Description and review of the annual Sacramento Archives Crawl, a one-day event held on the first Saturday in October.
A friend and I spent an enjoyable day at the Sacramento Archives Crawl on Saturday, October 1st. Each year the Sacramento Archives Crawl has a theme and this year it was “Acquired Tastes: Food ad Agriculture in Regional Collections.”
The Sacramento Archives Crawl runs from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., but we decided to enjoy a leisurely lunch before we started the crawl. As my friend had never dined there, we decided that the perfect spot would be La Cosecha as it is near the Central Library Galleria. We both enjoyed dining on the outdoor patio as it was a beautiful day.
See related blog post: La Cosecha – Sacramento Restaurants
SacramentoRevealed.com – All Things Sacramento (from a personal perspective)
Sacramento Archives Crawl Passport
After lunch we strolled over to the Central Library Galleria where we picked up our “Passport” for the crawl.
Passports stamped at three of the four host locations are eligible to receive a set of commemorative coasters, redeemable at any of the four host locations.
Note: You can begin the crawl at any of the four host locations.
Sacramento Archives Crawl Host Locations
- California State Archives, 1020 O Street
- California State Library, 900 N Street
- Center for Sacramento History, 551 Sequoia Pacific Blvd.
- The Sacramento Room (Central Library) 828 I Street
Sacramento Archives Crawl Shuttle Bus
The Sacramento Archives Crawl offers free transportation between the four host locations between 10:00 a.m. and 4:15 p.m.
The two buses travel in a clockwise loop starting at the California State Archives. The buses stop at each location approximately every fifteen minutes. The official Archives Crawl bus stops are easy to find as there is an A-frame sandwich board with balloons and signage with the first stop and last stop times.
Sacramento’s Food Stories – A to Z
After picking up our Passports, we checked out the exhibits in the Galleria. Each of the four host locations is manned by volunteers from the participating archives who are only too glad to answer your questions.
When it was time for the talk by local author Maryellen Burns in an adjoining room we headed in that direction. Her talk “Sacramento’s Food Stories – A to Z” walked us through Sacramento’s agriculture, food and drink history. It was a most interesting talk as she covered the people, places, and events that have defined our community over the years.
The Sacramento Room
Afterwards, we made our way to the second floor of the Central Library to the Sacramento Room. While I have been there previously, my friend had not. A guided tour was offered a bit later that day, but given our late start we decided to look over the collections and move on. Our plan was to make stops at all three host sites located in Downtown Sacramento before the end of the day. We strolled from one location to the other, walking off lunch.
See related blog post: Sacramento Room – Central Library
The California State Library
Our second stop was the California State Library on N Street. Once there, however, signs directed us to the nearby historic California State Library and Courts Building located on Capitol Mall (to the west of the State Capitol Building). The crawl was divided between two floors of exhibits.
California State Archives/Constitution Wall
Our third and final stop was the California State Archives. We entered through the California Museum entrance and made our way to the outdoor Constitution Wall Courtyard. The six-story Constitution Wall is among the largest, if not the largest, pieces of public art in Sacramento. The six-story tall wall is an interpretation of California’s constitution.
The exhibits were set up in the courtyard, and again there was an opportunity to chat with the volunteers and to ask questions. We also had our Passport stamped for a third time and received our set of four coasters.
At that point it was time to call it a day. Next time I attend the Sacramento Archives Crawl I plan to utilize the free shuttle bus and make the Center for Sacramento History my first stop.
Participating Archives
This year there were 21 participating archives! Sacramento area archives included: Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park Gold Rush Research Library, Placer County Archives and Research Center, Rocklin Historical Society, Roseville Historical Society, Sacramento River Delta Historical Society, San Joaquin County Historical Society & Museum, West Sacramento Historical Society and the Yolo County Archives.
To Sum Up
To sum up, the Sacramento Archives Crawl is a fun way to spend the day and to learn about Sacramento area history and the resources available for research into the past.
Comments?
Have you participated in the Sacramento Archives Crawl? What would you add?
Sacramento Archives Crawl Snapshot:
- First Saturday in October
- 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Free Shuttle bus between locations
- Metered street parking & nearby City parking garages
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