April – June 2026 Exhibitions & Events 

APRIL

VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION
4/16/26

The California Museum is looking for people who are passionate about sharing the diverse history of California, inspiring the leaders of tomorrow, and working alongside a team that values community, culture, and education. This free, informational event offers prospective volunteers an overview of our program and requirements, as well as the opportunity to meet staff, tour current exhibits and start training to be a volunteer. Join us for a program overview from 10 – 11 am and an optional new volunteer orientation from 11 am – 2 pm. Open to volunteers ages 16 and older with parental consent. No experience necessary. Register in advance by 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 14. For more information or to register, visit CaliforniaMuseum.org/Volunteer-Orientation. 

MAY

FRANK FAT’S: A TASTE OF HISTORY (MEMBER-EXCLUSIVE EVENT)
5/3/26

In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, the California Museum will host a free member-exclusive historical experience and tasting at Frank Fat’s, an iconic Sacramento institution since 1939. Hosted by Frank’s youngest son, Jerry Fat, and grandson, Kevin Fat, this event offers a rare look at the family’s journey from China to the heart of California’s capital. Participants will hear firsthand stories of Frank’s rise from a humble immigrant to a culinary legend while sampling the signature dishes that earned the restaurant a James Beard Award. Learn more at FrankFats.Eventbrite.com. 

BIG DAY OF GIVING
5/7/26

The California Museum invites the community to power its mission during Big Day of Giving, the Sacramento region’s premier annual fundraising event. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, the Museum relies on local generosity to share the state’s diverse history, arts, and culture with over 100,000 visitors each year. Contributions directly impact the community by providing field trip scholarships for Title I schools, funding exhibits and programs that share California’s rich and diverse history and ensuring museum access for all through free and reduced admission programs. If the Museum reaches its $25,000 goal by midnight on May 7, 2026, it will celebrate by hosting a special free admission day for the public later this year—making every donation a vital step in preserving and celebrating California’s vibrant heritage. Learn more at CaliforniaMuseum.org/BDOG26. 

BLUE STAR MUSEUMS FREE ADMISSION
5/16/26 – 9/7/26

A collaboration between the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families and the Department of Defense, the Blue Star Museums program provides free admission to all active-duty, National Guard and Reserve military personnel and up to 5 family members from Saturday, May 16 (Armed Forces Day) through Sunday, September 7 at the California Museum. Please note the Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday from 10 am – 5 pm and Sunday from 12 pm – 5 pm. Advance ticket registration is encouraged but not required. More information will be posted May 1 at CaliforniaMuseum.org/visit/special-offers-promotions/. 

JUNE

CALIFORNIA TIME TRAVELER CAMP: SESSION 1
6/22/26 – 6/26/26

Young adventurers are invited to explore over 150 years of history, arts and culture in the California Time Traveler Camp. Ideal for kids ages 6 to 11, this week-long day camp offers engaging learning experiences as campers travel back in time to some of the state’s significant eras. A combination of exhibit tours, excursions to nearby sites and hands-on activities from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., daily itineraries begin on Monday over 150 years ago in pre-statehood California and end on Friday in the near future that California campers will create. Reservations are now full for California Time Traveler Camp. To learn more or sign up for the waitlist, visit CaliforniaMuseum.org/Camp. 

ONGOING PROGRAMS

BANK OF AMERICA MUSEUMS ON US® FREE ADMISSION
1st weekend of every month

Free admission for all current Bank of America®, Merrill Lynch® and U.S. Trust® cardholders through Museums On Us® with valid photo ID. For more information, visit https://californiamuseum.org/visit/special-offers-promotions/museums-on-us-free-admission/.

FIELD TRIPS                                                                                                                                                                          
THROUGH SPRING 2026 

The California Museum is now booking seven unique in-person and online field trip experiences to inspire and educate students on California’s rich and diverse history and culture during the 2025-26 school year. Bring learning to life with a one-of-a-kind interactive learning experience, aligned with state standards. To learn more about each experience and how to book, visit californiamuseum.org/visit/field-trips-groups/.

FOURTH FRIDAYS

The California Museum invites all current California state employees to visit for free on the fourth Friday of each month from 12p.m.-3 p.m. Free admission will be provided to the first 100 state employees with a current state employee ID badge who visit the Museum during the 12-3 p.m. Fourth Friday timeframe. Walk-in only. Offer does not apply to advance ticket purchases. For more information, visit https://californiamuseum.org/visit/special-offers-promotions/fourth-fridays/.

MUSEUMS FOR ALL

Organized by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, this branded access program encourages individuals of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum habits. Those receiving food assistance benefits can gain reduced $2 admission for themselves and up to three guests by presenting their SNAP EBT (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Electronic Benefit Transfer) card. For more information, visit https://californiamuseum.org/visit/special-offers-promotions/museums-for-all-low-income-access/.

TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS

“KOKORO: THE STORY OF SACRAMENTO’S LOST JAPANTOWN”                         
Through April 2026

The California Museum is pleased to announce the return of “Kokoro: The Story of Sacramento’s Lost Japantown,” an exhibition that first appeared at the California Museum in 2017 and remains one of our most beloved and impactful. Featuring rare family photographs drawn from the personal collections of community members, the exhibit documents the memories at the heart of a once-thriving downtown community devastated first by forced removal during WWII and again by redevelopment in the 1950s. Returning visitors can once again walk through the history and heart of this vanished neighborhood, while those experiencing it for the first time will discover a vital chapter of our city’s past—now enriched with additional rare photographs and artifacts from family collections. For more information, visit CaliforniaMuseum.org/Japantown.

