Six Sacramento area museums are joining the Smithsonian magazine “Museum Day Live!” nationwide effort by offering free admission to advance registrants all day on Saturday, September 23, 2017. The six participating local museums include the following:  Aerospace Museum of California, California Automobile Museum, California Museum, California State Railroad Museum, Maidu Museum & Historic Site and SSVMS Museum of Medical History*.  The mission of the annual effort is to provide an opportunity for consumers throughout the United States to enjoy and share in our dynamic heritage and cultural institutions for free. New this year – and of special interest to educators -- Museum Day Live! will feature special interactive lesson plans created by Smithsonian in partnership with Microsoft using Minecraft: Education Edition.

A center for culture, creativity and vibrancy, Midtown Sacramento is an exciting 2nd Saturday Art Walk destination where local art galleries and other participating businesses collaborate to host a popular evening open house each month. Midtown guests will enjoy viewing art exhibits, participating in hands-on activities, meeting local artists, sampling food and wine, listening to live music and more.  On Saturday, September 9, 2017, a sampling of the offerings presented by Midtown galleries and businesses include the following:

Imagine. Explore. Discover. In addition to its fascinating Gold Rush past, the Sacramento area is rich with an amazing array of state-of-the-art museums and historic sites that offer visitors the chance to explore California’s fine art, history, science, and wildlife treasures all year long. With summer nearing its end and a new school year beginning, many of the 30 members of Sacramento Area Museums (SAM) offer special programs and activities that stimulate problem solving abilities and help add context to what is learned in the classroom.

While virtually every museum and destination offers elements that extend hands-on learning, a sampling of some of the special educational offerings (many of which must be scheduled in advance) includes the following: