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Visitor's Guide To Crocker Art Museum

An art museum is a wonderful opportunity for people of all ages to visit and open their eyes up to a whole new world. Art exhibits speak differently to each person, but they generally illicit some kind of emotion or thought. Sacramento is home to one of the state's finest art establishments — the Crocker Art Museum — which houses many masterful collections from around the world.

Crocker Art Museum
216 O St.
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 808-7000
www.crockerartmuseum.org

Open: Tuesdays - Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Open on Tuesdays until 9 p.m.

Price: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and college students, $5 for youth and kids under six are free

The Crocker Art Museum was established in 1885 and is considered to be the first public art museum in the Western United States. The museum is named after Edwin B. Crocker, a wealthy tycoon in the early days of Sacramento. He and his wife were very active in the community and had a deep fondness for art. Martha Crocker carried out the couple's vision and helped to make this museum what it is today — one of the state's premiere art establishments. The museum has undergone several expansions over the last 130 years, including a large one prior to 2010. Today, the Crocker Art Museum has a historical museum, studio classrooms, education center, numerous galleries, comprehensive resource room, library, a cafe and even a space for the kids.

Exciting Exhibits

The Crocker Art Museum is home to many amazing exhibits. Some of these are part of their permanent collections and some are on display for a short period of time. Currently, the David Ligare collection is on display until Sept. 20, 2015. This collection of nearly 80 pieces is a wonderful representation of California and its beautiful history. However, it's peaceful simplicity speaks to visitors from all over the world.

The museum's permanent collections feature cultures and histories from every continent. These collections include historical and contemporary artwork from Africa, Asia, Europe and America. They span across several mediums like paper, paintings and ceramics. 

Upcoming Events

From Sep. 19, 2015, to Feb. 14, 2016, the Crocker Art Museum will host the world renown Rain Forest Visions Amazonian exhibit. It features some of the finest ceramics in South America's Amazonian region made by Ecuador's Canelos Quichua speaking people. There are over 100 works from the Melza and Ted Barr Collection. Each piece was selected for its masterful representation of the region's history, mythology and culture.

Related: Best DIY Pottery In Sacramento

Places to Eat

The Crocker Art Museum's superb cafe features both an elegant environment for full-service dining and a counter service for those looking to grab some food and run. It's the only realistic food choice for visitors since most of the other dining establishments are several blocks away.

A great attribute of this cafe is that you can eat here without even going to the museum. It's a standalone facility where museum admission is not required. The cafe also features weekly specials and box lunches for groups. The cafe is opened Tuesdays through Sundays just like the museum, and reservations with a 72-hour notice are required for the full dining service.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for grab and go cases

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for counter service

10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays

Parking

There are several parking options for those of you planning a visit to the museum. Unfortunately, most of these options cost money to park during the day. The closest option is the on-street parking meters, which accept coins or credit cards. They are free every day after 6 p.m. and every Sunday. On 2nd St., there's a small parking lot that charges per hour and a larger parking lot on the corner of 2nd and I St. that charges for the day. A little bit further away are several parking garages that also charge daily and by the hour.

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Rick Rockwell is a freelance writer in Sacramento. He has a lengthy freelance writing background covering a wide range of topics like: Sports, Health, Fitness and Traveling. His work can be found at CalExplornia.com.

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