Sacramento
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Taking its name literally, the Art Foundry Gallery includes a working bronze foundry, as well as gallery space featuring the artistic works of local artisans.

Art

A diverse array of museums and galleries in the Old Sacramento, Downtown and Midtown districts feature everything from treasures of the Old Masters to cutting-edge examples of post-modernism. Occupying a Victorian mansion in Downtown, the Crocker Art Museum is the oldest public art museum west of the Mississippi. Several galleries display contemporary art by Californian Wayne Thiebaud alongside works by Pieter Brueghel, Rembrandt and Jacques-Louis David.

Dance

Sacramento Community Center Theater, at the eastern end of the K Street Mall, highlights traveling Broadway song-and-dance extravaganzas with dozens of high-stepping dancers. The Sacramento Ballet, a few blocks east on K Street, is dedicated to bringing classical and contemporary ballet to the locals. The award-winning California State University, Sacramento Department of Dance hosts diverse, cutting-edge interpretations of contemporary dance works.

Film

You can always view Hollywood’s latest blockbuster at the huge megaplexes scattered around town. Century has four locations: the Century Downtown Plaza 7, the Century 16 Laguna megaplex, the Century Stadium 14 on Arden Way and the Century Cinedome 9 off of Interstate 80 at Greenback. The Regal Natomas Marketplace 16 megaplex is huge with 16 screens. The Esquire IMAX Theatre on the K Street Mall shows adventure extravaganzas on its six-story tall screen. For viewers interested in more eclectic cinematic fare, the Crest Theatre, a lovingly restored 1920s movie palace on K Street and the Tower Theatre on Broadway offer classics, art and foreign films, as well as live events.

Museums

For those new to the River City, the sheer variety of museums is staggering. In Old Sacramento is the Railroad Museum, in which restored locomotives and railroad cars are featured along with all sorts of railroad artifacts. Over in Midtown, the California State Indian Museum feature exhibits that details the history and culture of Native Americans in this state. The Aerospace Museum of California features 30 aircraft dating to World War II. In addition, for those interested in a tour along memory lane, the Historic City Cemetery established in 1849, is the resting-place for more than 20,000 settlers who shaped Sacramento’s early history. Guided and self-guided tours of the cemetery are available.

Music

Classical music aficionados will find many venues in which to enjoy fine performances in Sacramento. Camellia Symphony Orchestra (The) is nationally recognized for its unusual performances of traditional repertoire works. For popular music fans, California Musical Theater offers musicals and a Broadway Series featuring classics of the musical theater. Based in West Sacramento, the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society sponsors the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee on Memorial Day Weekend. The Jubilee features dozens of Jazz bands from around the world. Among the many concert venues in Sacramento, ARCO Arena is one of the largest and usually hosts the biggest acts coming to the area.

Sports

If you love sports, Sacramento is the city for you. It is the home of the AAA minor league baseball team the Sacramento River Cats, the NBA Sacramento Kings and the WNBA Sacramento Monarchs. Of interest to golf enthusiasts is the Bing Maloney Golf Course in the Greenhaven area of Sacramento. It is one of the longest-running golf courses in the area. The fishing around the Sacramento area draws aficionados from across Northern California. The Sacramento River Delta, a complex network of sloughs and wetlands extending to San Francisco Bay, brims with salmon, bass and giant sturgeon. Weekend bikers and hikers appreciate the trails on The American River Parkway, a two-mile wide preserve that meanders through the center of town.

Theatre

Sacramento is home to a diverse and growing theatre scene offering drama and comedy from full-blown Broadway productions to cutting-edge independent productions. The 2,500 seat Sacramento Community Center Theater is Sacramento’s largest and most prestigious theatrical venue, offering Broadway productions, opera, dance and more. The Thistle Dew Dessert Theater and the B Street Theater offer intimate settings for viewing plays. Don't forget about the Sacramento Theater Company located in the lovely Wells Fargo Pavilion. On board the Delta King, diners enjoy "whodunits" at the Suspects Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre, where costumed characters are planted in their midst.

Whether you prefer exciting urbane amenities, humble historic activities, or action-packed sports, there is always something to do in Sacramento, the capital of the Golden State.