Open Daily 10am - 5pm.
Sonoma State Historic Park
Phone Number
(707) 938-9560
Park Hours
Dogs Allowed?
Yes
Dogs allowed only in historic zone and developed areas. Dogs not allowed in the following areas: trails, dirt roads, backcountry areas, historic buildings, and historic gardens.
Driving Directions to Sonoma SHP
The park's main office address: 363 3rd Street West, Sonoma, California 95476-5632.Online reservations are not available for this park.
Upcoming Park Events
No events scheduled at this moment.
DAY-USE ACTIVITIES & FACILITIES
Historical/Cultural Site
Picnic Areas
Env. Learning/Visitor Center
Exhibits and Programs
Guided Tours
Interpretive Exhibits
Museums
Family Programs
Historical/Cultural Site
Picnic Areas
Env. Learning/Visitor Center
Exhibits and Programs
Guided Tours
Interpretive Exhibits
Museums
Family Programs
OTHER FACILITIES & VISITOR INFORMATION
Parking
Restrooms
Drinking Water Available
Parking
Restrooms
Drinking Water Available
Park Information
Park Contacts
Administrative Office: 707-769-5652 | Mission San Francisco Solano: 707-938-9560
Vallejo Home: 707-938-9559 | Photo, Film & Special Event Permits: 707-939-6188 sonoma.events@parks.ca.gov
About Sonoma SHP
Unlike most parks with a single plot of land and a continuous boundary, Sonoma State Historic Park is a scattering of historical sites consisting of six midtown locations near Sonoma's Plaza. Off the Sonoma Plaza are: Mission San Francisco Solano, the Blue Wing Inn, Sonoma Barracks, the Toscano Hotel & Kitchen, and the Servants Quarters (the remains of La Casa Grande). General Vallejo's Home, also called Lachryma Montis, is less than a mile west of the Plaza. It was the estate of General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, Military Commander and Director of Colonization of the Northern Frontier and founder of Pueblo de Sonoma. The headquarters of Vallejo's Petaluma Adobe Rancho is also preserved as a separate unit of the State Park system and can be visited the same day with paid admission to Sonoma State Historic Park.
Facilities
Free Public parking is located behind the Sonoma Barracks off of First Street West. Public restrooms are located in the Sonoma BarracksCourtyard.
The Sonoma Plaza offers a variety of restaurants, shops and the Sonoma Valley Visitor's Bureau. Dogs are not allowed in historic buildings. Dogs on a leash are allowed on the bikepath between the Mission and the Vallejo Home. Collecting or destroying anything in the park, including mushrooms, is prohibited.
Exhibits
The Sonoma Mission houses historical exhibits, an art exhibition, museum chapel and courtyard while the Sonoma Barracks across the street houses additional historic exhibits among several museum rooms along with our association's bookstore and gift shop. The Vallejo Home has furnishings of the Vallejo family, historic and serene gardens, a resevoir and a Visitor Center and Museum in the adjacent "Chalet".
Visitors to the park can also stroll through the streets surrounding the town’s historic central plaza or travel via the city's hike and bike path on the west side.
Seasons/Climate/Recommended clothing
The weather in Sonoma is ever-changing; layered clothing is recommended. Hot, dry summers with cool, wet winters.
September Events
Sonoma State Historic Park
Twilight Nature Hike ~ Sunday, September 10th, 6:00 pm -7:30pm.
Join us for our monthly dusk hike with an evening adventure on the lower Montini Preserve Trail. Experience history, nature, and community lead by a Park Interpretive Specialist. This slow-paced hike is a little over one mile in length with minor elevation changes. Sturdy shoes and water recommended). Kids can bring a flashlight! Meet at the Vallejo Home parking lot at the end of 3rd Street West. All ages welcome. Free of charge, no reservation needed.
Lecture: Black Bears in the Sonoma Area. Thursday, September 14,2023. 7:00PM
The program will consist of lectures, wildlife camera footage and local research being done by the North Bay Bear Collaborative team studying these animals and providing updated data on their activity. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. in the Barracks AV room at Sonoma State Historic Park in Sonoma: 36 East Spain Street. Admission is $10.00 for adults, and free for 17 and under. Proceeds benefit the North Bay Bear Collaborative. Note: Seating is limited.
