One of the Sacramento area’s most iconic buildings is the Ziggurat, a pyramid-like structure in West Sacramento. You can find it at 707 3rd Street.

Although it is currently home to the rather dull California Department of General Services, legend has it that this Mesopotamian-inspired building was created by The Money Store way back in the ancient year of 1997.

The Ziggurat is 11 stories tall, with a total height of 156 feet.

Fun facts:

• The exterior of the building is Minnesota limestone and glass that has been given a special coating to match the color of the stone. So, yes, it does have windows; you just can’t see them from a distance.
• The building was designed in accordance with traditional Feng Shui rules. I’m not sure what to make of the fact that a Mesopotamian inspired building is using Chinese design rules, but I guess that’s just the mishmash we call modernism in America.
• The Ziggurat is actually the second-tallest building in West Sacramento. The tallest building is currently the CalSTRS Building at 300 feet tall. (Click here to see a great aerial view of both the Ziggurat and the CalSTRS Building.)
• Lots of YouTubers seem to think the Ziggurat is actually an Illuminati temple, masquerading as a bunch of government offices. Which it’s not. (Or is it?!) I mean, it was built by The Money Store, so I guess you could go off on some wild tangents based on that + the fact that American currency features a pyramid with an all-seeing eye on top. There’s no all-seeing eye atop the Ziggurat, though. To my knowledge. But maybe I’m just a brainwashed fool – YOU DECIDE!

And with that, my tour of Sacramento from A to Z comes to a close. I hope you’ve enjoyed the ride, learned something new about the capital of California, and maybe even consider visiting someday.

Check back weekly for more Exploring Sacramento content, and thanks for joining me on this alphabetical journey!