Taking part in the best and most fun things to do in Davis, CA, is a priority for everyone taking a vacation in Davis.
Nestled in California’s Sacramento Valley, Davis is a charming city known for its stunning natural beauty, diverse wildlife, notable museums, impressive art galleries, vibrant festivals, farmers’ markets, and numerous picturesque parks.
It’s the perfect location to plan your next vacation without getting a hole in your pocket.
It offers lots of fun things to do and incredible places to explore that are mostly free for everyone.
Do you know that the United States Bicycle Hall of Fame, which features a variety of antique bikes and trophies, is located in Davis City?
Towards the southwest is the UC Davis Arboretum, with acres of gardens, trails, and a lake.
Popularly known as a ‘Bicycle Friendly Community,’ you can explore this city of wonders and enjoy the spectacular views by bike along the paths that wind through the many green belts and parks.
There are so many interesting things to do in Davis that are worth your time and money. For example, you can buy affordable, locally grown produce at the Davis Farmers Market.
Whether you are alone or with company, Davis is the perfect place to book a vacation and escape the mundane and monotonous life.
Want to know more about this place?
Below are the best things to do in Davis, California:
Fun Things to Do in Davis (CA)
1. UC Davis Arboretum
The first of the best things to do in Davis for nature lovers is to visit the UC Davis Arboretum, which is well worth adding to your checklist.
Davis Arboretum is a 100-acre long botanical garden and research facility located along the former north channel of Putah Creek, built-in 1936.
The Arboretum houses seventeen gardens and collections, including the Lois Crowe Patio, the Arboretum Terrace Garden, the California Foothill, and the Mary Wattis Brown Garden of California Native Plants.
Other collections include the Australian, Conifer, Desert, and East Asian Collections, the Carolee Shields White Flower Garden, and The Eric E. Conn Acacia Grove Gazebo, among others.
This Arboretum is accessible 24 hours a year and is open to the public.
2. Putah Creek Winery
Putah Creek Winery is located on the currently dry “North Fork” of Putah Creek, on the southern edge of Davis, California.
The winery was Founded by Gene & Cathy Glaeser, who have owned and lived on their Davies Ranch for over 20 years. It was originally used as large farmland for rice, alfalfa hay, wheat, etc.
In 2006, they focused their activities on vineyards and stopped growing other crops.
Their first products were bought over by Napa and San Francisco bay area wineries and local winemakers who all attested to the quality of their wines.
From 2004 to date, Putah Creek Winery has been popular for producing amazing and quality wines, including Chardonnay, Syrah, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Tannat.
Their top-notch tasty wine production has won them many awards over the years.
Putah’s award-winning wines begin with skillfully grown local grapes that have been transformed into handcrafted fine wine.
Some awards they have won are California State Fair Wine Competition, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, 2014, and more.
3. California Raptor Center
The California Raptor Center (CRC) is a science education and research facility that was created to care for and rehabilitate orphaned and injured raptors, also called raptors.
The facility receives up to 350 injured, sick, and abandoned raptors annually. They are able to successfully treat most so they can return to their natural habitat.
In addition to educational programs for students, environmental and environmental organizations, the community, and the university, the center offers hands-on raptor management and care instruction.
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine assists with these birds’ medical needs and offers various treatment options, from advanced imaging techniques to surgical skills.
Additionally, the California Raptor Center (CRC) is open to the public on weekdays and Saturdays.
4. The Mary L. Stephens Library
The Mary L. Stephens Library, part of the Yolo County Library system, was initially known as the Davis Branch, as shown in the image below.
They did not change the name until December 2006 in honor of the previous Yolo County librarian who worked diligently from 1969 to 2006.
They kept the other returned books and accessories at Patwin Elementary School, near the Marguerite Montgomery Elementary School.
In 2011 the school was made into a small satellite and opened on Saturdays, 10 am to 2 pm, and Tuesdays from 5 pm to 9 pm.
It offers a small collection of browsing, internet computers, and pick-up materials originally suspended through the catalog.
Their services also include WIFI internet, color, black and white printing, copying and scanning, wireless/remote printing, and faxing.
They have also created two spare rooms for community use and a small conference room which offers spaces for bookings, events, etc.
Meanwhile, due to Election P in November 2007, the building was closed for renovations and reopened in July 2009.
5. Haagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven
The Haagen-Dazs Bee Haven is a unique outdoor museum and garden that provides natural resources for bees and pollinators.
It is also great for studying and observing bees and the other plant species that help them.
The museum’s garden aims to inspire and inform visitors to better understand bees, their lives, and the vital contribution they play to ecology.
