In Old Sacramento, history lives not only in its cobblestone streets or century-old facades, but also in the voices of the people who call the region home. Over the past five years, as the city has emerged from the isolation of the pandemic, the Sacramento History Museum has become a gathering place for those voices, creating space for communities to reclaim, retell and celebrate their stories.

With support from Bank of Marin, the museum has expanded its mission beyond interpretation and into participation. Together, they have built a platform where groups like Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, the Royal Chicano Air Force and countless others once left outside of mainstream narratives now share their histories as part of Sacramento’s living fabric.

“The collaboration has been an incredible fit,” says Bob Ceccato, vice president and Sacramento commercial banking relationship manager at Bank of Marin. “At Bank of Marin, community is at the heart of everything we do. Supporting the museum’s efforts to bring forward diverse voices feels like a natural extension of our mission, which is to uplift the people and places that make Northern California thrive.”

Delta Pick Mello, executive director of the Sacramento History Museum,
says this work reflects something bigger than curation.

“Every community has its own story and each story holds a thread of what made Sacramento what it is today,” Mello says. “When we invite those voices in — when our Indigenous people tell their histories of place, when Chicano artists share their creative legacy — we’re not just filling in gaps. We’re weaving a complete tapestry of our region’s identity.”

That tapestry extends beyond exhibit walls. The museum has become one of the most followed museums in the world on social media, blending humor and historical insight to bring Sacramento’s past to millions of viewers. Collaborations with the City and County of Sacramento and the Center for Sacramento History’s archives have deepened its reach, transforming traditional storytelling into an ongoing dialogue about belonging and identity.

Today, whether walking through an underground tour, stepping into a pop-up exhibit or scrolling through a video about Gold Rush-era printing methods, visitors experience a museum that feels alive — a place where every generation can find its reflection and where Sacramento continues to tell its story, one voice at a time.