In 1981, the California Legislature authorized the California National Guard to establish the California State Military Museum and Resource Center. It was then designated the California Citizen-Soldier Museum in 1983. By the time it opened in November 1991, in Old Sacramento State Historic Park, its mission had expanded from its original intent to focus solely on the Guard and instead covered all of California’s military history.

The Museum and Resource Center is home to more than 30,000 military artifacts as well as thousands of books and documents. The museum oversees five satellite museums throughout the state. The institution was declared the official California State Military Museum by the California Legislature in 2004. The museum in Old Sacramento closed in 2014 and a new site is currently under development.

(Added by Statutes, Chapter 133, 2004)