CONTINUING EXHIBITIONS

CALIFORNIA HALL OF FAME ARTIFACT EXHIBITION                                                      

Explore the lives and legacies of the 19th class of the California Hall of Fame in an all-new artifact exhibit featuring photos and memorabilia on loan from: John L. Burton, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Evans, Riane Eisler, Carl Lewis, Mariachi Reyna de Los Ángeles, Nobu Matsuhisa, Terry McMillan, Arnold Schwarzenegger. This year’s artifact exhibition features memorabilia on loan from the recently inducted 19th class, including Schwarzenegger’s leather jacket from 1991’s “Terminator 2,” Evans’ 1992 Olympic Opening Ceremony uniform, a clapperboard from Curtis’ 1983 hit “Trading Places,” and more. Inductees have collaborated closely with the Museum to co-curate their displays, with many contributing items from their personal collections. The California Hall of Fame exhibit also features artifacts from the posthumous inductees of the all-women 18th class of the California Hall of Fame, inducted in 2024: Julia Child, Ina Donna Coolbrith, Vicki Manalo Draves, Mitsuye Endo, Dian Fossey, Alice Piper, and Tina Turner. Learn more or plan a visit at CaliforniaMuseum.org/HallofFame. 

“CALIFORNIA INDIANS: THE FIRST PEOPLE”  

Initially developed under the direction of a Native Advisory Council in 2011, “California Indians: The First People” is the only exhibit of its kind in the state to present the unique contributions of California’s Native Peoples in their own voice. Through artifacts, original art, oral histories and an interactive language kiosk, the exhibit chronicles the histories and cultural legacies of over 100 tribes. Highlights include the Chipped Stone Bear, California’s official prehistoric artifact; baskets woven by Native artists; and a fur cape owned by Ishi. For details, visit https://californiamuseum.org/exhibitions/signature/california-indians/.

 “CALIFORNIA MISSIONS: A JOURNEY ALONG THE EL CAMINO REAL”     

Designed to correspond with State standards for 4th grade students, this exhibit includes rare artifacts from Missions across the state, such as iron tools handmade at Mission Santa Barbara, a marriage registry document written by Father Junípero Serra, an 1893 painting of Mission San Luis Rey on an original tile from that mission and more. In addition, oral history brings this pivotal chapter of history into the present through the modern perspective of Andrew A. Galvan, the first Native curator of Mission Dolores in San Francisco. For details, visit https://californiamuseum.org/exhibitions/signature/california-missions/.

“GOLD MOUNTAIN: CHINESE CALIFORNIAN STORIES”                                              

Discover the overlooked but significant history and contributions of Chinese Californians from the Gold Rush to the present in “Gold Mountain: Chinese California Stories.” This ongoing exhibit explores the history of Chinese immigrants who came to California in search of a better life and helped build the modern state while triumphing over racism and other obstacles with ingenuity and perseverance. In their stories, visitors will see the contributions Chinese Americans have made to our state’s economy, governance and culture. For more information, go to https://californiamuseum.org/exhibitions/signature/gold-mountain/. 

“HEALTH HAPPENS HERE”                                                                                               

Learn how and why your zip code determines how long and how well you live in the multimedia exhibit “Health Happens Here.” Discover what Californians are doing to build health in communities across the state in this interactive journey through all the places and all the ways health happens in California. Through a series of high-tech games and interactive stations, visitors explore key factors that affect health beyond traditional diet and exercise while earning points that can be donated to one of 10 charities to make health happen for all Californians. Winner of the American Alliance of Museum’s “Excellence In Exhibition” award, visit https://californiamuseum.org/exhibitions/signature/health-happens-here/ for more information.

UNITY CENTER AT CALIFORNIA MUSEUM                                                                     

Initiated in 1999 in response to a series of Northern California hate crimes and launched in 2017, the Unity Center at the California Museum celebrates the state’s diverse people, customs and cultures. Featuring multimedia exhibits exploring significant chapters of California’s civil rights history and a state-of-the-art classroom, the interactive 4,000 sq. ft. gallery encourages visitors to find common ground while embracing their own individuality. Through advocacy tools and engaging educational programs, visitors are empowered to be Unity Activists, exercising their rights and standing up for the rights of others – regardless of belief, background, identity or gender. For details, visit https://californiamuseum.org/exhibitions/signature/unity-center/.

“UPROOTED: AN AMERICAN STORY”

Reopened in 2023, this fully rebuilt, technology-enhanced signature exhibit focuses on the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII and explores how they responded to their forced removal and incarceration, ranging from quiet endurance to heroic valor to conscientious resistance. The exhibit also highlights Japanese Americans’ ongoing efforts to ensure no other groups experience similar civil rights violations. All-new interactive displays, and never-before-exhibited artifacts from survivors supplement visitor favorites from the previous installation including a video introduction by George Takei and a replica barracks and guard tower. New features include a theater experience and an AI-based component allowing visitors to hold virtual conversations with three incarceration survivors. For details, visit https://californiamuseum.org/exhibitions/signature/uprooted/.

“WOMEN INSPIRE: CALIFORNIA WOMEN CHANGING OUR WORLD”                                                                                              

Developed in collaboration with California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and a statewide advisory council of historians, this long-term signature exhibit features the stories of Golden State women from the 1700s to present who inspire change and reflection on the ongoing struggle for equality. For more information, visit https://californiamuseum.org/exhibitions/signature/women-inspire/.

MEDIA CONTACT: 

Danielle Wood, Communications & Marketing Director 
dwood@californiamuseum.org