Sacramento, is the capital of California and home to many different historical landmarks and attractions. However, it also has hidden pockets and places that were once important but are now abandoned and forgotten by everyone. And that’s exactly what we focus on in this article- the abandoned places in Sacramento and their forgotten but interesting stories. Intrigued yet? Let’s embark on this journey together.
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The Old Sacramento Rail Yards
Located in the heart of Sacramento, The Old Sacramento Rail Yards are the city’s hush-hush time capsule. Crashed by the modern pulse of time and the city changing, this once-upon-a-time bustling hub now silently narrates tales of rusty iron and grand history.
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The Sutter’s Fort Outbuildings
Sitting at the grounds of a 19th-century fort, Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park is an open-air museum that tells an interesting part of Sacramento’s history and is a must-visit destination for everyone interested in the Gold Rush Era history of California. Visiting the state park feels like traveling back in time and getting a glimpse of the lives of California’s first non-indigenous settlers.
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Jazz Age Dance Halls
Sacramento has some rhythm in its bones and if you get off the beaten path, you might just discover some of the old jazz halls that were once full of life but are now completely abandoned. One great example is the Jazz Age Dance Halls located at the once brimming Terrific Street, the unofficial entertainment district of Sacramento that is now home to nothing but abandoned places.
Riverfront Warehouses
Sacramento is also home to a few abandoned riverfront warehouses, old guardians of commerce that didn’t pass the test of time and have turned into mere dilapidated structures along the city’s scenic riverfront.
Downtown Plaza Mall
Wandering through Sacramento’s bustling downtown, you’ll inevitably notice the Downtown Plaza Mall, a place that once was the beating heart of city life, the place to be for rendezvous, weekend plans, first dates, or just aimless window shopping. Well, today this same once iconic mall only has the echoes and memories of that era, which, although faded, stand as a testament to the changing urban landscapes and the ruthlessness of time.
Historic Homes in Oak Park
Venture a bit off Sacramento’s tourist trail, and you’ll discover hidden gems like the tree-lined streets of Oak Park, or how I like to call it Sacramento’s silent gallery of abandoned historic buildings. These old houses are a perfect fit for this list of abandoned places in Sacramento, with their old bricks and creaky floors, and seeing them feels like entering a time capsule, and going back in time when Sacramento was a very different city.
Sacramento Valley Station
If walls could talk, this one would probably regale you with tales of tearful goodbyes and joyous reunions, because for a while it was the only way to enter or exit Sacramento (before cars and commercial flights were a thing). And while the world outside has transformed and raced ahead, the station remains, offering a nostalgic memory of Sacramento’s past, and reminding us that every departure has an awaiting destination…
Sacramento Freeport Shipyards
Another one of the most noteworthy abandoned places in Sacramento is the Freeport Shipyards. It used to be a place of industry, where craftsmen built and repaired hundreds of ships throughout the years. However, now these abandoned shipyards lie silent and weather-beaten, serving as nothing more than a mere memory of what once was.
Eagle Theatre
And speaking of relatively unknown hidden gems in Sacramento, did you know that this city is also home to the first permanent theater in California? Built in 1849 by a group of gold miners, the Eagle Theater in Sacramento was the basic entertainment facility for people who moved into the area during the Gold Rush. On the outside, the theater looks rather modest with a wooden frame and canvas roof from abandoned ships in San Francisco. The original building actually didn’t survive the floods of the 19th century, but an exact replica was created in 1974.
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Old Sacramento Tunnels
Meandering through the sunlit streets of Sacramento, you’d hardly suspect finding such an extensive labyrinth lying just beneath your feet, but the old Sacramento tunnels are right there. This old network of passages that once buzzed with activity served as the city’s undercover arteries. The tunnels had to be shut down mainly due to flooding concerns, structural instability, and changes in city infrastructure, especially after the frequent floods of the 1800s.
McClellan Air Force Base
McClellan Air Force Base, once one of California’s most important bases, has been completely abandoned since its decommissioning in 2001. Initially, it was supposed to be repurposed due to budget cuts and high operating costs. The transition from an active military base to a mixed-use area did not go as expected, and this resulted in the base being left abandoned for years.
The Sutter Club (Original Location)
Stroll down the streets of Sacramento, and there’s a chance you might miss it—unless you know. The Sutter Club, once one of Sacramento’s most prestigious places and housed some of the fanciest and most elite gatherings in California’s capital. The club relocated to a new building in the early 1900s and the original building was left abandoned.
The Red Lion Inn
The Red Lion Inn was a cozy inn located in the heart of Sacramento, but as the chain was going out of business, many of its buildings were either sold, remodeled, or repurposed, but this was not the case with this building. Update: The building was completely torn down last year. the 18-acre property is being transformed into a residential area.
Marysville Chinatown
Marysville Chinatown was one of the first Chinatowns on the West Coast during the Gold Rush era when many Chinese people came to what is today Sacramento in pursuit of a better life. It was once a thriving and growing community, but by the 1920s, it was completely abandoned due to a mixture of natural disasters and discriminatory laws.
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The Old California State Fairgrounds
Lastly, we wrap up this article with a place that once brought the hum of anticipation, a lot of laughter, and the scent of deep-fried delights that have made childhood memories for thousands of people. The old California State Fairgrounds was one of the largest annual fairs in the heart of Sacramento. It was a place where city folks and country dwellers alike would converge, set their differences aside and just enjoy together. Today, while the grounds may not buzz with the same energy, they hold dear memories for a lot of people who grew up in the area.
How did you like this list of abandoned places in Sacramento for a different experience? Which one was your favorite? Do you know of any other abandoned places in Sacramento? Feel free to share your suggestions in the comments below.
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