Old Sacramento to say goodbye to Ferris wheel, schoolhouse; children’s play area to be built
Old Sacramento’s towering Ferris wheel will soon make way for a new Indigenous-themed play space for children, part of a multimillion-dollar revamping of the historic blocks approved by city leaders.
The new Native American Children’s Play Area will feature a play structure with climbing nets and a slide and smaller features that mimic the tule huts, rock mortars and other elements evoking how the area’s Indigenous peoples lived along the Sacramento River, city officials described in a November report on the project. The city of Sacramento collaborated with the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians in El Dorado County and the Wilton Rancheria near Elk Grove on the play area’s design.
“This transformative project is an opportunity to breathe new life into Old Sacramento, while telling a broader and more inclusive story about the people who have called this region home for generations,” said Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty in a statement. McCarty helped secure funding for the project while a state Assembly member.
Old Sacramento’s schoolhouse will also be removed to make room for the play area. The building was erected as a temporary exhibit to mark the nation’s bicentennial in 1976, and has become a landmark though no schoolhouse of its kind ever existed in the original old town.
“Contrary to popular belief, Sacramento never had a schoolhouse of this type in the historic district,” said Sacramento City Historian Marcia Eyman. “Though it was meant to stand for only a few years, it has remained in place for nearly five decades.”
The revamping of Old Sacramento and its waterfront has been years in the making; Sacramento City Council has approved some $47 million in funding for improvements to its docks, blocks of wooden sidewalks, historic buildings and attractions including the Rio City Cafe since 2019, including more than $1.3 million to build the play space.
Construction is set to begin in June with the project expected to be completed in December, according to the city’s November report.
The Ferris wheel was erected in 2020 as part of a Downtown Sacramento Partnership campaign to market the capital city dubbed “We are Downtown. Together.”
Officials at the partnership, which represents Sacramento’s old town, said they will miss the giant, 65-foot amusement, but are eager to see the additions planned to take its place.
“We’re sad to see the waterfront wheel go (but) Ferris wheels are nomadic by nature,” said Madeline Smith, a partnership spokesperson. “We’re excited to see the opportunity to see more development being embraced” in Old Sacramento.
This story was originally published March 18, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
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