Visiting the governor’s mansion in Sacramento? Go before Jan. 1

No one really lives in the governor’s mansion in Sacramento. But if you’re one of the 30,000 people who visit, make sure you go soon.

The ornate, 32-room Victorian-style home at 1526 H. St. will close temporarily on Jan. 1 for extensive renovations.

Electrical, plumbing, heating, air-conditioning and fire-suppression systems will be upgraded at a cost of $2.5 million, the California Department of Parks and Recreation said Wednesday.

No reopening date was given, but a spokeswoman says the work is expected to be completed within 2015.

It’s the second recent renovation for the house built in 1877, the announcement says. Last year the third floor of the mansion, which had been closed, was renovated and opened to the public.

Ongoing painting and floor work will be done inside the house before the next project starts. Historic furniture, pictures and artifacts have been removed for protection during the work.

The home, part of Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park, has housed 13 governors, starting with George Pardee in 1903 and ending with Ronald Reagan in 1967. It was the Reagans who turned the house into a public museum.

Current Gov. Jerry Brown and his wife, Anne Gust, live in their home in the Oakland Hills, though they did visit the historic Sacramento mansion on election night.

While the mansion is closed, consider visiting these equally impressive 19th century gems in Sacramento: the California State Capitol Museum built in 1869, and the Leland Stanford Mansion, a Victorian that also recently opened after a $20-million restoration and renovation.

Info: Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park