The garden also invites visitors to design pollinator habitat gardens of their own.
Honey Bee Research Facility on Bee Biology Road, UC Davis is located near the Harry H. Laidlaw, Jr. Bee Research Facility.
The garden was generously donated to UC Davis by Haagen-Dazs and is open year-round at all hours of the day.
Things to Do in Davis (CA) at Night
1. University Theatre
Previously built on top of an old blacksmith shop in Davis in 1921, the city entered into an agreement on October 25, 2005, to move it to its current location, where it will be leased to Jon Fenske and Sinise Novakovic.
The Jon Fenske duo wants to use the building for the current operation of the Varsity Theatre, primarily as an art cinema.
Meanwhile, as more new cinemas grew, the Varsity Theater was used as a performing arts center until 2005, when it became a single-screen arthouse cinema.
The theater offers a wide range of interesting scenery.
It is the place in Davis city to explore art houses and foreign and independent films that are not usually seen in most other theaters.
It has two screens, including a larger theater that seats 270 and a smaller theater that seats 97 with a stadium.
The cinema offers digital 3D projection capacity.
2. Veterans Memorial Theater
For some theater time, add a visit to the Veterans Memorial Theater to your list of things to do in Davis.
The Veterans Memorial Theater is a 325-seat theater home to various performances, from dance recitals to live music shows, conferences, and live performances.
Adjacent to The Memorial, Theater is the Veterans Memorial Center with a multi-purpose space, catering kitchen, and game room that can be used for special events and functions.
This Veterans Memorial Center is well known for hosting social events, services, gatherings, weddings, as well as yoga or pilates classes.
Facilities at the Veterans Memorial Theater and Center include a lawn for outdoor events and off-street parking, a snack bar, and modern restrooms.
3. VINI Wine Bar
VINI provides an invaluable opportunity to showcase over 72 wines worldwide through their state-of-the-art amazing wine serving system.
It allows patrons to pour 2-ounce servings of wine using the VINI Tasting Card provided to them.
VINI Wine Bar offers an excellent collection of constantly changing wines at an average price of $3-$3.50 per hour. You can also have wine by the glass.
There is a rotating collection of 6 craft liqueurs served in a properly branded glass.
Other interesting offerings in their catalogs include Ame Mean Eats’ small plate offering available for bites etc.
The bar has a very chilled and casual atmosphere, with jazz music providing the background ambiance. The VINI wine bar offers a huge selection of wines, beers, and events.
Things to Do in Davis For Couples
1. Davis Transmedia Art Walk
One memorable way to explore the city is with the Davis Transmedia Art Walk Tours, which is good to be added to your list of things to do in Davis.
The John Natsoulas Center of the Arts provides curator- and artist-led group tours and family art walks, the best transmedia art walks in the United States. Guided tours are possible on Sundays and Saturdays only by prior arrangement.
On a tour, you will explore the works of some of the country’s most notable artists- Roy DeForest, Robert Arneson, Wayne Thiebaud, etc.
The walking tour concludes with a private lunch and a visit to the John Natsoulas Art Museum and lasts two to three hours. Group tours can be arranged.
2. The Artery
Are you interested in art? If so, add a visit to Artera to your list of things to do in Davis.
The artery is an artist-owned and operated gallery dedicated to exhibiting the finest work and innovative arts and crafts created by local artists.
The gallery was established in 1974 with the aim of providing a space where local artists had the freedom to exhibit their work and share their love of art with the wider public.
Artery exhibits the paintings of its 70 members across various media, from watercolors and oils, stone and metal sculptures, photography, ceramic tableware and textile art, handmade jewelry, and much more.
Artists in the exhibition include John Alexander, Richard Bartlett, Heidi Bekebrede, Linda Bird, Sharon Bloom, and Marie Brown, to name a few.
Artery opens from Monday to Sunday with different opening hours.
3. Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum
Jana Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, also called the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, is a beautiful fine art museum at the University of California.
The museum houses an impressive collection of old master prints, East Asian art, and ceramics.
Richard L. Nelson founded the famous art faculty in the 1960s. Today, the museum has an extensive collection of nearly 6,000 works of art, including many pieces by Bruce Nauman, Wayne Thiebaud, Robert Arneson, Roland Petersen, and many other artists.
In addition to being a financial donor to the institution, Jan Shrem has also donated artwork and sculptures from his personal art collection to the collection.
Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum open Monday through Sunday and is worth making your plan of things to do in Davis.
Things to Do in Davis (CA) For Kids
1. Davis Paintball
Davis Paintball features childhood games like tag and hide and seek in a much more challenging and sophisticated way.
