Ideally situated in downtown Merced, make El Capitan Hotel your home base for convenient trips to Mainzer, Merced National Wildlife Refuge, Bobby’s Market, Merced Antique Mall, even Yosemite National Park. Housed in a historic building on Main Street, this destination hotel offers an urbane place to explore and experience California's lush Central Valley.
Sit down to classic pappardelle Bolognese, spicy angel hair primavera, crab ravioli and other authentic takes on Italian food at this lunch and dinner mainstay.
Visit this spot to get your meat fix on, just walking distance from the hotel. Try the filet mignon medallions, bistro burger, flat-iron steak or rack of lamb. Salmon and fish are available for the non-carnivores.
Enjoy this lively neighborhood restaurant and bar where the menu boasts homemade pastas and Italian classics served with festive cocktails and a smile. Specialty dishes include Destino's steak dinner, cioppino, and mushroom agnolotti.
Created in 1978, the Merced Multicultural Arts Center originally operated from an office on Main Street. Today the 28,000 square-foot Center is a modern and vibrant, three-story multipurpose arts facility providing support for world-class performances, arts education, training, tours, galleries, and so much more.
Surrounded by popular shops, entertainment, and shopping, the downtown is the centerpiece of the city. Find places like Bella Luna Bistro, Toni’s Courtyard Café, the historic Merced Theatre, or Mainzer Theater with its award-wining architecture all near or along bustling Main Street.
The landmark theatre hosts symphonies, theatrical productions, and modern bands, like the Killer Queens in an 1,165-seat theater built in 1931. The self-supporting center is a hometown treasure providing entertainment for the city and Central Valley.
This well-known collection of vintage military aircraft, wartime memorabilia, and personal artifacts is a must-see for aviation and history buffs. The museum showcases the evolution of aircraft and aviation history using close to 25 acres of land, and is named after Brigadier General Frederick W. Castle.
See more than 1,400 mammals, animals, and amphibians, —birds, cranes, owls, Tule elk bulls, swans, and more—up close at this wildlife preserve spanning 17 miles.
Since 1864, this park with its nearly 1,200 square miles, has provided a vast wilderness to trek, deep valleys to hike, grand meadows, ancient, giant sequoias, and more to its visitors. Most known for its striking waterfalls, Yosemite is one of the country's most popular National Park Services.