Historic Folsom: A Walking Tour around the Old Town

(36 reviews)

Sacramento, California audio tour: Historic Folsom: A Walking Tour around the Old Town

This is a 1.5mi walking tour

It takes an average of 90 mins to complete.

Sacramento, California

The United States

$9.99

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Reviews

About the Tour

Join me on this historical walk while we look into the past with gold-tinted glasses and uncover stories buried in the dusts of time.

Our tour begins at the corner of Riley and Scott Street in Folsom’s Historic District and ends on Truss Bridge, with tranquil views of the American River. We’ll take in Figueroa Street, where you’ll find beautiful homes built in the late 1800s, and Sutter Street, which was once Folsom’s main street – and a picturebook Old Western main street. We’ll pass by restaurants and wine rooms and curio shops, along with Folsom’s old rail yard, which is now a revitalized town plaza. Finally, we’ll end our adventure on the Truss Bridge.

On this walking tour, you’ll hear about:

Local Native American history
California’s early history
The history of Folsom and some of its early residents
The history of the railroad in Folsom
The history of the gold rush and how its connected to Folsom
The Victorian homes in Folsom
The history of hydroelectricity in Folsom
The revitalization of the Historic District in Old Town Folsom
Johnny Cash and the “Folsom Prison Blues”

This tour is about two miles long and it’ll take about two hours to walk depending on how much time you spend in any of the museums, restaurants, wine rooms or shops along the way.

Enjoy this walk of a unique gold rush town and get outside! Happy Adventures!

Tour Producer

Lynn Momboisse

25 tours

Hi! My name is Lynn. I am a native of California and have resided in Northern California for most of my life. I have a love for discovering the hidden treasures in my own back yard. For many years I lived in beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea where I co-authored the book Historic Homes and Inns of Carmel-by-the-Sea. During my time in Carmel-by-the Sea, I served on the Carmel Heritage Society, and Historic Resources Board. My love of history and passion for discovering the beauty of the Golden State has led me to create a fun little blog titled "Adventures of a Home Town Tourist" where I recount many of my walking tours and hiking adventures throughout the world. I currently live in the majestic Sierra Foothills and have written several walking and driving tours of the Lake Tahoe area as well as the California Gold Country. I am so excited to continue to share my travel adventures through the power of VoiceMap. I can't wait for you to join me. Happy Adventures!

Preview Location

Location 42

Horatio Gates Livermore

Continue straight, up ahead you will cross Gold Lake Drive. Stay on the walking path, it will veer right then left. Just keep following the path. Our next stop is the concrete bridge over the Folsom Powerhouse forebay. While you walk I will tell you about the Powerhouse.

... Continue straight, up ahead you will cross Gold Lake Drive. Stay on the walking path, it will veer right then left. Just keep following the path. Our next stop is the concrete bridge over the Folsom Powerhouse forebay. While you walk I will tell you about the Powerhouse.

This story starts with Horatio Gates Livermore who came to California in 1850 seeking what everyone else was seeking at the time, gold! By 1861, he realized that he could make his fortune more easily by securing water rights on the American River. His plan was to harness the water of the American River and transform Folsom into a manufacturing center similar to his native New England where water wheels had long been used to operate factories.

To realize this plan, in 1864 Horatio, along with his sons purchased 9,000 acres of land along the river and controlling interest in the Natoma Water and Mining Company. By the mid 1860s construction began on the dam and canal central to their plan, and then labor costs thwarted their effort.
In need of cheap labor, Horatio approached the state of California. He offered to donate 350 acres of his land for the construction of a new prison which would relieve the overcrowding at San Quentin, California’s only federal prison. A deal was struck, in exchange he received 30,000 hours of prison labor.

Well, more delays continued to uphold the construction project, Horatio passed away in 1879, and his sons took control of the business. The dam and canal were finally completed in 1893. But logging proved to be unprofitable for the younger Livermore’s who then turned their attention to a new vision. Instead of water to power manufacturing, they would generate hydroelectric power, to create electricity. In 1892, they created the Sacramento Electric Power and Light Company for that purpose.

There is more to this story but you are getting close to the concrete bridge that crosses the forebay. Also if you look to your right you should see the parking lot where we began this walking tour.