Campfire Program Sonoma ~ Saturday, September 16th, 7:00pm-8:00pm
Enjoy Summer with our entertaining campfire program with songs and marshmallow roast. This is an experience that’s fun for everyone! Enter through the wooden gates and proceed into the Sonoma Barracks Courtyard for a short educational talk, singing a few traditional tunes, and tasty marshmallow/s’mores roast! All ages welcome, free of charge.
Lecture: Cultural Hub on the Border of Russian and Mexican Frontier. Thursday September 21st, 7:00pm. Igor Polishuk will discuss the cultural crossroads that shaped Sonoma’s past. Mr. Polishchuk will shed light on the Russian contributions to the construction history of Mission San Francisco de Solano and relationship between General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo and Fort Ross. All ages welcome. Admission at the Door: General Public $10.00, SPParks Members $5.00. The lecture will take place at Mission San Francisco Solano 14 East Spain Street, Sonoma.
School Tours and Education
Environmental Studies Program and Guided School Tours
Guided School Tours are avalible at Mission San francisco Solano and the Vallejo Home. For information on these 45 minute tours please contact Reserve California at 1 (866) 240- 4655.
the Environmental Studies Program (ESP) at Sonoma State Historic Park will be on hiatus for the 2023-2024 school year. This is due in part to State Parks' Reexamining Our Past Initiative, which is a comprehensive review of the department's history and programs. As part of this initiative, State Parks is taking stock of and critically reexamining its past, looking specifically at contested place names, monuments, and interpretative programs in California's State Park System.
Sonoma State Historic Park is home to a number of sites that are associated with the state's history of colonialism. In recent years, there has been a growing movement to reexamine these sites and to develop new interpretive programs that more accurately reflect the experiences of Native Americans and other marginalized communities.
State Parks is committed to this work, and we believe that it is important to take the time to do it right. As a result, we have decided to put ESP on hiatus for the 2023-2024 school year. We will use this time to develop new interpretive programs that are grounded in contemporary research methodology and that fully contextualize California's history in parks.
We understand that this may be disappointing news for some of you, and we apologize for any inconvenience. We are committed to providing high-quality educational experiences for students, and we believe that this hiatus is necessary to ensure that ESP is able to meet those standards in the future.
We will continue to provide public updates on the Reexamining Our Past Initiative, and we will let you know as soon as we have more information about the future of ESP at SSHP. In the meantime, we encourage you to visit the State Parks website to learn more about this important work.
We will still be offering ESP at the Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park (3325 Adobe Road, Petaluma, CA 94954) for the 23/24 school year. For more information about that program, please email petaluma.adobe@parks.ca.gov
For school tour information, please contact Reserve California at 1 (866) 240- 4655.
Volunteer in Parks Program
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Curious about volunteer opportunities? Sonoma State Historic Park and Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park are closely related cultural history sites that thrive witih activity through a variety of volunteer roles.
Opportunities exist in docent tours, museum curation, bookstore sales, landscape maintenance, demonstrations, period clothing program and special events. Visit Sonoma Petaluma Parks, Inc. for events to attend and introduce yourself. We want to meet you!
To express your interest in the Volunteers in Parks Program (VIPP) with California State Parks, choose a link below to apply and specify your park of interest. Send application or additional inquiry to the VIPP Lead at tyler.markley@parks.ca.gov
Docents are avaliable for both public and private tours.
For private tours please call ahead or email tyler.markley@parks.ca.gov to check for prices and avaliability.
We always suggest to call ahead to confirm if a docent is scheduled if you hope to catch a public tour of one of our historic locations.
Self-guided tour sheets are always available.
Mission San Francisco Solano: 707-938-9560 Vallejo Home: 707-938-9559
Site |
Day of the Week |
Time |
|
| Sonoma Mission Tours | Friday, Saturday and Sunday | 11am to 3pm | |
| Sonoma Barracks Tours | Saturday and Sunday | 11am to 3pm | |
| Vallejo's Home Tours | Saturday and Sunday | 1pm to 3pm | |
| Toscano Hotel & Kitchen Tours | Saturday and Sunday | 1pm to 3pm |
Private Group Tours are available by reservation in advance through Sonoma Petaluma Parks, Inc. (SPParks)
Private Group Tour Reservation