Sonoma State Historic Park
The Park is currently OPEN.
Please check the hours of operation.Passes Information
Park Facilities
Parking
Restrooms
Drinking Water Available
Restrooms
Drinking Water Available
Park Information
Locations
Administrative Office: 20 E. Spain St, Sonoma CA 95476 | Mission San Francisco Solano: 114 E. Spain St, Sonoma CA 95476
Vallejo Home: 363 3rd St West, Sonoma CA 95476 | Barracks: 36 E. Spain St, Sonoma CA 95476
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
SPPARKS Barracks Gift Store: 707-939-9420 retailmanager@sonomaparks.org
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 Barracks Courtyard.
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 bike path 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, several museum rooms, and our association's bookstore and gift shop. The Vallejo Home has furnishings of the Vallejo family, historic and serene gardens, a resevoir, and a 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.
Events
December 2024
“Promoting Our Parks” KSVY 91.3 FM Interview - Tuesday, December 3rd, 9:40am
Listen in as one of our Interpretive Specialists shares information about the park’s upcoming programs, activities, special events and interesting facts about our state’s wonderful parks!
Seasonal Marshlands of the Park - Saturday, December 7th, 11:00am-2:00pm
Discover various plant and aquatic life in the vernal pond areas of the Vallejo Home! Look for the State Park vehicle along the bike path off 3rd Street West. This is a roving program that runs continuously throughout the year. We recommend bringing rain boots or waterproof shoes. This free event is part of the California State Parks Junior Ranger program. No reservation required. Steady rain cancels.
Holiday on the Northern Frontier - Saturday, December 14th, 5:00-8:00pm
Experience holiday festivities in downtown Sonoma during our biggest event of the year! The Mission will have three ticketed holiday choir shows starting at 5PM, 6PM and 7PM. Everyone will be given a small candle to hold during the show. A limited number of tickets may be available at the Mission for later shows. Then, take a stroll through the decorated park buildings. The Toscano hotel will have the Pickle Creek Band performing some country holiday tunes. Across at the Blue Wing Inn, come in to see Santa Claus! The Barracks will have crafts and snacks. This is a free event asking for donations only. The Gift Store will also be open for Christmas shopping. NOTE: Our Monthly Campfire event this month is combined with Holiday on the Northern Frontier. Join us for our Campfire Christmas program with songs and snacks in the Barracks courtyard!
Christmas in the Courtyard - Tuesday, December 24th , 1:00pm– 4:00pm
Join us for a "Living Nativity" community event on Christmas Eve afternoon. There will be live animals consisting of sheep, goats, a donkey, and even a camel! Also, live role players will be seen around a manger. The gathering will take place in the Casa Grande courtyard located at 20 East Spain Street in Sonoma. All ages, free of charge, no reservation needed.
Interested in becoming a State Parks Volunteer or Docent? Please contact our office at:
(707) 939-6188 or visit our website at: vol.bayarea@parks.ca.gov
School Tours and Education
Environmental Studies Program and Guided School Tours
Guided School Tours are available at Mission San Francisco Solano and General Vallejo's Home. For information on these 45 minute tours, please click here.
The Environmental Studies Program (ESP) at Sonoma State Historic Park will be on hiatus for the 2024-2025 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 2024-2025 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 webpage on the Reexamining Our Past Initiative here to learn more about this important work.
If you are still interested in your school participating in ESP in Sonoma county, the Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park (3325 Adobe Road, Petaluma, CA 94954) is offering ESP for the 2024-2025 school year. For more information about this program, please email petaluma.adobe@parks.ca.gov or click here.
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. If you are interested in volunteering at Sonoma SHP, send an application or additional inquiry to the VIPP Lead at tyler.markley@parks.ca.gov. If you are interested in volunteering at the Petaluma Adobe SHP, contact Jennifer.Hanson@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
