News Release It's All in a Day's Play in Old Sacramento With A Special Event & Exciting New Season Activities Starting on April 2! Plus, Online Tickets Available Now for Underground Tours OLD SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Old Sacramento officially springs into action for a new season of fun on Saturday, April 2, with a special "Family Fun Day" and crowd-pleasing favorites such as the always popular steam-powered excursion train rides on the Sacramento Southern Railroad and the coveted second season of Old Sacramento Underground tours. With so much to do, guests to Old Sacramento are encouraged to spend the day exploring old favorites and unearthing new discoveries. "Pick Me! Family Fun Day" at the California State Railroad Museum - April 2 ONLY In celebration of the new and visually exciting "Pick Me! Fruit Crate Art & the California Dream" exhibit, the California State Railroad Museum invites the community to a special "Family Fun Day" on Saturday, April 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free with admission to North America's most popular train museum, guests will be treated to fun-filled activities such as hand-car rides inside the Museum, a produce-inspired scavenger hunt, kid-friendly Museum programs, create-your-own fruit labels, "California Grown" activity books, games puzzles and giveaways and more! California State Railroad Museum admission is $9 for adults, $4 for youths (ages 6-17) and children five and under are free. Steam-Powered Excursion Train Rides - Start April 2 The California State Railroad Museum's popular excursion railroad--the Sacramento Southern Railroad--officially returns to operation for the 28th consecutive season on Saturday, April 2, and will continue on weekends through September. Weekend excursion trains depart every hour on-the-hour from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and online tickets will soon be available at www.csrmf.org. Guests are treated to a six-mile, 40-minute roundtrip excursion along the levees of the Sacramento River. The train features a combination of vintage closed coaches with comfortable seats, and open-air "gondolas" with bench style seating. Regular excursion train tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for youths (ages 6-17), and ages five and under ride free. For passengers desiring a ride aboard the first-class car El Dorado, tickets are $15 per person. Old Sacramento Underground Tours - Start April 2 After a very successful inaugural year with more than 10,000 underground tour tickets sold in 2010, Old Sacramento Underground tours will resume for a second season on Saturday, April 2, and continue through November. Coordinated by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) and in partnership with the City of Sacramento, California State Parks, Old Sacramento Business Association and participating merchants and businesses, advance tickets for underground tours are available now for online purchase at www.historicoldsac.org. While tour dates will be expanded in the summer months, the initial underground tour schedule as of April 2 is as follows: on Saturdays and Sundays, tours depart every 30 minutes from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. through the month of May. Starting in June and continuing through August, tours will be available Thursdays through Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. departing every 30 minutes. Tour times change again in September and interested guests are encouraged to check the website for updated tour times and information. Tours of the underground last approximately one hour in length and cost $15 for adults and $10 for children. Tour check-in is located at the Sacramento History Museum, 101 I Street in Old Sacramento. Underground visitors will need to be prepared to walk on uneven surfaces in areas that have low ceilings and in occasional small spaces. About the California State Railroad Museum Operated by California State Parks with financial assistance from the non-profit California State Railroad Museum Foundation, the California State Railroad Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Widely regarded as North America's finest and most popular railroad museum, the complex of facilities includes the 100,000-square foot Railroad History Museum plus the reconstructed Central Pacific Railroad Passenger Station and Freight Depot, 1849 Eagle Theatre, and Big Four and Dingley Spice Mill commercial buildings in Old Sacramento. For 24-hour information, visit www.californiastaterailroadmuseum.org or call (916) 445-6645. About the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation The Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) is a 501(c)3 public benefit corporation. Old Sacramento is a living historic district. The mission of HOSF is to convey the importance of historic Sacramento as a place that connects our past to our present and future through engaging and entertaining events, activities and programs. More information is available at www.historicoldsac.org or call 916-808-7059. * * * Calendar Announcements What: "Pick Me! Family Fun Day" Where: California State Railroad Museum, Old Sacramento State Historic Park When: Saturday, April 2, 2011 Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost: Free with Museum admission - Museum admission: $9 adults; $4 youths ages 6-17; free for children ages 5 and under - Excursion train ride tickets: $10 adults; $5 youths ages 6-17; free for children ages 5 and under (or $15 for first class tickets aboard the El Dorado) For More: 916-445-6645 or www.csrmf.org Suggested copy: In celebration of the new and visually exciting "Pick Me! Fruit Crate Art & the California Dream" exhibit, the California State Railroad Museum is hosting a special "Pick Me! Family Fun Day" on Saturday, April 2. As part of the day-long celebration, Museum guests will be treated to entertaining and fun-filled activities such as hand-car rides inside the Museum, a produce-inspired scavenger hunt, kid-friendly Museum programs, create-your-own fruit crate labels (using magnetic cut-outs), "California Grown" activity book games, puzzles and giveaways, and more! Parents are encouraged to bring cameras to take photos with the roving "Aspara-Gus" costumed character and for capturing the fruit crate art designs created by kids. Free with Museum admission, all "Pick Me! Family Fun Day" activities and giveaways are designed to generate excitement for the new fruit crate art exhibit that is sure to capture the imagination of guests of all ages. Plus, the "Pick Me! Family Fun Day" coincides with the