California State Capitol Tour days are still offered, despite current construction.

The annex building behind the main structure and dome is being demolished and rebuilt to improve safety standards and give more space for legislative support staff.

Recently, my grandma visited from the east coast to spread the ashes of my granddad, and her American Airlines flight was delayed a full 24 hours.

I quickly put together a fun Friday of outings for us to experience, including a California State Capitol tour, breakfast at Tower Café, and a stroll through River Walk Park.

Take a California State Capitol Tour Any Weekday

Public tours of the California State Capitol Museum are available every hour on the hour on weekdays from 10 am to 4 pm. You can sign up for the free tours at the Information Desk in the 1st Floor Rotunda.

We were able to sign up for a tour without issue and were told to come back after 15 minutes to get started. It was a perfect length of time to go to the restroom and make a quick stop at the gift shop.

  • Lower Level — At the lower level of the tour you’ll find murals and a statue of President Ronald Reagan. Additionally, the gift shop is located in the lower level basement, where you’ll also find bathrooms.
  • First Floor — On the first floor, you’ll find the central rotunda and the offices of the Attorney General, State Library, and Governor’s office as it was set over 100 years ago in 1906. The Governor’s rooms included the main office, private office, and anteroom. I also loved seeing the Treasurer’s Office on the first floor, with an antique case displayed with contents still unknown.
  • Second Floor — The California State Capitol tour also takes you to the second floor, where you’ll find the Senate and Assembly Chambers. For security purposes, you don’t enter the Senate Chamber; instead, you can view the green Assembly Chamber from above. Staffers are often working behind the back desks on paperwork, emails, and making phone calls.
  • Third Floor — On the third floor of the California State Capitol Museum are the portraits of former governors and a staircase that takes you back down to the first-floor rotunda.

I’ve gone on a Capitol State Capitol tour before when I was in grade school, so it was a great experience to go back as an adult and resee the museum. It’s adorned from top to bottom, and I’m interested to see how the annex will look once complete.

You can also tour the Capitol Park on Wednesdays at 10 am (meet on the corner of 10th and N on the Capitol grounds) or Sundays at 11 am (meet inside Capitol Park at 13th Street and Capitol Avenue).

Breakfast at Tower Café & River Walk Park

Before embarking on our California State Capitol tour, we had a lovely breakfast at the Tower Café.

It’s always fun to bring visitors to Sacramento to the Tower Café for its fun atmosphere and great food and service.

After having our fill of eggs, bacon, toast and more, we parked in Old Town Sacramento and strolled the River Walk Park. With views of the Sacramento River, boats and riverside restaurants, it didn’t take long for us to then walk to the California State Capitol Museum.

Can you tour the California State Capitol?

Yes! Even with current construction, you can still visit the California State Capitol Museum on any weekday for a tour offered every hour from 10 am to 4 pm.