You’ve heard it before, but we really mean it: the seat of our state government is finally shaking off its sleepiness and coming into its own as a weekend-worthy attraction. Dozens—yes, dozens—of businesses, including galleries, restaurants, and boutiques, have cropped up among the historic buildings and midcentury architecture in Sacramento’s tree-lined midtown, and the city’s skyline is going to transform in the next five years with some glossy new skyscrapers, one by Daniel Libeskind among them. Nearer the river, the city’s museums and Pony Express–era Old Town are a somewhat kitschy treasure trove for history buffs—Sacramento has survived a cholera epidemic, biblical flooding, and catastrophic fires to become a bustling metropolis of 2.2 million. Who knows if all the new cosmopolitan trappings will be enough to lure a governor back into permanent residence, but the city definitely has enough pull for a couple of jam-packed days.

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If you land in town for the monthly Second Saturday Art Walk, you can hit the galleries for hours after their usual closing time. Artists are on hand to meet visitors, and several galleries provide beverages and hors d’oeuvres, transforming the scene into an all-evening hangout. Some of the high points are the Zanzibar Tribal Art Gallery (dealing in fair-trade art from around the world), the Exploding Head Gallery (which features the work of local ceramists), and the Art Foundry Gallery (for live bronze pourings). Addresses for the galleries, a helpful map, and other useful info can be found at www.sacramento-second-saturday.org.

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You can fuel up for your day or wind down at night at the Fox & Goose Public House. It’s famous for English pub grills and scones, but in the evenings it fills up again, this time with locals enjoying live Irish and folk music while hoisting a few pints. One star of Sacramento’s booming restaurant scene is the year-old Mulvaney’s Building and Loan, located in an old firehouse. Playing off the name of the bank in It’s a Wonderful Life, the restaurant raises hopes for a joyful experience—and does not disappoint. The menu celebrates the local bounty (pork from Dixon, Sonoma foie gras) with wit. The capper is a chocolate-ganache-covered, chocolate-mousse-filled “Ding Dong”. Fox & Goose Public house, 1001 R St., 916-443-8825, www.foxandgoose.com. Mulvaney’s Building and Loan, 1215 19th St., 916-441-6022.

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With all the lofts going up in the grid, a clutch of classy late-night diversions have materialized. The incredibly successful wine bar 58 Degrees and Holding is filled with sippers and swirlers until it closes around midnight. An ultradiverse crowd gathers for heavenly fresh-blackberry margaritas and Mexican fare at Zócalo, just around the corner. And for true night owls, Ink, a tattoo-art-themed bar and restaurant, serves miniburgers and other late-night fare and stays open until 4 a.m. (take that, Bay Area!). One warning: all of these spots boast large flat-screen TVs showing the big game—even the wine bar, though patrons mostly ignore it. 58 Degrees and holding, 1217 18th St., 916-442-5858, www.58degrees.com. ZÓcalo, 1801 Capitol Ave., 916-441-0303, www.zocalosacramento.com. Ink Eats and Drinks, 2730 N St., 916-456-2800, www.inkeats.com.

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A trip to Sacramento wouldn’t be complete without an immersion in California history. Old Sacramento is the city’s biggest tourist attraction, with perfectly preserved buildings from the 1850s and the California State Railroad Museum, which boasts a jaw-dropping (and not just for kids) indoor space filled with steam engines, along with exhibits illustrating the race to build a transcontinental railroad. And if the engineering that went into those behemoths blows your mind, check out the Da Vinci Experience, opening next month at the Aerospace Museum of California in nearby McClellan. Based on drawings by the Italian master, over 60 models, a few of which are full-size, show why Da Vinci was a true Renaissance man. A pet project of our state’s first lady, the California Museum for History, Women & the Arts has exhibits both uplifting (a California Hall of Fame) and sobering (a section on Japanese internment). Thanks, Maria. California State Railroad Museum, 111 I St., 916-445-7387, www.csrmf.org. Aerospace Museum of California, 3200 freedom park dr., McClellan, 916-643-3192. the California Museum, 1020 O St., 916-653-7524, www.californiamuseum.org.

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Midtown lacks a boutique hotel to match its new flash, but there are plenty of options in the area. Among them is the Sterling Hotel, which looks like a small version of the nearby governor’s mansion and features whirlpool tubs big enough for two as well as an excellent restaurant, Chanterelle. You’ll be able to walk to all of the grid’s best restaurants and art galleries. For a history-themed stay, hole up on the Delta King in Old Town. This ferry used to transport guests between Sacramento and San Francisco and is now permanently docked on the river. Most of the cabins are cozy, but the corner rooms are a good size, and if you’re lucky enough to snare one on the southwest corner, you’ll be treated to views of the river and the Tower Bridge. Sterling Hotel, 1300 H St., 800-365-7660, www.sterlinghotel.com. Delta King, 1000 Front St., 800-825-5464, www.deltaking.com.