Sonoma offers different ways to explore history, art, gardens, and local markets. When planning your trip, it’s worth distinguishing not only between the themes but also between the types of experiences on offer: there are self-guided walks, a free online tour, seasonal events, and tours with set visiting times.

Experience history in different formats

Mission San Francisco Solano is the last mission founded in California and the only one built during California’s Mexican era. Self-guided walks are offered at Sonoma State Historic Park. You can explore the mission and other historic buildings at your own pace—a format that differs from a tour with a fixed schedule.

The free Sonoma Plaza History Tour offers a different way to explore, in an online format. It features 23 stories about art, buildings, nature, memories, and wine. This means there are two distinct ways to engage with history: an in-person walk through the mission and other historic buildings, and a diverse online tour covering a range of topics. Which better suits your stay depends on whether you want to focus on historic buildings or discover several topics through short stories.

General Vallejo’s Home is another historic place to visit. Tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 3 p.m. Visitors are asked to confirm the schedule by phone in advance, so it’s a good idea to call before adding this visit to your plans.

Art, public programs, and gardens

The Sonoma Valley Museum of Art presents seasonal exhibitions of contemporary and modern art. It also offers educational and public programs for children, teens, and adults. Art lovers can explore the museum not only through its exhibitions but also through its programs; the exhibitions change seasonally.

The museum’s annual Holiday Make-in is a family craft day. It welcomes about 200 participants; both event details and attendance may change. If you’d like to plan around this event, check the specific information for the year in question.

The gardens at Cornerstone offer a different focus: this botanical site is continually evolving and features innovative designs by international and local landscape architects and designers. This sets it apart in focus from the museum’s seasonal art exhibitions. Those interested in designed landscapes will find a distinct way to explore botanical topics and landscape design here.

A market visit with a seasonal rhythm

Sonoma’s Tuesday Night Market takes place every Tuesday from May through September at Historic Sonoma Plaza in Downtown Sonoma. Dates may vary from year to year. The market offers locally grown, raised, and made goods. These include fruits, vegetables, eggs, honey, flowers, and starter plants, as well as freshly baked goods, specialty foods, beverages, and handmade gifts. The vendor mix may change.

The market is especially easy to plan around: it takes place during a specific season and on a set day of the week, while the art museum offers seasonal exhibitions and General Vallejo’s Home has specific weekend tour times. Check the market dates for the relevant year, and confirm the schedule for tours of the home by phone. This will help you choose among these different kinds of visits to suit your interests and the days you have available.

Discover more destinations: Monte Rio, Cotati, Sebastopol, Geyserville, Windsor, Graton, Forestville, Santa Rosa

For the broader travel overview: Sonoma.