Discover the secrets of Sacramento

Many know about Old Town Sacramento and the Crocker Art Museum but there are also a lot of lesser-known hidden delights in Sacramento to discover.

For those looking to get off-the-beaten track cheek out some of Sacramento’s best kept secrets from underground tours to hidden beaches and wildlife.

West Sacramento’s Franquette is the new French (Food) connection

Franquette is one of the Sacramento region’s newest restaurants having opened in West Sacramento’s Bridge District earlier this year.  Bringing an all-day French café vibe from the same group that opened East Sacramento’s Canon. Chef Elena Winks – who learned to cook in France – describes her experience on a recent episode of Visit Sacramento’s podcast.

Underground Tour by Sacramento History Museum

Sacramento’s original street level was underground and there are a lot of remnants from that era that will show visitors another side of the city’s history. The Sacramento History Museum is not a hidden gem itself but its underground tour that gives a glimpse of the city’s underbelly is. The disastrous floods of the mid-1800s left no choice but to raise the city’s original street level to avoid future flooding. Ever since, most of Sacramento’s heritage has remained underground.

Sacramento History Museum guides in period costumes lead groups down sloped alleyways and narrow passages into some of these gloomy spaces, all the while sharing details on the town’s early history and citizens. Special “Underground After Hours” tours, offered on select evenings for ages 21 and over, delve into the city’s darker past. They sharing the early town’s gossip of murder, mischief, and madams.

Sacramento Valley Wineries

The Sacramento region and surrounding counties are home to more than 200 wineries, vineyards and tasting rooms, and most are within an hour’s drive from the city. Area wineries, as well as wine bars, are tapping into the region’s bounty to serve dozens of varieties grown and made in the area. It’s a little-known fact that a large portion of the grapes used to make world-famous Napa wines actually come from the Sacramento region.

Paradise Beach 

For those who want to get off the beaten track, Paradise Beach is one of the best places to visit. Most visitors don’t know about it but locals love it. Unlike what its name suggests, Paradise Beach is actually a riverside recreational area, perfect for swimming, fishing and picnicking. This hidden beach is perfect for nature lovers and those wanting to cool down in the sun.

Bat Talk and Walk – Yolo Basin Foundation

The Yolo Basin, a true Sacramento attraction, has many treasures that help make the area unique. There are a number of watchable wildlife and education programs for the birdwatcher, naturalist and school groups including the Bat Talk and Walk put on by the Yolo Basin Foundation. Between May and September, nearly 10,000 bats reside under the Yolo Causeway bridge. During the Bat Talk and Walk program groups will enjoy a presentation on bat natural history before being carpooled out to the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area to watch the “flyout” of the largest colony of Mexican free-tailed bats in California. Bat Talk and Walk events begin mid-June and run to mid-September.