Depot Museum
270 First Street West
Sonoma
(707)-938-1762

Home of the Sonoma Valley Historical Society, the museum is open 1-4:30 PM Wednesday through Sunday.
Since 1937 the Sonoma Historical Society has preserved and disbursed local Sonoma and California historical information and heritage through exhibits, books, pictures, and knowledgeable volunteers and docents. Each month the Society hosts meetings with speakers covering relevant historical content.

Located at the same site as the original Northwestern Pacific railroad, The Depot Park Museum opened in 1978.  The original depot was on the Sonoma Plaza in 1880 and moved to the present site in 1890.  It burned in 1976 but was rebuilt as a replica of the depot. 

Directions from the Sonoma Plaza: From the north side of the Plaza, on the left side of the Toscano Hotel, walk through the courtyard to the back parking lot. At the far end of the parking lot is Depot Park.

General M. G. Vallejo Home State Park
West Spain Street at 3rd Street West
Sonoma
707-938-9559

The last home of General Mariano Guadelupe Vallejo, Sonoma's founder, is Lachryma Montis. In the midst of the sixty acre estate was a beautiful spring that the local Native Americans had called Chiucuyem ("crying mountain"). Vallejo translated the name into Latin, "Lachryma Montis" ("mountain tear").

In 1851-52 the two story, wood frame house was designed and built on the east coast, shipped by sailboat around Cape Horn and then assembled at the present site. The style is Gothic Victorian, with a large Gothic window in the master bedroom, twin porches, dormer windows,and ornate carved wooden trim along the eaves. Bricks were placed inside the walls of the house for insulation, and each room had its own white marble fireplace. The crystal chandeliers, the handsome rosewood grand piano, and many other furnishings were imported from Europe.

Directions from the Sonoma Plaza: Travel time: 5 minutes. From the north side of the Plaza, drive toward the west corner on Spain Street and continue on West Spain Street for nearly 2 blocks. As you approach Third Street West, turn right onto the long tree-line driveway to the Vallejo Home.

Jack London State Historic Park
2400 London Ranch Road,
Glen Ellen
707-938-5216

Park Open daily in summer 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.,
Non-summer months open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Museum open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Click here to visit their web site.

About 40 acres of famous author, Jack London's original 1,400-acre Beauty Ranch was acquired by the state. The original park included London's grave, the ruins of Wolf House, and Charmian London's House of Happy Walls. Over the years additional acreage has been added. Today the park contains more than 800 acres, including several of the ranch buildings and the cottage where London produced much of his later work.

A three-quarter mile walk takes visitors to a dam, lake, and bathhouse built by London. Other hikes lead up through fir and oak woodlands to views of the Valley of the Moon. Another trail leads to Jack London’s grave and to "Wolf House," London’s dream house, which was destroyed by fire in 1913.

• There are no campsites in this park; there is camping at nearby Sugarloaf Ridge State Park.
• Picnic tables and barbecue pits are available; ground fires and portable stoves are prohibited.
• The cottage is open to the public on weekend days.
• There is ample parking. Be prepared for a parking fee.
• There are a few rattlesnakes and there is poison oak; it is advisable to stay on the trails.

On weekend days, there are docent-led walks, which offer visitors interpretive talks of the history and ecology of the park.

How to get there:From Sonoma, take Highway 12 East toward Santa Rosa. Turn left on Madrone Road, right on Arnold drive, andonce you are in the center of the village of Glen Ellen turn left on London Ranch Road and drive to the end of the road.

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La Casa Grande
First Street West
Sonoma Plaza

In the middle of the block on First Street West, next to the Salvador Vallejo Adobe is General Vallejo's first home, La Casa Grande. Construction began around 1836 and completed in 1840. Eleven Vallejo children were born in the house. Over the years, La Casa Grande's many distinguished visitors made it the center of social and political life north of San Francisco Bay.

