Twenty museums across the Sacramento region are set to open their doors for free during the 2026 Free Museum Weekend, taking place March 7–8.
Organized by Sacramento Area Museums (SAM), the annual event offers community members free admission to participating museums with advance registration.
Free tickets will be released on March 2 and are available on a first-come, first-served basis through March 5 at 5 p.m., or until all tickets are claimed.
This year marks the 28th consecutive Free Museum Weekend. Organizers say more than 30,000 tickets will be available across all participating locations, though availability may vary by museum and by day.
Participating museums include:
Aerospace Museum of California
California Automobile Museum
California State Railroad Museum
Capitol Park at California State Capitol Museum
Don & June Salvatori California Pharmacy Museum
Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park
Locke Boarding House Museum
Maidu Museum & Historic Site
Museum of Medical History
Sacramento Children’s Museum
Sacramento Historic City Cemetery
Sacramento History Museum
SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity
Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum
Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park
Utility Exploration Center
Verge Center for the Arts
Most museums will offer free admission from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., though hours may vary. Specific hours for each location will be listed on the ticket registration page. The free tickets apply only to regular admission during the March 7–8 event.
To help improve access, Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) will provide complimentary rides for registered attendees. Participants will receive a free ride flyer valid from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on either Saturday, March 7, or Sunday, March 8.
Riders can present the flyer to bus operators or light rail fare inspectors for free travel throughout the SacRT system on the day of their museum visit.
More information, including ticket registration and transit details, is available here.