are a few that are just in our backyard:

 

The Aerospace Museum of California houses a unique collection of 40 military and civilian aircraft, and much more. There are 15 restored engines on display. Visitors are encouraged to use the educational programs, and enjoy the Air Force and Coast Guard art collections. Visitors can see aircraft from a fully restored 1932 Curtiss-Wright “speed wing” biplane to an A-10 Warthog and engines including models from pre-World War I, the first jet engine, and a J-58 jet engine that powered the SR-71 Blackbird to three times the speed of sound. Their Aerospace Learning Center allows visitors to fly non-motion flight simulators or ride in a motion ride simulator. The museum is located on the campus of the former McClellan Air Force Base, at 3200 Freedom Park Drive in Sacramento.

 

The California Museum focuses on the unique industries and people who have made our state the great place that it is. It creates unique educational programs and exhibits and hosts cultural events. It is a place children, adults and visitors from around the globe can be inspired by this great state’s rich history and stories of its innovative people. All visitors are encouraged to make their own mark on history. The museum is located at 1020 O Street in Sacramento.

 

The California State Capitol Museum is located in the state capitol building. The building serves as both a museum and the state’s working seat of government. Visitors to the Capitol can at once experience California’s rich history and witness the making of history through the modern lawmaking process. The museum is located at 1315 10th Street in Sacramento.

 

The California State Indian Museum displays exhibits illustrating the cultures of the state’s first inhabitants. California’s prehistoric population, one of the largest and most diverse in the Western hemisphere, was made up of over 150 distinct tribal groups who spoke at least sixty-four different languages. California Indian population estimates, before the arrival of the first Europeans, were at least 500,000 people. The museum is located at 2618 K Street in Sacramento.

 

The California State Military Museum does not glory in war. Rather, its intent is to remind this and future generations of the sacrifices made by previous generations to keep our state and nation free. Californians have a long and proud tradition of service that stretches back over two centuries when Alta California was a Spanish colony and later a Mexican province. Since joining the Union, California has provided more of its citizens to our common defense than any other state. The museum is located at 1119 2nd Street in Old Sacramento.

 

The California State Railroad Museum is a complex of historic facilities and unique attractions. Widely regarded as North America’s most popular railroad museum, there is something here for everyone. Throughout the year, visitors experience lavishly restored trains, engaging exhibits, and unique special events. The museum is located at the corner of Second and I streets in Old Sacramento.

 

The Crocker Art Museum is the first public art museum founded in the West. Established in 1885, it remains the leading art institution for the California Capital Region and Central Valley. The Museum, which is housed in one of the finest examples of Victorian Italianate architecture in the United States, offers a diverse spectrum of special exhibitions, events and programs to augment its collections of California, European and Asian artworks, and International Ceramics. The museum is located at 216 O Street in Sacramento.

 

The Discovery Museum Science & Space Center encourages the learning of history, science and space. It has two facilities on one location: the Challenger Learning Center and the Science and Space Center. Have you ever wanted to explore space? Do your children dream of being astronauts? This may be the place for you. The museum is located at 3615 Auburn Boulevard in Sacramento.

 

Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park and Museum chronicles the adventures, trials and tribulations of an 1839 Swiss immigrant named John Sutter, who received a 48,000-acre land grant in the Sacramento Valley from the Mexican government. He used the land to create a flourishing agricultural empire and named it New Helvetia (New Switzerland). This empire established Sacramento’s earliest settlement and the first non-Indian settlement in California’s Central Valley. Sutter’s Fort is located at 2701 L Street in Sacramento.

Museums, in addition to being the stewards of our cultural and natural heritage, offer each of us the invaluable opportunity to refresh, relax, recharge and renew. As the old adage goes, “You’ve got to pour into yourself before you can pour yourself out for others.”

 

E-mail Susan Laird at susan@valcomnews.com.