Sacramento is not just any old state capital — it’s also a virtual theme park for historians, art lovers and just about anyone else who wants to learn more about the state of California.

It’s tempting to say it’s a theme park for adults – but it’s really not just for adults. In fact, a visit to Sacramento probably will be one of the most beneficial field trips your youngsters will ever take. They’ll learn about government, the Old West, railroads, Native Americans, the Gold Rush and several other subjects featured in dozens of Sacramento exhibits and museums.

We stopped by the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau, where we obtained maps and a long list of attractions in the city. The CVB is just around the corner from highlights like the Governor’s Mansion and the many beautifully maintained Victorian homes and architecture found throughout the downtown area.

We then drove over to take the obligatory pictures of the State Capitol Building, keeping an eye out for California’s movie-star governor. But, alas, no Arnold at either the Capitol or the Governor’s Mansion — although we’re told the governor is frequently spotted having lunch at the Esquire Grill or dining at Lucca and Biba restaurants. In any event, the State Capitol Museum makes the stop more than worthwhile with its exhibits and artifacts from the Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and a newly unveiled 3-D movie on the disaster.

Nearby we found several other museums to explore. For example, the Crocker Art Museum is located in one of the city’s most beautiful Victorian homes and is, in fact, the oldest art museum in the West. Founded in 1873, the museum today displays original European and master drawings as well as 19th-Century California paintings, sculptures and Asian art.

We stopped in the California Museum for History, Women and the Arts, which offers colorful and descriptive displays about many of the women who have been instrumental in helping California grow to its present stature. As with most museums we visited, visitors could spend several hours in just this museum soaking up fascinating facts about the Golden State.

For history buffs, maybe the best place in town to go is Old Sacramento, which has a number of museums including the California Military Museum, Discovery Museum History Center, the Old Sacramento Interpretive Center, the Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum and the Wells Fargo History Museum.

Topping the historical list is the California State Railroad Museum which is said to be one of the country’s best railroad museums. The 100,000-square-foot museum features many actual railcars as well as various real locomotives. You can see what a 19th Century train station was really like with a very authentic replica right on the premises.

We were amazed by the Railroad Museum because so many different types of rail cars and locomotives were on display indoors all in one place. The trains are in tip-top condition and you can always find one of the museum’s volunteers to explain how this or that worked or why this particular steam engine was important. There is an elaborate model railroad upstairs as well as exhibits explaining the history of model railroading. We’ve got to say this museum was a favorite for both the adults and kids in our crowd.

Old Sacramento, as one local visitor official told us, was once the skid row of Sacramento until, in the 1960’s, a major re-development project was initiated to restore many of the historic buildings and attract new business into the area. The history of Old Sacramento dates back to 1839 when this became the first commercial settlement in the area. When gold was discovered in nearby Coloma in 1849, the business community along the Sacramento River began to boom. Local miners had to have such services as hotels, saloons, outfitting stores and bathhouses.

Nowadays, Old Sacramento is bringing back that early atmosphere and everyone seems to love it – it now attracts more than 5 million visitors each year. Although we noticed several commercial vacancies in the area, that might just be because Old Sacramento is now considered one of the most expensive places in Sacramento to do business.

The area has been restored with cobblestone streets, gaslamps and wooden sidewalks, and you do get the feeling of walking through a town from the Old West. Of course there are a few tip-offs that this particular Wild West town has been somewhat tamed: T-shirt shops seem to abound and there are plenty of candy and chocolate stores, not to mention pizza and just about anything else today’s explorers may want to eat.

The shops in Old Sacramento – no matter how tacky some of them may be – are almost all housed in historic buildings. Among those 53 buildings still standing is a firehouse built in 1853, California’s first threater, and the B.J. Hastings Building which was the western terminus for the Pony Express.

For a unique overnight adventure in Sacramento, try staying on board the Delta King, an early 20th Century paddle-wheeler riverboat. The boat once offered prohibition-era drinking, jazz bands and gambling for its fun-loving passengers and, just like passengers back in the 1920s, today’s guests enjoy enchanting river views, great food and drink and a cozy stateroom unlike any other accommodation you may have experienced. But unlike those early passengers, you will have to be content with scenery that remains pretty constant. The Delta King isn’t going anyplace anytime soon.

On this particular visit, we stayed overnight in a great choice for landlubbers, the Hilton Sacramento Arden West. About five miles from Old Town, the hotel is located in the Point West part of Sacramento and is a particular favorite with business travelers because of its endless amenities and typical Hilton upscale, polished look and feel. We found the spacious rooms to be tastefully decorated and well insulated from any street noise. With its marble counters, pillow-top mattresses and 250-threadcount linens, this hotel proved to be a luxurious respite after a long day of museum-hopping in Sacramento.

AT A GLANCE

WHERE: Sacramento is about 85 miles northeast of San Francisco and 385 miles north of Los Angeles in the San Joaquin Valley.

