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Top 10Historic Sites



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1The Rhine House

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The Rhine House

A Napa Valley icon, this extravagant building (For further details see The Rhine House) on the Beringer Winery estate was built in 1884 as the home of German immigrant Frederick Beringer, who, with his brother Jacob, founded Beringer Vineyards in 1876. The 17-room Victorian mansion, reminiscent of the family’s old German Rhineland home, features gables, turrets, stained-glass windows, and ornaments.

2Bale Grist Mill

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Bale Grist Mill

Named for its original owner, Dr Turner Bale, this water-powered grist mill was built in 1846 so that Napa Valley settlers could grind wheat into flour. The mill and its 36-ft (11-m) waterwheel remained in use until the early 1900s.

3Luther Burbank Home & Gardens

The historic Burbank home, where horticulturalist Luther Burbank (1849–1926) lived and conducted his world-famous genetic experiments, is today a museum maintained by the city of Santa Rosa. It includes Burbank’s modified Greek Revival house; a carriage house with exhibits relating to his life and work; and his greenhouse stocked with tools (For further details see Luther Burbank Home & Gardens).

4Mission San Francisco Solano

Founded in 1823 and completed in 1832 as the last and most northerly of California’s 21 missions, San Francisco Solano was secularized in 1834, fell into ruins, and was virtually destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. Restored in 1913, it is a part of Sonoma State Historic Park.

5Jack London State Historic Park

Named for the writer and adventurer Jack London (1876–1916), this park is centered on the home that he built here in 1905 on what was then his Beauty Ranch. Trails lead through woodland to a cottage, lake, bathhouse, and the remains of “Wolf House,” destroyed by fire in 1913 (For further details see Jack London State Historic Park).

6Lachryma Montis

General Mariano Vallejo’s former estate (For further details see Features of Lachryma Montis), half-a-mile (0.8 km) northwest of Sonoma Plaza, is a key site within Sonoma State Historic Park. The park’s visitor center occupies the former warehouse. It stands beside Vallejo’s two-story, wood-frame home which is furnished with his original possessions.

7Greystone Cellars

This stately and iconic three-story native stone edifice rising over Hwy 29 north of St. Helena was initiated in 1889 as the largest winery in California. The castle-like building was constructed with iron reinforcing rods to withstand earthquakes. Today, it serves as the Culinary Institute of America (For further details see Greystone Cellars).

8Napa Valley Opera House

Locals take pride in their Italianate opera house, which opened in 1880 to a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore. It was restored in the 1990s and reopened in 2003 as a center-piece of Napa’s revitalization. It hosts live performances, from chorale to children’s theater.

9Napa Mill

The historic riverfront Napa Mill, in the city of Napa, originally served as a wharfside warehouse. Today the restored red-brick structure, which is listed on the National Register of Historical Places, hosts fine-dining restaurants, retail shops, a spa, and hotel. Outdoor concerts and events are held at the Riverbend Performance Plaza.

10Sebastiani Theatre

Rising over the east side of Sonoma Plaza, this Art Deco masterpiece helps preserve the plaza’s historical charm. It was built as a movie house in 1933 by August Sebastiani, son of Samuele Sebastiani, who founded Sebastiani Vineyards in 1904. It still functions as a cinema and live entertainment venue (For further details see Sebastiani Theatre).