Founded in 1885, the Crocker Art Museum at 216 O Street, a few blocks south of Old Sacramento, is the oldest continuously operating art museum in the American West. Visitors come for a collection that spans centuries and continents, from European master drawings to California landscapes and Wayne Thiebaud’s pop-inflected canvases.
The campus pairs the Crocker family’s ornate 1870s Italianate gallery, with its carved woodwork and inlaid floors, with the angular Teel Family Pavilion, which opened in 2010. Across three floors and 15 gallery spaces, you’ll find Gold Rush-era paintings, Asian and African art, and one of the country’s most significant international ceramics collections. Rotating exhibitions supplement the permanent holdings, so check the current exhibitions page before you go.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
The museum opens Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Thursdays, it stays open until 9 p.m., and those evenings are a relaxed time to visit. It is closed Mondays and Tuesdays (Visit Sacramento). Weekday mornings draw the smallest crowds, while weekend afternoons fill with families. You can buy timed tickets online or at the desk, and members get in free. Docent-led tours cover the architecture and collections. Afterward, walk to Old Sacramento’s riverfront and the Tower Bridge, both within a few minutes on foot.