WHAT: Sacramento is the state capital of California and the home of the state’s governmental offices. Numerous museums, exhibits, historical buildings and other attractions make the city a popular travel destination.

WHEN: The climate is moderate in Sacramento so visits can be planned anytime of year. Check ahead to see when the Legislature’s in session if you would like to see government in action.

WHY: You’ll find many attractions located in a close area, most of them quite illustrative of early Californian history.

HOW: For more information on Sacramento, contact the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-292-2334 or visit www.discovergold.org.

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The Prado Museum’s Masterpieces in ultra high resolution.

Help answer the question about museum

What is the museum setting on my camera for?
I just got a camera Christmas 2008, so I’m still getting used to it. It has a bunch of different settings on it, and I know what most of them mean, but not the one. It’s called the museum setting, and I’m wondering if anyone knows what you’re suppose to use it for, or what it’s good for??? Please help me. Thanks!

About Author

Cary Ordway is a syndicated travel writer and president of Getaway Media Corp, which publishes websites focused on regional getaway travel. Among the sites currently offered by GMC are http://www.californiaweekend.com , covering California family vacations and other Golden State destinations, and http://www.northwesttraveladvisor.com , covering Northwest vacation ideas.

Europe has a great history and lots of different museums, and France is no exception where they are dotted all over the country, but there are an incredible amount of museums in Paris itself that you can visit.

Probably one of the most well known French Museums in Paris is The Louvre, which is famous for the Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinchi and this place can take at least a day or more to get round to see all the exhibits and you need a pair of walking shoes for this one!  But the popular Musee d’Orsay situated in the former Paris railway station on the left bank of the River Seine picks up where The Louvre leaves off and features mainly French art.

The Palais de Tokyo is another popular museum especially with the younger generation and situated in an art-deco palace holding only temporary exhibitions, it is open until midnight and has become known as the most creative and fun museum in Paris.

But you can also get to visit a traditional home of one of the famous artists or authors, like the home of Victor Hugo who wrote The Hunchback of Notre dame, or seeing Honor Balzac’s house where he made it a place of refuge and it even had an escape hatch to get away from the debtors that he owed money to, which is now part of the Musee du Vin wine museum.

Or for a completely different scene, why not visit the Musée Cernuschi with its collection of Asian art, or the more modern Fondation Le Corbusier who became a pioneer in modern design and dedicated time to plans for providing better living conditions for people living in crowded cities.

There are lots of museums that are dedicated to famous artists and sculptors such as Musee Rodin and the Picasso Museum, but to step back in time and get a feel for how some of them lived and worked a visit to the Musee Bourdelle or the Gustave Moureau museum is well worth the time.

However, just in the city of Paris there are lots of museums dedicated to specific topics, such as the Musée des Egouts or Paris Sewers Museum, where you go beneath the city to discover their history and how they work, or you have the catacombs, which are again underground.

But keeping above ground, there are other museums in Paris dedicated to specific themes like the Musée de la Musique, dedicated to music and musical instruments that even has a Stradivarius violin and the Musee de la Poste, dedicated to the French Postal Service.  Or perhaps you have an interest in dolls, as the Musée de la Poupée is all about dolls and their history, plus they even do valuations and repairs to antique dolls and teddy bears.  The Musee du Vin is dedicated to the French past-time of wine and wine making and here you can even have wine tasting sessions and enjoy a meal in their restaurant.

Paris has such a wide variety of museums for all the family to enjoy like going inside a decommissioned submarine, visiting the air and space museum and going inside a Boeing 747 or Concorde or going up the tower at the Notre Dame Cathedral to see the gargoyles.

There is so much more on offer than just the traditional art scene and you could spend months just visiting museums, without even contemplating any other monuments and landmarks in Paris, which is another major part of the French History that this incredible city is so proud of.

Yet we would like to point out that all the museums are closed for at least one day of the week and this is usually on a Monday or Tuesday, for instance The Louvre is closed on a Tuesday and therefore other popular museums get exceedingly busy on this day.

Also at certain state run museums you can gain free entry on the first Sunday of every month, however, if you do decide to choose this option, be prepared for the large crowds and long queues, especially at some of the more well known and famous museums!  But one option for jumping the queues is to purchase a Paris Pass that gains you entry into more than sixty different museums and attractions.

But we have found that you really do need to plan in advance exactly where you wish to go, otherwise you will definitely run out of time, mind you, this could be a good excuse for returning to Paris on another holiday in France!

