Discover 7 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Folsom (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park, Folsom History Museum, and Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary. Also, be sure to include Folsom Prison Museum in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Folsom (California).
Table of Contents
Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park
State park in Folsom, California. Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park is a historical site preserving an 1895 alternating current hydroelectric power station—one of the first in the United States.
Before the Folsom powerhouse was built nearly all electric power houses were using direct current (DC) generators powered by steam engines located within a very few miles of where the power was needed. The use of rushing water to generate hydroelectric power and then transmitting it long distances to where it could be used was not initially economically feasible as long as the electricity generated was low-voltage direct current. Once it was invented, AC power made it feasible to convert the electrical power to high voltage by using the newly invented transformers and to then economically transmit the power long distances to where it was needed. Lower voltage electrical power, which is much easier and safer to use, could be easily gotten by using transformers to convert the high voltage power to lower voltages near where it was being used. DC power cannot use a transformer to change its voltage. The Folsom Powerhouse, using part of the American River's rushing water to power its turbines connected to newly invented AC generators, generated three phase 60 cycle AC electricity (the same that's used today in the United States) that was boosted by newly invented transformers from 800 volts as generated to 11,000 volts and transmitted to Sacramento over a 22 mi (35 km)-long distribution line, one of the longest electrical distribution lines in the United States at the time.[1]
Address: 9980 Greenback Ln, 95630-2117 Folsom
Folsom History Museum
History museum, Museum
Address: 823 Sutter St, 95630-2440 Folsom
Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary
Compact zoo with an educational focus. The Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary is a zoo and animal sanctuary located in the city of Folsom, California, in the United States, which has been open since 1963. The facility differs from traditional zoos and is more like a sanctuary in the way the animals are acquired and the care they receive. Though the facility allows visitors like a traditional zoo, the animals are not bred, sold, or traded.
The Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary is supported by Friends of the Folsom Zoo, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which helps by providing both funding and volunteers.[2]
Address: 50 Natoma St, 95630 Folsom
Folsom Prison Museum
History museum, Museum
Address: Prison Road, 95630 Sacramento
Lake Natoma
Lake in California. Lake Natoma is a small lake in the western United States, along the lower American River, between Folsom and Nimbus Dams in Sacramento County, California. The lake is located within the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area which is responsible for maintaining the facilities and bike trails surrounding the lake. Lake Natoma is located 15 miles east of Sacramento, and has 500 surface acres of water. The total length of lake Natoma is 4 miles.
Lake Natoma is a recreational lake for rowing, kayaking, and swimming; powerboats are permitted with a 5 mph (8 km/h) "no wake" restriction. It is home to the Sacramento State Aquatic Center, and regularly hosts West Coast College Rowing Championships, the Pac-12 Conference rowing championships, and, every four years, the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships. The Lake Natoma Four Bridges Half Marathon is held each October at the lake.
Lake Natoma includes the historic Negro Bar area in Folsom, the site of a gold rush era African-American mining camp.
The Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park overlooks Lake Natoma in the city of Folsom. It is a California State Historical site, preserving an early hydroelectric power station.
A paved cycling and jogging trail encircles the lake along with unpaved equestrian trails. The Folsom South Canal Trail also begins at the lake. Several parking lots and boat launching ramps are located around the lake.[3]
Address: 7806 Folsom Auburn Rd, 95630 Folsom
Chung Wah Cemetery
Cemetery in Folsom, California. The Chung Wah Cemetery, also known as China Mission-Chung Wah Chinese Cemetery, in Folsom, California is a cemetery from 1906.
The city of Folsom had a thriving Chinese community of about 3,000 that was drawn by the gold mining in the area. The size and shape of the cemetery suggests that it was not planned well. Graves were reportedly dug wherever there was room, with no specific orientation or layout. The Chung Wah cemetery served Chinese immigrants of the Heungshan dialect while another local cemetery, Yeong Wo was built by people from the Chungshan district. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.[4]
Cohn House
Building in Folsom. The Cohn House in Folsom, California is a building, in the Queen Anne Shingle Style of Victorian architecture, built in the 1890s in Folsom, California.
The Cohn House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
The listing includes an original house built in the 1860s.[5]