Sacramento’s Free Museum Weekend is back!
In March, 20 museums across the capitol region will open their doors at no cost to members of the community. In 2026, the annual event is celebrating its 28th year offering free access to numerous museums in the Sacramento area, including popular destinations like the California State Railroad Museum.
Here’s how to get free access to some of the city’s most popular museums.
When is Free Museum Weekend 2026 in Sacramento?
Sacramento Area Museums, an organization representing more than 20 museums across the capital region, is hosting the free event on the first weekend of March.
Free Museum Weekend 2026 is March 7-8. Most of the museums will be open 10 a.m.-4 pm. during the weekend, but some hours may vary. Hours for each museum will be posted on the Sacramento Area Museums website, a news release said.
Sacramento Regional Transit will have complimentary rides for museum visitors during the free weekend. According to the news release, when attendees reserve a free museum ticket, they will receive a flyer for free public transit access, which must be shown to a bus or light rail operator to redeem.
Dr. John Vallee, a retired OB-GYN, explains how historical “bleeding instruments” were used at the Museum of Medical History in East Sacramento on Thursday, July 25, 2024. The Museum of Medical History is participating in Free Museum Weekend 2026 from March 7-8. Bailey Stover bstover@sacbee.com Which Sacramento museums are participating in Free Museum Weekend?
Nearly two dozen Sacramento-area museums are part of the weekend celebration. Here is the full list of participating museums:
How can I get tickets for Free Museum Weekend?
According to a news release, more than 30,000 no-cost tickets to the museums will be available to reserve.
Ticket reservations for each museum will be available on the Sacramento Area Museums website starting 9 a.m. on Monday, March 2, and will remain open until 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 5, or until tickets are exhausted. Free admissions are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
In previous years, passes for the most popular museums including the Aerospace Museum of California, the Crocker Art Museum and the California State Railroad Museum were sold out within hours.
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Camila Pedrosa is a service journalism reporter at The Sacramento Bee. She previously worked as a summer reporting intern for The Bee and reported in Phoenix and Washington, D.C. She graduated from Arizona State University with a master’s degree in mass communication.