Explore California's History in the Town of Sonoma

The Wine Country town of Sonoma is an ideal place for a family day out and fantastic place to explore California's history first-hand. Sonoma holds an important place in our state's history, as it was the site of the 1846 Bear Flag Revolt that proclaimed the California Republic, marking the beginning of the end for Mexican rule of Alta California as well as the creation of California's iconic state Bear Flag.

The historic Sonoma Plaza is surrounded by the remnants of the old Mexican town of Sonoma, which dates back to the founding of Mission San Francisco Solano by Father José Altamira in the 1820s. Sites include the mission itself, the remains of General Mariano Vallejo's Casa Grande, the Sonoma Barracks, the Blue Wing Inn, the Toscano Hotel, and the Plaza itself, which was at one time a parade ground for Mexican troops. Lachryma Montis, General Vallejo's Victorian home, is located a short distance from the Plaza, too.

The historic buildings in Sonoma, which are all part of Sonoma State Historic Park, are open daily from 10 am to 5 pm and admission is inexpensive (just $3 for adults, $2 for kids ages 6 to 17, free for 5 and under), so you should definitely plan a visit with your family. It's a great destination for families with kids in 4th grade who are learning about California history, too. The park also holds frequent family-friendly events, including living history presentations, hikes, and campfire programs. Visit www.sonomaparks.org for more information and a schedule of events.

The Sonoma Barracks and Toscano Hotel

The Sonoma Barracks features a small museum, a reconstructed barracks room showing soldiers' quarters from the 1840s, a theater, and a gift shop, and historical exhibits tracing the history of Sonoma and California. In addition to weekend docent tours (offered from 11 am to 3 pm), they occasionally present demonstrations such as musket and cannon firing.

There's a large courtyard out back with some displays and a traditional clay oven which is used in living history demonstrations. Head upstairs for a grand view of the Plaza from the Barracks' second-floor balcony.

Right next door to the barracks is the Toscano Hotel, which offers a glimpse of a 19th-century hotel and kitchen. The Toscano Hotel was originally built in 1851, and served a number of different roles, including warehouse and general store, until it became a hotel in 1886. Free docent tours of the Toscano Hotel are offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 3 pm.

Make sure you visit the dining room out back, where it always looks like lunch is about to be served at any moment. Kids can try out some of the old-fashioned cooking tools in the kitchen, too.

Mission San Francisco Solano

Across the street from the Barracks is Mission San Francisco Solano. Sonoma's mission is the last and northernmost mission on the old El Camino Real. It's also the only mission founded under Mexican, rather than Spanish authority; it was established in 1823 after the Mexican War of Independence. The mission, like most others in California, suffered from years of neglect and the affects of the elements, but was reconstructed and restored beginning in 1906, when it became part of the California State Parks.

There's a small gift shop and admission desk at the entrance. Much of the building is devoted to exhibits, including mission artifacts, rooms depicting mission life, and paintings and models of other California missions. The mission chapel has been restored to its early-19th-century appearance and features a colorful altar and painted decoration, which originally would have been painted by Native American "neophytes" resident at the mission, and give you a real sense of the history of the mission.

In back, there's a large and pleasant courtyard with a fountain, benches, and shade trees. It's a nice place to relax on a hot Sonoma afternoon. Events like the annual "Christmas at the Mission" are held in the chapel. Public docent tours of the mission are offered on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11 am to 3 pm.

Also make sure you check out the Blue Wing Inn just across the street. You can't go inside — it's currently being renovated — but this historic and atmospheric adobe was once a Gold Rush-era gambling hall, saloon, and hotel that hosted the likes of Lotta Crabtree, Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman, John C. Frémont, and the semi-mythical bandit Joaquin Murrieta. It is also purportedly the site of numerous ghost sightings and incidents of paranormal activity.

General Vallejo's Home

A short distance from the Plaza you'll find Lachryma Montis, the home of General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, the last Mexican commandante of Northern California. Lachryma Montis ("Tear of the Mountain") is a carpenter gothic Victorian house built between 1851 and 1852. There's also a brick warehouse, referred to at the "Swiss Chalet," that serves as a visitor center. Both these structures were prefabricated and shipped around Cape Horn to be assembled in on-site in California.

Tour the house on your own or take part in one of the guided tours. The house and its furnishings were acquired by the state of California from Vallejo's descendants in the 1930s, and all the furniture and decor that you'll see inside is original. Also on the grounds are a reservoir and extensive gardens, which make it a pleasant and serene place to linger. The reservoir is a little murky, but it has plenty of resident fish and turtles, who will swim right up to you.

Several outbuildings can be found on the grounds, including the Hermitage, AKA "Napoleon's Cottage," where General Vallejo's youngest son Napoleon kept his collection of pets, including fourteen dogs, numerous cats, and a parrot. There's a shaded picnic area behind the house, too.

Lachryma Montis is off of West Spain Street between First and Third Streets West. To get there by foot or bicycle, follow the paved bike path that runs through town. It's just east of the Plaza near Depot Park. Head west on the bike path until it intersects the tree-lined road to Lachryma Montis. Turn right and follow the road to the house.

If You Go

The buildings of Sonoma State Historic Park (SSHP) are open daily from 10 am to 5 pm; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for children 6 to 17, and free for kids 5 and under. You admission ticket will gain you entry to all the SSHP buildings as well as same-day admission to General Vallejo's Petaluma Adobe over the hill in Petaluma. Learn more at sonomaparks.org.

Free parking can be found in the lot behind the Barracks, which has an entrance on First Street East just past the Plaza, as well as on the street around the Sonoma Plaza. Vallejo's home has its own parking lot, but you can walk there from the Plaza via the Sonoma City Trail (AKA the Bike Path).

Public restrooms and drinking fountains can be found at the Barracks. Food can be found at the numerous restaurants in the area, and you can bring your picnic to enjoy on the Plaza.

To get to Sonoma, take Highway 101 to Highway 37 east. Follow 37 to the Highway 121 interchange at Sears Point. Turn left onto Highway 121 and follow it towards Sonoma, bearing right at the Four Corners area. Turn left onto Broadway and follow it to the Plaza, then turn right on East Napa Street and then left on First Street East.