Benicia Capitol State Historic Park

The fledgling town of Benicia built this Greek Revival/Palladian structure to lure the State Legislature, which convened its 1853-54 session there before moving to Sacramento. The building served a number of uses for the next century until the State of California took steps to acquire its oldest capitol building as a State Historic Monument in 1951.

After a few years of careful restoration, it was opened to the public in 1958 as Benicia Capitol State Historic Park. The building contains original furnishings, historic documents, the state seal embossing press, and an 1850s safe. The Senate and Assembly chambers appear as they were during Benicia's Capitol days.

This pre-Civil War home was moved to its current site from a few blocks away and originally occupied by the Joseph Fischer family in 1858. Three generations of the family resided in the house until 1966, when Fischer's granddaughters donated it to the State. The home and its original artifacts date to the 1840s.

The Hanlon sisters were teachers, and many of the different plants in the garden were given to them by students. Several are more than a century old, including the beautiful Japanese wisteria. The backyard also has several ancillary buildings including the servants' quarters, carriage house and privy.