first day of the weekend steam-powered excursion train ride season so make a day of it and plan a ride aboard the Sacramento Southern Railroad, too! * * * What: Weekend Steam-Powered Excursion Train Rides Where: Trains depart from the Central Pacific Railroad Freight Depot (On Front Street between J and K Streets), Old Sacramento State Historic Park When: Weekends beginning April 2 thru September 25, 2011 Time: Departing hourly from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost: $10 adults; $5 youths ages 6-17; free for children ages 5 and under ($15 for first class tickets aboard the El Dorado) For More: 916-445-6645 or www.csrmf.org Suggested copy: All aboard for the California State Railroad Museum's popular excursion railroad -- the Sacramento Southern Railroad -- as it officially returns to operation for its 28th consecutive season! Guests will delight in the sights, smells and sounds of an authentic, working steam locomotive as it rolls along the levees of the Sacramento River. Appealing to all ages, the experience offers guests with the chance to enjoy train travel from an earlier era. Those aboard are treated to a six-mile, 40-minute roundtrip excursion along the levees of the Sacramento River. The train features a combination of vintage closed coaches with comfortable seats, and open-air "gondolas" with bench style seating. New this year, advance tickets for Sacramento Southern Railroad excursion train rides (including first-class upgrades to ride in VIP style on the beautifully restored El Dorado observation car) will soon be available for online purchase at www.csrmf.org. Or, guests can still buy available tickets in-person on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 10:30 a.m. the day of the train ride at the Sacramento Southern Railroad ticket office, located on Front Street between "J" and "K" Streets in Old Sacramento. * * * What: Old Sacramento Underground Tours Where: Sacramento History Museum, 101 I Street in Old Sacramento When: April 2 thru November 27, 2011 (advance online tickets available now) Time: Departing every half hour 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. weekends thru May Departing every half hour 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Thursdays thru Sundays (June thru August) Check website for updated tour times September thru November Cost: $15 for adults; $12 for HOSF members; $10 for children For More: 916-808-7059 or www.historicoldsac.org Suggested copy: Hidden beneath the city for nearly 150 years, Old Sacramento's underground has long been the capital's best-kept secret. Today, you can join thousands of residents and visitors in uncovering the facts behind the legends that lie below our buildings and sidewalks. Explore excavated foundations and enclosed pathways while your tour guide recounts the tales of the devastation, perseverance, and determination that led to California's only successful street-raising project. For these hour-long guided walking tours, check in at the Sacramento History Museum before descending below several historic Old Sacramento buildings. Be prepared to walk in areas with uneven surfaces and low ceilings and get ready to learn and have fun all along the way! The second season of the popular "Old Sacramento Underground" tour program starts on April 2 and continues through November 27. Due to the popularity of the tours, advance tickets are recommended and are available now at www.historicoldsac.org. Popular Old Sacramento Underground Tour Tickets On Sale Now With Some Still Available for Opening Weekend Season Two of Tours Resume April 2 and Continue Thru November OLD SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- After a very successful inaugural year in 2010, tickets for the second season of Old Sacramento Underground tours are on sale now with a limited number still available for opening weekend on April 2 and 3, 2011. With tour schedules fluctuating with the seasons, Old Sacramento Underground tours will continue through Sunday, November 27. Interested tour participants are encouraged to check the website -- www.historicoldsac.org -- for tour dates, times and availability. "We are absolutely thrilled with the overwhelmingly positive response to the underground tour program thus far," said Marcia Eymann, Executive Director of the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation. "We look forward to another successful year and encourage both new and returning visitors to check out this unique, educational and entertaining experience in Old Sacramento." In fact, Old Sacramento has the distinction of being the only city in California to raise its streets in the 1860s through the 1870s to protect the city from devastating flooding. Tour participants explore excavated foundations and enclosed pathways while entertaining and knowledgeable tour guides recount the tales of the devastation, perseverance, and determination that led to California's only successful street-raising project. The Old Sacramento Underground tour program is coordinated by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) and in partnership with the City of Sacramento, California State Parks, Old Sacramento Business Association and participating merchants and businesses. While tour dates and times will be expanded in the summer months, the initial underground tour schedule as of April 2, 2011, is as follows: tours depart every 30 minutes from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through May. Tours of the underground last approximately one hour in length and cost $15 for adults and $10 for children. As a benefit of membership, Historic Old Sacramento Foundation members receive a discounted $12 adult ticket price. Tour check-in is located at the Sacramento History Museum, 101 I Street in Old Sacramento. Underground visitors will need to be prepared to walk on uneven surfaces in areas that have low ceilings and in occasional small spaces. Box office questions can be sent via email to scox@cityofsacramento.org and more information about Foundation membership is available by calling 916-808-7059. About the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation The Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) is a 501(c)3 public benefit corporation. Old Sacramento is a living historic district. The mission of HOSF is to convey the importance of historic Sacramento as a place that connects our past to our present and future through engaging and entertaining events, activities and programs. More information is available at www.historicoldsac.org. Traci Rockefeller Cusack T-Rock Communications 916-213-4373