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Sacramento

California's sixth-largest city has one of its most active steampunk communities. The Sacramento Steampunk Society, boasting more than 3000 members on its Facebook page, holds regular events in the area and has a major presence at Clockwork Alchemy, the annual Bay Area steampunk convention. Sacramento is also home to The League of Proper Villains, another active steampunk group.

The city itself is the hub of a region steeped in Gold Rush history, and many historical sites related to that era are nearby. Being the state capital, Sacramento is also home to several museums of California history. Old Sacramento, featuring many restored 19th century buildings, is a major tourist attraction.

This section includes listings about these attractions along with articles about steampunks in the area. It covers the following counties: Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba. The other major city in the region is Stockton in San Joaquin County. Check out the "Steamiest Places" section for attractions likely to be of greatest interest to steampunks.

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TARDIS

Time Travelers Gather in Sacramento

Time Travelers Bazaar was a small multi-genre event, but steampunk was well represented

By Stephen Beale | Aug 29, 2018

Fans of steampunk, Doctor Who, Star Wars and other geek culture franchises converged August 25 as the Time Travelers Bazaar took place in Sacramento. It was a small event, but it had a bit of everything, and steampunk was well represented.

Most Steampunk City?

Yes, some cities are steampunk hotspots, but ranking them is an exercise in absurdity

By Stephen Beale | Apr 18, 2018

A few years ago, a real estate blog crunched some numbers to rank "The 50 Most Steampunk Cities in America." A few criteria were reasonable, but others were ridiculous. Here's our take.

Trophy Robots and Dueling Tea Cups

A California couple makes "re-fabricated finery for the fashionable adventurer"

Staff Report | Apr 12, 2018

After corporate downsizing left David Berry out of work, he and wife Maria embarked on a new venture making robot taxidermy, quick-draw tea cups, and other creations seen at steampunk events.

Turning Scrap into Steampunk

Sacramento artist Paul X. Stewart mines Goodwill outlets for steampunk treasure

Staff Report | Apr 2, 2018

Goodwill outlets sell leftover merchandise from regular thrift stores "by the pound." At an outlet in Sacramento, you may see Paul X. Stewart gathering materials for his steampunk projects. . .

Creativity in Costume

Cosplay at 2017 Clockwork Alchemy and FanimeCon

By Stephen Beale | Jun 17, 2017

One of the big attractions at any fan convention is the cosplay, especially if you're a shutterbug like me. Here's a look at some of the costumed characters I encountered at the 2017 Clockwork Alchemy and FanimeCon in San Jose, plus some additional shots from the latter event. . .

Fancy Gadgets and Proper Villains

Steampunks Converge at 2017 Clockwork Alchemy

By Stephen Beale | Jun 16, 2017

A time rift opened over San Jose last May, allowing a sundry cast of Victorian chrononauts to come forth and stage Clockwork Alchemy, a steampunk convention held at the Doubletree Hotel during Memorial Day weekend. Here's our report, plus lots of photos. . . .

Steampunks in San Jose

A Visit to Clockwork Alchemy 2016

By Stephen Beale | Jun 9, 2016

I've long been a fan of steampunk, but Clockwork Alchemy in San Jose was my first steampunk convention. A couple things I learned: Many steampunks are highly creative, and they know how to pose for the camera. Here's a visual tour . .