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Dinosaur interacts with children in the Los Angeles Natural History Museum. Pretty cool. “Living Dinosaurs” was created by: www.erth.com.au – Check them out. See more videos – www.youtube.com www.youtube.com

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What are four good examples of buildings that would help in choosing a deisgn for a museum?
You are a member of and advisory board who answers to a public figure; someone who is in control of, and makes decisions concerning the architectural development of the city where you reside. It has been established that there is a need for a new museum to house the historic art and artifacts of the city and surrounding region. You have been given the responsibility to begin the search for the appropriate architect as well as inform the said public figure of the reasons why a particular architect/architecture is suitable for the charge of the museum. Your research begins with understanding historical models for museums and similar institutions.

In your paper you must select four examples that programmatically fit your idea of “museum” and explain why you have chosen these buildings (note that the chosen buildings do not necessarily need to be museums). You must then present your findings to the board for review. It is your responsibility to explain why these models are good precedents, and then you must explain why, even though these where suitable at the time, they may not be suitable now. Also, you must reference four contemporary museums that you feel are appropriate in order to foster a connective historical understanding of your choices to your audience: the board.

Essentially, you will be selecting buildings that can perform as a museum “type.” You will explain the positive, and potentially negative, attributes of the building as an historic model. The selection of the contemporary – modern – buildings is to reinforce both positive and negative elements. Remember, in the end, you are not selecting a “building.” You are educating a group of people in order for them to make the appropriate decisions on hiring an architect. You will not suggest an architect.

The ideas in your paper are general. You should use thoughts discussed in the lectures as well as your individual research. Remember that notions of program, formal design, materials, structure and contemporary ideas are all constituents that should be used in your paper.

Any suggestions?

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http://www.placesinfrance.com

Martyn Davis European Traveller, Author, Photographer and Business Development Manager, For all your French holiday needs and travel guide to France, with tourist information, landmarks and attractions – http://www.placesinfrance.com/museums_france.html

In Amsterdam, there are more than fifty museums, from modern art and photography to film and theatre, with a few less traditional ones thrown in as well. Here is a list of 14 must-see museums in Amsterdam from the well-known to the obscure.

#1. Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. The largest museum in the Netherlands, the Rijksmuseum sees more than one million visitors annually at its unparalleled collection of Dutch art. The Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum (#2) are situated in Amsterdam’s Museum Quarter, the most fashionable district in the city, rich in cultural institutions, restaurants and fashionable holiday accommodations.

#2. Van Gogh Museum. Dedicated to the Netherland’s most famous artist, the Van Gogh Museum houses 200 paintings and 550 sketches of the master, together with his letters to his contemporaries.

#3. Amsterdam Tulip Museum. This is a small museum dedicated to the national symbol of Netherlands: the tulip. This museum features multimedia presentations and a museum shop with rare tulip bulbs.

#4. The Anne Frank House. Across the canal from the tulip museum is the Anne Frank House. The historic World War II hiding place of Anne Frank and her family, the museum features original pages from her famous diary. Visitors can also walk through the haunting quarters in which Anne and her family hid.

#5. Museum van Loon. Housed in a patrician canal house in the center of Amsterdam, the van Loon Museum is owned by the aristocratic Van Loon family and provides visitors a unique view into the life of the Dutch upper class.

#6. Museum Willet-Holthuysen. Another museum offering a glimpse into the wealthy class, the Museum Willet-Holthuysen is housed in a 17th century home and features an impressive personal collection of silverware, paintings and furniture.

#7. Amsterdam Historical Museum. The perfect museum for history buffs, the Amsterdam Historical Museum has permanent exhibitions about various periods in the history of the Netherlands.

#8. Hortus Botanicus. The Amsterdam Botanical Garden was first established in 1638 as an herb garden for Dutch doctors. Today it is a living museum with botany samples from around the world.

#9. NEMO. The ultimate hands-on museum, the NEMO Museum has hundreds of please touch exhibits for children and adults alike about science and technology.

#10. Ajax Museum. Dedicated to Amsterdam’s champion football club, the Ajax Museum includes photographic and video images from the last century of Ajax football.

#11. Nederlands Scheepvaart Museum. The Netherlands Scheepvaart, or Maritime, Museum has the world’s largest collection of boats. The museum features model boats and real-life ships, plus a number of maps and historical documents about Dutch naval history.

#12. Heineken Experience. Come learn about the history of brewing at one of the world’s best beer manufacturers.

#13. The Venustemple. This sex museum houses the foremost European collection of erotic paintings and objects throughout history.

#14. Erotic Museum. For more on sex, check out the Erotic Museum. Situated in the heart of the Red Light District, the Erotic Museum has five floors of erotic artwork together with a historical overview of the District.

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The Vrolik Museum in Amsterdam has the largest collection of human mutants. We learn more in this clip from Mysteries of Mutation on Discovery Channel.

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How should I go about becoming a museum curator?
My dream job would be to work as a museum curator at the natural history museum in London. I am 22 and am about to finish an MSc in Human Evolution and Behaviour, I already have a degree in Psychology. I am also volunteering 1 day a week at the museum in the Learning department which has been extremely rewarding. Any tips on furthering my dream?

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