Making Believe Since 1974

Evangeline’s Costume Mansion, located in the historic district of Old Sacramento, resides in two buildings dating back to the middle of the 19th century, (the Lady Adams Building and the Howard House). German immigrants constructed the Lady Adams Building in 1852, using brick that served as ballast on their ship, the Lady Adams, in much of the building’s construction. Because of this, and the unique construction of the roof, the structure was able to survive a massive fire in 1852 that destroyed much of the fledging town, making it the oldest building still standing in Sacramento. The Howard House was constructed in the mid 1860’s and housed general retail goods on the street level and a boarding house on the upper two floors. You can still see the original grand staircase from the street to the 2nd floor and the beautiful fireplace in Storybook Land on the 3rd floor.

In the late 1960’s Old Sacramento became an early redevelopment project and the Lady Adams Building and the Howard House were completely renovated by the Sacramento Trust for Historic Preservation. When the reconstruction was completed in 1974, the first tenants were Evangeline’s on the ground floor and a bank themed restaurant and bar on the upper two floors. The restaurant was named after an early Sacramento banker D.O. Mills, and much of the decor seen in the Costume Mansion, such as the vault door in the Saloon and the mahogany bar on the third floor, date back to this time. These historic buildings were transformed once more in 2000 when Evangeline’s expanded to the upper levels creating the Costume Mansion.

The best way to immerse yourself into the vast expansions of our mansion and its 8 themed rooms is to participate in our scavenger hunt called Murder & Mayhem where you’ll move room to room learning about infamous murder cases and perpetrators of mayhem. As you do, beware of what lurks around every corner, you may find more than you bargained for.

1st Floor

Telephone: (916) 443-2181

2nd Floor

Take the stairs or wrought iron elevator at street level to access these rooms on the second floor.

2nd Floor Rooms

• Gothic Chamber: Gorgeous brocade coats for men and taffeta ball gowns for ladies, ghostly and ghastly killers, sinister FX makeup, a wall of horribly frightening latex masks, evil clowns and more.

• Renaissance Room: Pirates, metal swords, Roman garb, aristocrats, fair maidens, fortune tellers, Viking explorers and your Game of Thrones favorites.

• The Saloon: Old West gamblers, saloon gals, Steampunk, 20’s style gangsters, sparkling hand beaded flapper dresses and all the accessories to add the final touch.

• The Lab: Mad Scientists, Frankenstein’s monster, helpful nurses, sexy underpinnings and black thigh high boots.

• The Jungle: Army soliders, ninjas, ghillie suits and witch doctors.

Have something in mind? Call (916) 448-2594 or send us a text and we’ll help you find what you’re looking for.

2nd Floor Map

3rd Floor

Take the stairs from the second floor or the elevator to gain access to these rooms listed below.

3rd Floor

• The Disco: Get your funk on and travel back through the decades with apparel from popular eras like the 50’s through the 90’s.

• Storybook Land: Fairy tales do come true in this room, with princesses and villains dwelling together in peace. You can find the likes of Red Riding Hood, Alice, Peter Pan, Dorothy and much more.

• The Circus: Find Showgirls, Ringmasters, Mimes and of course, Clowns.

• Wigs Galore!: Choose from over 400 styles and a complete rainbow of colors. Feel free to try on as many as you like after a purchase of a wig cap for 25¢. We stock heat resistant wigs that can be custom styled as well as lace front wigs.

• Theatrical Makeup: You can find our large selection of Ben Nye, Mehron, Wolfe FX and more.

Have something in mind? Call (916) 448-2594 or send us a text and we’ll help you find what you’re looking for.

3rd Floor Map