(credit: The California Museum)

Riding Concrete: Skateboarding California
Through March 25, 2012
The California Museum
1020 O Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 653-7524
Admission Fees: Adults- $8.50, Seniors and College Students- $7, Youth (Age 6-13)-$6, 5 and under- Free
Hours: Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Website

If you are tired of dusty, stagnant museums that don’t promote discussion and hands-on learning, you’ll love the California Museum. The first of its kind, the museum showcases the rich history of California. With special exhibits for both younger and older children, the museum is truly family friendly. The California Museum is a one of a kind space for learning about the legacy of California.

Riding Concrete: Skateboarding in California is one of many exhibits that displays some of the more non-traditional California history and runs through March 25, 2012. The exhibit is curated by Z-Boy Nathan Pratt. Pratt was the co-star of 2002’s “Dogtown and Z-Boys”, a documentary about the 1970s Zephyr skating team and was one of the first to popularize aerial tricks on the skateboard.

Nathan Pratt (Photo by Craig Stecyk, Courtesy of Z-BOY® Archive)

Skateboarding began in the 1950’s with wood plank boards and metal wheels. Travel through history and see the many skateboard prototypes that have fallen in to and out of style as engineering has improved the style of the sport. As you progress through the exhibit, you can see the first manufactured skateboards that were sold in Los Angeles by a surf shop to give surfers something to ride when the waves weren’t cooperating. Since then, skateboarding and skaters have transformed the sport into a culture of its own.

Highlights of the exhibit include the first professional model skate board, the first board with urethane wheels, the first Zephyr board, rare boards and a Willy Mays board signed by Tony Hawk.

(credit: The California Museum)

The exhibit also features many multimedia presentations at two video stations. Many of the presentations include footage from some of the most respected skaters as well as artists. The California Museum is located in the California State Archives building at the corner of 10th and O Streets in downtown Sacramento. Parking is free on weekends and holidays and there are numerous parking garages in the immediate area if street parking is unavailable.

Michelle Ventress is a freelance editor and writer who lives in Sacramento with her husband and their
two dogs. When not writing, Michelle enjoys traveling, gardening and spending time with her family.