The idea of the game is to challenge players to eliminate opponents by using paintballs to mark them.
It is safer than golf as long as you follow the recommended safety standards.
The game uses paintball guns, pressurized gas tanks, comfortable ventilated masks, and paintballs. Every game has a maximum time limit of approx. 10 minutes.
Also, as the games go on, all players involved must take a break.
A break is given to check their equipment, get more marbles and have a snack or drink while they exchange their “war” stories.
Whether you win or lose in this game, you are sure to have a great and fun time, and there is always another part of the game waiting to start as soon as possible.
Again, whether it’s your first time playing paintball or your thousandth, Davis Paintball will give you an action-packed, fun-filled day you’ll never forget in a hurry.
There are a variety of battlefields to choose from, be it fast hyper ball fields or large scenario fields, both of which require different strategic approaches to defeat your opponents.
2. Explore the Science Center
Looking for fun things to do in Davis with your kids? If so, make a visit to the Explorit Science Center, an activity.
Explorit Science Center is a science museum dedicated to encouraging a fascination with science and nature by enabling curiosity and discovery.
The museum has practical exhibits designed for children of all ages.
They also offer weekday school field trips or summer training.
Exhibits in this museum are about Mars and NASA expeditions that took them to Mars; Planets – a table that outlines basic information about the planets of our Sun, Science “factoids” about all things science; tour of the Galapagos Islands.
Children can play challenging games, quizzes, and puzzles on a range of subjects that promote learning through play.
The museum houses a number of events and activities for families throughout the year.
3. John Natsoulas Center for the Arts
The John Natsoulas Art Gallery, has been renamed The John Natsoulas Center for the Arts, is a large art gallery located in downtown Davis.
The art gallery is committed to promoting the study of art, its history and showcasing regional talent as well as California artwork.
The art center holds four floors of artwork, including an art-filled rooftop garden and a sculpture rooftop garden.
The gallery is also a space for cultural meetings, conferences, and other public events.
It also organizes a number of musical, literary, and artistic events throughout the year.
The Davis art scene is the largest art gallery in Davis and an integral part of the city. The gallery also manages the Srub gallery in the former scout cabin.
It also has a cafe where light meals are served, and drinks are available during opening hours.
Indoor Activities to Do in Davis
1. Stone Photography Gallery
Planning to have fun exploring the great city of Davis? The Stone Photography Gallery is a place not to be missed, providing unique artistic visions that interpret the man-made and natural worlds.
Founded in 2013 by artists Andrea B. Stone and Rob Stone, the gallery aimed to connect art lovers with high-quality, award-winning works.
You will be offered the opportunity to view artworks in an intimate setting that showcases unique techniques.
Thanks to its amazing artists, Stone Photography Gallery has transformed mere urban structures into extraordinary portraits of the contemporary metropolis. Also, thanks to them, the city turned into an illuminated stage full of hypergraphic contrasts, high-quality geometries, and deep wonders.
You will also find amazing creations of the natural world through black and white landscape photography and documentation of man’s attachment to the landscape, the desire to rob it, and ultimately recreate it.
The gallery is available for gala evenings and individual tours throughout the year.
2. UC Davis Design Museum
This Design Museum in UC Davis is a student museum at UC Davis that studies how design patterns affect the objects we use every day and how they can be economically improved.
The museum has a number of rotating exhibitions throughout the year, which change each quarter to showcase the work students in the university’s graduate and undergraduate classes have created each spring quarter.
The museum also displays exhibits and photographs from previous exhibitions.
He also enlists the help of senior college students in the design department to help with the design process of installation, preparation, and handling of objects.
The UC Davis Design Museum is open to the public and is open Monday through Friday.
3. Bohart’s Museum of Entomology
The Bohart Museum of Entomology has a collection of over 7 million specimens of freshwater and terrestrial arthropods.
The museum was founded in 1946 on the campus of the University of California, Davis.
The museum is now the seventh largest insect collection of its kind in North America, with species from Australasia and the Western Hemisphere.
The museum is affiliated with the entomology department at UC Davis and is a research resource for the department as a teaching collection of insects for undergraduate entomology courses offered on campus.
The Bohart Museum of Entomology is open to the public Monday through Thursday and is worth adding to your “things to do in Davis” list.
Free Things to Do in Davis (CA)
1. Go Sightseeing at Davis Farmers Market
The Davis Farmers Market is held every Saturday morning, Wednesday evening, and afternoon year-round and offers an assortment of handmade products, farms, and crafts.
The lively market offers organically certified produce, vegetables and fruit, premium meat and poultry, honey and local eggs, flowers, herbs, homemade bread, cakes, and sweets.
