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4worldlovers: California State Parks is working on a plan to fundamentally change how history is interpreted at Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park to be more inclusive, complex, and accurate. Visit interpretingsuttersfort.org to learn about these efforts.

Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park sits in Midtown Sacramento in an area that has been the homeland of the Nisenan people since time immemorial. From 1839 to 1849, Sutter’s Fort was the economic center of the first permanent European colonial settlement in California’s Central Valley. Its founder was a Swiss immigrant named John Sutter who named his vast Mexican land grant “New Helvetia.” During that time, the Fort catalyzed patterns of change across California. No one felt those changes more acutely than the diverse Native peoples whose lives were transformed by the Fort’s presence. Many different Native people helped build the Fort, and their exploited labor made the Fort’s many industries possible. The discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma in 1848 started the gold rush that ultimately undermined Sutter’s businesses at the Fort and led to an even greater exploitation of Native people across California.

Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park is open daily for self-guided tours. Please call for a list of upcoming of events and programs, or follow us on social media.

The park is located in Midtown Sacramento in the block bound by K, L, 26th, and 28th Streets. The Fort is entered through the East Gate facing 28th Street. There is no on-site parking. Street parking is available and metered by the City of Sacramento. A limited amount of bus parking is available on K Street near 27th Street, and on L Street near 29th Street.

We currently only accept two California State Parks passes for admission to Sutter's Fort SHP: Distinguished Veteran Pass and Historian Passport. We do not accept any other pass, including the California Explorer, Golden Poppy, Adventure, or Library Passes.

The Museum Store provides a large variety of gifts and publications relating to Sutter’s Fort and California history. The store is non-profit and operated by the Friends of Sutter's Fort Association in cooperation with the California State Parks.

Photography is permitted in Sutter’s Fort and the surrounding park for personal use. Tripods and standing flash are not permitted. Commercial photography is not allowed anywhere on park grounds without a permit. Permits can be obtained through the California Film Commission. Visit www.film.ca.gov for more information.