SACRAMENTO, Calif. – For the second consecutive year, the California State Railroad Museum & Foundation are honored to host the California Invention Convention on Saturday, April 12, 2025. Sponsored in part by the Columbia Trust Company, this annual event welcomes more than 200

K-12 students from across Northern and Central California to present their inventions – creative solutions to solve problems in their own lives or communities – as part of an educational competition. Winners from this statewide event go on to compete at the National Invention Convention at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan. The community is invited to visit the Railroad Museum, view the creative inventions, and talk with the students between 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Museum’s historic Roundhouse.

To help make the experience as rewarding and enriching as possible for the participating students and their families, the community is encouraged to get involved by volunteering at the event or by becoming a judge. No experience is necessary and interested volunteers and/or judges need to sign up directly with the California Invention Convention.

Becoming a Judge

The young inventors are eager to hear feedback about their amazing inventions and judges help to make that happen. Judges can come from all backgrounds and career paths and must be 18 years or older to participate. Once confirmed, all that is needed by judges is to show up on April 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. with an inquisitive mind and a device that can access the internet (smart phones are fine, as well as tablets or laptops and Wi-Fi is available). Potential judges must sign up by March 26.

Becoming a Volunteer

Volunteers help to make this event seamless and successful for all involved. They are needed to help with set-up on Friday, April 11 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. as well as to assist with the event on April 12 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. (volunteers can sign up for one or both days and some shifts may end earlier). As an added bonus, all Saturday volunteers will have the chance to visit the high-energy Exhibit Hall. Potential volunteers must sign up by April 2.

To sign up as a judge or volunteer and/or to find out more information about the California Invention Convention, please visit www.californiarailroad.museum/events/invention-convention.

The California State Railroad Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., regular admission to the California State Railroad Museum is $12 for adults, $6 for youth (ages 6 to 17), and are free for children five and under. For more information about the California State Railroad Museum and Foundation, please visit www.californiarailroad.museum.

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About the California State Railroad Museum Foundation

The mission of the California State Railroad Museum Foundation (CSRMF) is to generate revenue and awareness on behalf of its destinations, while supporting the preservation, interpretation, and promotion of our railroad heritage. The Foundation provides funding for ongoing support of numerous programs, both at the museum's Old Sacramento location and at the historic park in Jamestown, Calif. For more information, please visit www.californiarailroad.museum.