The market also includes the Market Shed, which sells handmade bags, clothing with the market logo, and postcards.
Every Wednesday in the summer, the Davis Farmers Market hosts its annual “Picnic in the Park” event, which transforms the market into a celebration of music, food, and fun.
Visiting this farmers market is one of the best things to do in Davis and is worth adding to your checklist.
2. The Carolee Shields White Flower Garden
The Carolee Shields White Flower Garden is a colorful themed garden located in the UC Davis Arboretum and based on medieval gardens from Japan and India with a view of the moon.
The garden has curved paths leading to an edgy gazebo that is covered in vines. It also has beautiful flowers and fragrant plants.
The light-colored flowers are especially beautiful when illuminated by the moon.
Features include the Crowe Garden, The Native American Contemplative Gardens, Putah Creek Lodge Bridges, Boathouse and Wharf, and a great pavilion.
Carolee Shields Garden is a popular venue for weddings, celebrations, and other special events.
3. Impossible Acres
Among the fun things to do in Davis, a visit to Impossible Acres is one worth adding to your checklist.
Impossible Acre is a family-owned farm in Davis where guests can pick their own fruits and vegetables.
The farm is home to varieties of seasonal vegetables and fruits throughout the year, such as blackberries, raspberries and cherries, apples, peaches and corn, pumpkins, and gourds for visitors to pick themselves.
The farm also keeps chickens, goats, and ponies and features a maze and hay rides.
In the fall, Impossible Acres becomes the Pumpkin Patch, featuring farm animals, a petting zoo, and other fun activities for kids.
In addition, Impossible Acres boasts amazing farms that are perfect for picnics during the summer.
Romantic Things to Do in Davis (CA)
1. The Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for Arts
The Center is an art and entertainment venue located on the campus of the University of California.
The center is dedicated to providing an exciting program of various art forms, including contemporary dance and music for theater and ballet performances and orchestras.
This center was named after Robert Mondavi – an art patron and vineyard owner.
The state-of-the-art center is an intimidating structure that includes a spacious glass lobby surrounded by sandstone.
The interiors are elegant and built of identical stone.
Facilities located in the Mondavi Center include a 1,801-seat Jackson Hall named after university faculty member William Jackson and a 250-seat Vanderhoef Studio Theater in honor of Vice Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef.
A visit to this performing arts center should be foremost on your list of best things to do in Davis for some theater time.
2. Davis Greenbelt
The Davis Greenbelt, also known as the Greenbelt, is an urban green space with bike lanes and paved paths running from east to west of Davis.
The Greenbelt is one in a system of 10 different greenbelts that are connected near Davis and has 60 miles of Greenbelt, about 10 square miles of which are incorporated into the city.
The Greenbelt includes an arboretum, expansive grassy lawns equipped with tables and picnic tables, and plenty of areas to run, walk or bike through tunnels and bridges that allow bikes to pass through.
The green belts are divided into eastern, northern, southern, and western areas. North Davis includes the Covell, Northstar, and Senda Nueva Greenbelts, while the South Davis Greenbelts include Putah and Willow Creek.
East Davis is home to Green Meadows, Wildhorse, West Davis, Aspen, and Evergreen.
3. Hattie Weber Museum
If you’re interested in the history of Davis, add a visit to the Hattie Weber Museum to your things to do in Davis list.
The Hattie Weber Museum is devoted to highlighting the past and growth that has shaped the city of Davis and surrounding areas.
It was founded in 1911 and named after Harriet Elisha (Hattie) Weber, who was the first librarian to be paid at Davis.
The museum is home to many exhibits showcasing the culture and history of the city through a series of impressive interactive exhibits and exhibitions.
The museum is in a former library that has been beautifully rebuilt to its former glory and moved to the northwest corner of C and also Fifth on the west side of Central Park.
The Hattie Weber Museum is only open on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Plan your visit during this period.
Cheap Things to Do in Davis (CA)
1. Davis Golf Course, Davis, CA
Are you a golf fan? Maybe you’ve got golf skills and want to spend part of your vacation playing.
Well, get ready to catch this fun as Davis Golf Course allows you to enjoy its complete golf facilities.
Apart from the 18-hole course, it features one driving range and two putting greens.
Do you wish to learn how to play golf? Well, the Davis Golf Course is also there to provide beginners with a series of lectures and training and provide more techniques to already skilled golfers.
It also hosts small and large tournaments, including shotguns.
Their challenges are made up of out-of-bounds left on every hole. You will also find water available on 15 of 18 holes and three holes featuring out-of-bounds on both left and right, and several fairways are regarded as narrow.
