Folsom Attractions

Located in Folsom City Park the Folsom City Zoo has been open since 1963 and is a sanctuary for wild animals and abandoned pets.

The Folsom Dam is a 340 foot dam on the American River located 20 miles northeast of Sacramento. It was built between 1948 and 1956.

The Historic Folsom Powerhouse is located on the American River and was the site of the first long distance power transmission. In 1895 power was sent from here to Sacramento.

The Folsom History Museum has displays of the region including artifacts from the Maidu Indians and from the Sacramento Valley Railroad, the first railroad chartered west of the Rockies.

The Folsom Lake Recreation Area features Folsom and Natoma lakes with fishing, boating and camping.

Folsom Lake is 11,500 acres and was formed when the American River was dammed in 1893. A 32 mile long bike path connects the lake to Old Sacramento.

Just inside the visitor gates of Folsom Prison is the Folsom Prison Museum. It contains artifacts from the 1800s including weapons made by prisoners. The prison was built in 1880 after a number of delays and contained 50 cells for 100 inmates. It was the second prison to be built in California.

The Wells Fargo Building in Folsom was built in 1860 by Palmer and Day, Wells Fargo agents in the city. The original building was torn down in 1959 but the current structure was erected in 1976 by the Folsom Historical Society.