After the Bear Flag revolt, the ground floor of La Casa Grande was used as a retail store, city council chamber, and other purposes until 1854 when the entire house was turned over to the Reverend John L. Ver Mehr for use as a girls' school. The main wing of the house was destroyed by fire on February 12, 1867, leaving only the low two-story servants' wing which is still standing today.

Mission San Francisco Solano de Sonoma
Corner of First St. East
Sonoma Plaza
707-938-9560


The Mission San Francisco Solano de Sonoma was founded on July 4, 1823 under the direction of Padre Jose Altimira of Spain. It is the last and northernmost of the 21 Franciscan missions along the California Coast. The mission site was chosen for its weather, water, grazing land and building materials.

The local native tribes included the Miwok, Wintun and Wappo. The mission natives were called neophytes, or "mission Indians with many coming from tribes outside Sonoma. When Altimira's neophytes rebelled and burned the new mission's wooden buildings during an uprising, he became discouraged and returned to Spain. Fr. Buenaventura Fortuny from Mission San Jose replaced Altimira and the building of the mission was completed. By 1832 it had 27 rooms in the priest's quarters, a great adobe church at the east end, and a wooden storehouse at the west end. In the courtyard were workshops where the local natives learned craftsmen's and farming skills. There were also orchards, gardens, vineyards, fields of grain, a gristmill, housing for the soldiers, the natives, and their families, a jail, a cemetery and an infirmary.

In 1834 the Mexican Congress decided to halt the mission projects. Under orders from M. G. Vallejo, the Mission became a parish church serving Sonoma Valley until it was sold in 1881. The church and padres' quarters were then used as a hay barn, winery and blacksmith shop. In 1903 the Historic Landmarks League purchased and rescued the mission. Full restoration began in 1911.

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Presidio of Sonoma (Sonoma Barracks)
Spain Street
Sonoma Plaza
707-939-9420


General M. G. Vallejo built the Sonoma Barracks in 1836 to house Mexican soldiers. Actual construction of the adobe barracks building most likely took place in stages. It was more or less completed in 1841 becoming a base for over one hundred military expeditions from Sonoma seeking to subdue the Wappos, Cainameros, or Satisyomis natives who attempted to throw off Mexican domination of the Sonoma area.

In 1846 the Sonoma Barracks became the headquarters of the Bear Flag Party, which in June 1846 proclaimed a 'California Republic' and raised the Bear Flag in revolt. Today you can visit the Barracks dormitory which is furnished just as it would have been in the 1840's. It's right across the street from the Mission on the northeast corner of the Plaza.

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Site of the Haraszthy Villa
End of Old Winery Road
Sonoma

Hungarian Count Agoston Haraszthy, 'Father of California Viticulture', developed the first California winery. Nearby he built his home, an imposing villa, in 1857-58. There on October 23, 1864, California's first formal Vintage Celebration was held, a masked ball. Guests of honor included General and Mrs. Mariano Guadelupe Vallejo.

Directions from the Sonoma Plaza: Travel time: 10 minutes. From the northeast corner of the Plaza, drive down East Spain Street to Fourth Street East. Turn left onto Fourth Street East, then turn right on Lovall Valley Road. At the stop sign, turn left onto Seventh Street East. After the next stop sign, take the middle of the three roads (Castle Road) and follow it to Bartholomew Park. Park and walk eastward past the Bartholomew house to the park where you will find the gazebo and the site of the Haraszthy Villa.

Toscano Hotel
Spain Street
Sonoma Plaza


On the north side of the Plaza, next to the Sonoma Barracks, is the Toscano Hotel. Built in the 1850's it was first home to a retail store and rental library. Later the building was used as an inexpensive hotel, dubbed the "Eureka Hotel".

Around 1890, many patrons were Italian immigrants, and the name of the hotel changed from "Eureka" to "Toscano." Today, the Toscano is furnished with period furniture and looks much the way it did around the turn of the century. The kitchen and dining room are located in a separate building behind the main hotel. Both are open to the public Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays from 1pm to 4pm and guided tours are hosted by docents in period costume.

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