Every available green, excluding one, features small, raised dishes with many opportunities for tough breaking putts.
Meanwhile, subtle breaking putts look to come up rather too often. You can book any tournament size of your choice up to one year in advance.
Then, they can start taking in your request for the following year at the start of each fall. Also, a limited number of shotgun tournament dates are available every year.
2. Great Bear Vineyards
One of the best things for wine lovers to do in Davis is visiting Great Bear Vineyards.
Great Bear Vineyards is a vineyard and winery located in north Davis that produces excellent, full-flavored wines made from the finest grapes.
The estate is located on a beautiful plot of land dotted with rolling vineyards. It has an impressive barn, homestead, and gardens dating back to 1860. Located near Davis University.
Great Bear Vineyards has a world-class viticulture and viticulture department and local experts who share their love of wine and share their knowledge for free.
Great Bear Vineyards has a small selection of premium wines available for purchase at specific wine tasting events as well as through their wine club.
3. De Vere’s Irish Pub, Davis
Both the Davis and Sacramento pubs will close on Sunday after 10 and 14-year runs.
Have you been dreaming of the best possible treatment at one of the best restaurants you’ve ever seen?
Then, if you are planning a trip to the city of Davis, don’t forget to visit the famous Irish pub.
The pub was founded by Simon and Henry de Vere White in 2009 and is a wonderful restaurant and bar.
It is located in the area of the previous Soga and serves some of the best traditional Irish pub food, including Irish stew, Reuben sandwiches, bangers, etc. It has been called De Vere’s Irish Pub for its expertise in high-end Irish food.
Amazing British and Irish drinks are available, including stouts, ciders, whiskeys, and coffees.
Much of its food is produced in-house with a focus on good foods. In other words, they butcher their meat, salt Irish bacon, double grind their burgers and bake their own Irish brown bread.
4. US Bicycling Hall of Fame
The U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame is a museum dedicated to the preservation and promotion of bicycling as a sport.
Founded by the town of Somerville, New Jersey, the museum houses an extensive collection of vintage bikes, including bikes that belonged to Major Taylor and Frank Louis Kramer.
The museum also boasts sporting memorabilia, cycling memorabilia, and Frank Kramer’s masters medals and sashes.
The main floor of the museum is filled with interesting exhibits, such as the Greg LeMond exhibit and The Tour of California presentation.
While the basement is home to an impressive collection of historic and iconic bicycles.
The United States Bicycling Hall of Fame is only open on Saturdays and Wednesdays.
Cool Things to Do in Davis (CA)
1. University of California Davis Campus
The Davis Campus of the University is a non-profit institution and is one of ten schools that make up the University of California University.
Founded in 1905 as an agricultural institution to support UC–Berkeley, the University of California offers a range of opportunities to undergraduate, graduate, and professionals.
It is located on a large 5,300-acre land located just 25 miles from Sacramento.
The university has an airport, a fire station, and an impressive selection of outdoor sculptures called Eggheads. It also has more than 500 student groups on campus.
UC Davis has more than 20 NCAA Division I teams and is home to the Aggie Pack, the largest student organization in the United States.
2. Central Park
One of the best fun things to do in Fort Davis is a visit to Central Park, which is worth adding to your checklist.
Central Park Gardens is an award-winning park that has different themes and a stunning landscape.
Established in the 1990s, Central Park Gardens has a variety of gardens that range from drought-tolerant and edible pots to California natives and other nature-friendly flowers.
Gardens include Rose and Flower, Sensory, California Natives, Vegetable, Meadow, Beneficial Insect Habitat, and Waterwise.
The gardens are enhanced by a wonderful selection of art for public viewing in the form of paintings and sculptures by local artists.
They are also a popular place for people to sit, relax, have a picnic, and learn details about the animals and plants of the region.
3. Wildhorse Golf Club
Wildhorse Golf Club in Davis is an award-winning golf course that has been voted “Best Public Golf Course in Yolo County.”
The course was designed by renowned Course Architect Jeff Brauer.
The course uses natural features such as bunkers, ponds, trees, and Covell Creek to frame each hole.
The club also offers excellent practice facilities, including 24 range practice mats available year-round and 30 grass ranges accessible on Saturdays, Fridays, and Sundays in late spring, summer, and early autumn.
The Learning Center is where you can get golf lessons as well as coaching to improve your game from the club’s golf professionals.
Conclusion
If it’s a fun trip you look forward to, Davis (CA) is your perfect destination. All the fun things to do in Davis are perfect for your budget, and you are assured of the best time.
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