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
Bay Area District Office: 845 Casa Grande Rd, Petaluma CA 94954-5804
Park Contacts
Administrative Office: (707) 769-5652
Mission San Francisco Solano: (707) 938-9560
Vallejo Home: (707) 938-9559
SPPARKS Barracks Gift Store: (707) 939-9420 retailmanager@sonomaparks.org
Photo, Film & Special Event Permits: (707) 939-6188 sonoma.events@parks.ca.gov
Bay Area District Office: (707) 769-5652
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.
Exhibits
The San Francisco Solano mission houses historical exhibits, an art exhibition, a 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.
Tips for Your Visit
Weather
Summer mornings are often foggy, with sunshine replacing the fog in the afternoon. Expect strong afternoon winds and heavy winter rains. We recommend layered clothing.
Dogs in the Park
Dogs are not allowed in historic buildings that require payment for entry. Dogs on a leash are allowed on paved areas. Collecting or destroying anything in the park, including mushrooms, is prohibited.
Park Passes
Sonoma SHP accepts the following passes: Historian Pass, Distinguished Veteran Pass, & the 4th Grade Adventure Pass. Park passes can be acquired at the Bay Area District Office at 845 Casa Grande Road in Petaluma, California. Call (707) 769-5652 for pass information.
Events
January 2025
Nature Hike - Saturday, January 4th, 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Kick off the new year with a special hike that explores the lower Montini Preserve Trail! The hike will be lead by experienced park staff. This slow-paced hike is a little over one mile in length with minor elevation changes. Sturdy shoes and water are recommended. Meet up at the Vallejo Home parking lot at the end of 3rd Street West. All ages welcome, free of charge, no reservation needed. Steady rain cancels.
Seasonal Marshlands of the Park Program - Saturday, January 11th, 11:00am - 2:00pm
Discover what plant and aquatic life exist in the vernal pond areas of General Vallejo's Home during the winter season! Look for the State Park vehicle along the bike path off 3rd Street West. Rain boots or waterproof shoes are recommended. This free event is part of the California State Parks Junior Ranger program. No reservation required. Steady rain cancels.
Lecture: "A New Look at California’s Mission History" by Janet Dowling Sands - Thursday, January 16th, 7:00pm
Join us with author and historian Janet Dowling Sands as we discuss how the missions are inextricably linked to global history, maritime history, geopolitics, and various scientific discoveries. Lecture will be at the San Francisco Solano Mission chapel. Admission is $10.00 at the door. SPParks members are $5.00. Doors open at 6:30pm.
Monthly Campfire Program - Saturday, January 18th, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Kick off the New Year with our monthly free campfire program! Activities include sing-alongs, s'mores, and a warm campfire. This is an experience that’s fun for everyone! Enter through the Barracks wooden gates and walk into the courtyard. All ages welcome. Steady rain cancels.
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
Educational Programs
Update on Environmental Studies Program
Guided School Tours, as well as PORTS On-Demand, are still available at Sonoma State Historic Park sites. For more information on these programs, 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 is offering ESP for the 2025-2026 school year. For more information about this program, please email petaluma.adobe@parks.ca.gov or click here.
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 | 11:00am to 3:00pm | |
| Sonoma Barracks Tours | Saturday and Sunday | 11:00am to 3:00pm | |
| Vallejo's Home Tours | Saturday and Sunday | 1:00pm to 3:00pm | |
| Toscano Hotel & Kitchen Tours | Saturday and Sunday | 1:00pm to 3:00pm |
Private Group Tours are available by reservation in advance through Sonoma Petaluma Parks, Inc. (SPParks)
Private Group Tour Reservation
Volunteer in Parks Program
.jpg "visitors touring toscano kitchen with docent")
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 VIPP Lead Jennifer.Hanson@parks.ca.gov.
