Sacramento, located in Northern California, is the unlikely capital city of the glittering Golden State. Often looked over in favor of the state's bigger metropolitan areas (Los Angeles, San Francisco or San Diego), many people don't realize just how much Sacramento has to offer as a tourist destination. Often voted one of the nation's most livable and pleasant cities, Sacramento has a lot to offer in terms of the arts, culture, architecture, and lovely scenery. For those planning to visit Sacramento in the future, here are some of the best tourist spots.

Visit the California State Railroad Museum. This unique museum has a massive floor area of over 100,000 square feet! This is the largest museum on the planet devoted to the world of railway. Here, visitors will be able to look at 21 restored locomotive trains, as well as many wagons. There are countless railroad artifacts and memorabilia on display here.

Go to the State Capitol. This is a beautiful piece of Neo-Classical architecture, built between 1861 and 1869. It has since been restored (1982). With exquisite marble mosaic floors, colorful gardens, and lovely bronze sculptures, this structure makes a sight to behold. Visitors can check out the Parliamentary chambers and the official governor's seat here.

Check out Sutter's Fort State Historic Park. The museum here was one of the first European outposts set up in California, by German-Swiss immigrant Johann August Sutter, all the way back in 1839. With the pioneering spirit of the Gold Rush era, adobe houses and various artifacts and relics from that era, it's like taking a time warp back into California's history.

Take a look at Big Four Building. This building was named after the four most important men in California's railway history, Leland Stanford, Charles Crocker, Mark Hopkins and Collis B. Huntington. All four of these railroad pioneers got their start in Sacramento before moving to the big city of San Francisco.

Spend some time at Discovery Museum. This is a large modern museum devoted for the most part to science, technology, and history. Composed of four galleries, this museum has an in-depth research facility and information center. Visitors are welcomed to the museum by a movie giving them some background about the museum's offerings.