Discover Historic Benicia!

The City of Benicia, the "jewel" of the Bay Area, invites you to visit our historic community, offering small, hometown charm. You'll enjoy our beautiful waterfront location enhanced by a variety of specialty shops, antique stores, fine restaurants, and a thriving marina. There is something for everyone in Benicia. Please join us for a day, a weekend, or perhaps a lifetime.

A California Main Street

Benicia is one of 30 cities selected to participate in the California Main Street Program. We are also a member of the National Trust Main Street Organization.

Each year, Benicia Main Street sponsors many community events and retail promotions that bring thousands of visitors to Benicia's downtown. Main Street's focus is revitalization and historic preservation of our charming downtown area.

Historic Downtown

Downtown Benicia is rich in California's history with over 30 historical points of interest in the downtown area. Among its landmarks, the restored State Capitol is the most notable, dating from 1853. The historic downtown provides over a mile of unique specialty shops, antique stores, and fine restaurants. As you explore the many facets of Benicia, you'll notice the Victorian-inspired homes and "false-front western" architectural examples that date back to the 1850's and up to the turn of the century. Many of these buildings have been beautifully restored while new commercial developments compliment the old town charm.

The Revitalization of the Historic Southern Pacific Railroad Depot

For many years the historic Southern Pacific Railroad Depot sat empty and deteriorating at the bottom of First Street. Today, it is partially restored and looking beautiful. Some notable improvements are the exterior paint that is historically accurate, the old telegraph lines that still sit underneath the original telegraph window, the ticket window inside the depot, and the original wood floors in the original waiting room. It's a wonderful treat to come visit Benicia's Historic Southern Pacific Railroad Depot which is the home of Benicia Main Street at 90 First Street in downtown Benicia. Since the Depot reopened in April 2002, many people who remember the railroad as a working depot have visited and offered interesting stories about its colorful history.

The Southern Pacific Railroad Depot that sits at the foot of First Street in busy downtown Benicia began as a working railroad depot in 1902. Bringing passengers and freight from the Sacramento Valley, the Southern Pacific Railroad loaded the freight cars onto ferries and shipped them across the Carquinez Strait. A wonderful collection of black and white photos tell the tale of the Southern Pacific Railroad in Benicia and show the intricate maze of railroad tracks and evidence of what used to be. The photographs were donated by John Harder and are the beginning of a railroad museum display that Benicia Main Street hopes will grow.

The original waiting room now houses the Benicia Main Street fundraising store which stocks many Benicia items, including tee-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and tote bags. See's Candies is also carried year-round.

The Depot is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For further information, please call Benicia Main Street at (707) 745-9791.