SACRAMENTO

Stay in Sacramento

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Sacramento is the sometimes forgotten capital of California. Not forgotten for much longer, it seems, as it is now rated one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the US. Although it is California’s capital and there are several landmarks worth visiting, the city is not that rich in sporting events other than basketball.

The California State Capitol Museum is the landmark building in Sacramento. The capitol dome is crowned with a gold-plated ball. The Capitol has a lavish interior, with marble mosaic floors, crystal chandeliers, a monumental staircase and one of the oldest arboretums in the United States, the many acres of surrounding grounds.

There are several listed Historic Parks in Sacramento making it one of the most historical cities in the country. Sutter's Fort State Historic Park is located in downtown Sacramento and contains a living history program with demonstrations of everyday life at the fort in the 1840s. 

Old Sacramento State Historic Park with its cobblestone streets and wooden sidewalks contains many riverfront historic buildings including the Hastings Building; western terminus of the Pony Express; and the Old Eagle Theatre. 

Besides being home to much of California’s history, Sacramento has several other gems. William Land Park is Sacramento’s main urban space and contains botanical gardens, playgrounds, picnic areas, a children's amusement park, and the Sacramento Zoo.

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Sacramento International Airport is about 18 km northwest of downtown. An RT bus service connects the Airport to downtown Sacramento. Amtrak is located downtown at 401 I Street. Greyhound buses are located at 715 L Street.

An integrated bus and light rail system, operated by the Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT), makes getting around downtown and the suburbs quick and efficient. RT light rail operates two lines with 30 stations in the eastern and north-eastern portions of Sacramento. Trains run from about 5 am until midnight seven days a week.

SACRAMENTO KINGS

ARCO ARENA

Ticket information through NBA

The Sacramento Kings NBA franchise has undertaken the most movement of all the existing NBA franchises. They originated firstly in Rochester where the Royals began life in 1948, where they soon won a championship in 1951. In 1957, the Royals moved to Cincinatti, where they had some very mediocre years before moving to two places in 1972 – Kansas City-Omaha – a strange move considering they both exist in different states. More sensibly they became the Kansas City Kings until 1985, before they moved once again – this time to Sacramento.

The Kings record has not been as interesting. Between 1982-83 and 1998-99, the Kings did not record a season over .500 – one of the worst records of all time. However, since this breakout season in 1998, the Kings have become entrenched as one of the premier teams in the Western Conference, having taken the Lakers to the brink in the Western Conference Finals in 2002. The Kings have sold out ARCO Arena for every game since it opened in 1988, the third-longest sell-out streak in the league, behind Portland and Boston.

SACRAMENTO MONARCHS

ARCO ARENA

Ticket information through WNBA

Arco Arena hosts the Kings and the Monarchs and is located at One Sports Parkway, Sacramento. Opened in 1988, the Arena has a capacity of 17,000, making it one of the smallest Arena’s in the NBA. Although being located literally out the middle of nowhere, ARCO has a reputation among players for being one of the loudest arenas in the league, a prime reason being wood floors in the stands so fans can stomp their feet.

For a well-serviced public transit city, it is surprising that Arco Arena is nearly impossible to get to by public transport. The Federal Transit Authority advises that the nearest public transit stop is some 2 miles away from the Arena. The only way to get there without a car is with a taxi or limousine service.

Cal Expo - California Exposition and State Fair (thoroughbred season: mid August to early September; harness racing rest of the year)  

Ticket information at Course

CSU SACRAMENTO

Ticket information through Sacramento State

The Sacramento State Hornets are located at 6000 J Street (at 60^th and J Streets), some 7km east of downtown Sacramento. The Hornets have teams in most sports, including Football and men’s and women’s basketball. The Football Team play at Hornet Stadium (Fred Anderson Field), which has a capacity of just under 20,000 and is located on the campus. The basketball teams play at on campus at the Hornet Gym, one of the oldest and most intimate facilities (capacity of 1200) in California.

From downtown Sacramento, you can catch the RT Bus Routes 30, 31 and 65 to J Street (the University Admin Centre) and walk to the sporting facilities from there or catch the Hornet Shuttle around the campus (it is quite a large campus and the football stadium is located at the south eastern end of the campus).