Sonoma County is a picturesque corner of northern California in the heart of wine country, and the 23-Mile Driving Tour is the perfect way to experience the heritage and history of the county and the Petaluma area.
Familiarize yourself with Petaluma’s past and present with a 30-45 minute driving tour. The tour offers an overview of the community including scenic back roads where you’ll get a glimpse of Petaluma’s poultry past, and you will swing through the historic downtown area where you will see the exquisite turn-of-the-century buildings and storefronts along with tree-lined residential neighborhoods.
Your driving tour begins at the Historic Railroad Depot, now home of the Petaluma Visitor Center as well as the Historic Railway Express Building, which has recently been renovated to house the Petaluma Arts Center.
Next you’ll visit Steamer Landing Park, a 10-acre site where a canal was cut to create McNear’s Island. According to locals, the park gets its name because remnants of the historic vessel, Steamer Petaluma, are visible at low tide in the channel next to the park.
This tour also takes you past the Sunset Line and Twine Building, a modern 196-berth marina, Petaluma Landing, the Petaluma Airport, Lucchesi Park/Petaluma Community Center, Petaluma Valley Hospital, along the Old Redwood Highway to Cinnabar Theater, through Chicken and Egg Country, past several Christmas tree farms, the site of the weekly Petaluma Argus-Courier newspaper, through Historic Downtown Petaluma, past the Helen Putnam Plaza, a music hall which featured Mark Twain and others, the LanMart building and the Great Petaluma Mill, Center Park, the Petaluma Historical Library and Museum, the famed Western Avenue Iron Fronts, the “A” Street Historical District, the city’s magnificent old Victorian homes, the Petaluma Wildlife Museum, and the fairgrounds.
Petaluma is a small town rich with historical significance, much of which you can experience on this 23-mile self-guided driving tour.
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