Now up ahead this path crosses a concrete bridge. Stop about midspan on this bridge. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Folsom Historic District
Landmark Baptist Church
Trinity Episcopal Church
Sutter Street
Hop Sing Palace
Sutter Street Theatre
Scott's Seafood Roundhouse
Folsom Historic Truss Bridge
Folsom History Museum
Folsom Amphitheater

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Riley St, Folsom, CA 95630, USA
Total distance

2km
Final location
Rainbow Bridge, Lake Natoma, Folsom, CA 95630, USA
Distance back to start location

317.81m

Directions to Starting Point

Parking Lot Corner of Riley and Scott behind the Folsom Electric Power and Lighting Building

From Highway 50 North
Exit at Folsom Blvd. use the two left lanes to turn left onto Folsom Blvd. Turn left on Greenback Lane, cross the Rainbow Bridge, pass the Folsom Powerhouse, turn left at Scott and right into the parking lot.

From Highway 50 South
Exit at Folsom Blvd use the two left lanes to turn left on Folsom Blvd. . Turn left on Greenback Lane, cross the Rainbow Bridge, pass the Folsom Powerhouse, turn left at Scott and right into the parking lot.

From Highway 80 North
Exit Elkhorn Blvd. / Greenback Lane use the left two lanes to turn left onto Elkhorn Blvd. Once you cross the freeway this turns into Greenback Lane. Continue about 7 miles where Greenback Lane will turn left. Continue on Greenback Lane, cross the Rainbow Bridge, pass the Folsom Powerhouse, turn left at Scott and right into the parking lot.

From Highway 80 South
Exit Elkhorn Blvd. / Greenback Lane use the right two lanes to turn right onto Greenback Lane. Continue about 7 miles where Greenback Lane will turn left. Continue on Greenback Lane, cross the Rainbow Bridge, pass the Folsom Powerhouse, turn left at Scott and right into the parking lot.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

I give you lots of options, you decide where to stop, it is your adventure!

Best time of day

It depends on what you are coming to Folsom to visit. If you just want to walk around, then daytime hours are the best to walk this tour.

Sutter Street comes alive with Edison string lights strung across Sutter giving the town a tranquil background to enjoy a unique dining or wine tasting experience.

You will have the opportunity to visit the following museums if open:
Folsom History Museum, (Tues – Sun 11 – 4 $10 per adult, 823 Sutter Street), Pioneer Village (Tues – Sun 10 – 3 Free $5 suggested donation, 196 Wool Street) Folsom Rail Road Museum ( Sat and Sun 11 – 4 Free, 198 Wool Street) Folsom Powerhouse Museum (Wed – Sun 12 to 4, 9980 Greenback Lane)

You will have the option of visiting the following wine rooms if open: Merlo Family Estate Vineyards wine room,(Wednesday through Sunday from 12 to 6 pm, 815 Sutter Street), D’Artagnan Vineyard and Crystal Basin Cellars (Thursday through Saturday from 1 to 7 pm and Sunday 12 to 5 pm, 813 Sutter Street), The Filling Station (Thursday through Saturday from 3 pm, 815 Sutter Street), Willamette Wineworks (Friday through Sunday 11am to 3pm, 824 Sutter Street inside the Roundhouse)

Precautions

The homes that you will be viewing are privately owned so please respect resident’s privacy and don’t go behind private gates or fences. Use caution when crossing the street, and watch for uneven ground and low hanging tree limbs when walking. When you come to intersections, make sure that any cars coming your way see you and have stopped. Proceed with extreme caution when crossing any streets! Please be mindful of your surroundings and watch for tripping hazards or uneven ground.

Keep your phone out of your pocket or purse while you walk as it is easier for GPS to pick up the signal this way.

If you use your phone to take pictures along your walk, note that using the video setting will shut down the VoiceMap app and you will need to restart the tour.

During the summer months it can be quite warm, so dress accordingly, and bring water.

In map mode, there will be a blue dot on the map showing your location at all times. If you venture off the course you may use the blue dot to assist you getting back on the tour path. The blue dot will show your position in relation to the tour as well as upcoming stops that will trigger related audio content. You may pause your tour at any time and press resume to start up again later. We suggest you select the Settings option on the lower right and make sure the Distance is set to yards/miles, the Tour Player Autolock to Off and Audio Lost Alert to Off.

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