Share this tour
Offered languages
- English
This self-guided GPS audio walking tour will explore the historic western gold rush town of Folsom, California.
The 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 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 the gold rush and how it's connected to Folsom
• The Victorian homes in Folsom
• The revitalization of the Historic District in Old Town Folsom
• Johnny Cash and the “Folsom Prison Blues”
The tour is ready whenever you are. It plays automatically at exactly the right time and place using your smart phone’s GPS and the VoiceMap mobile app, which works offline.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
This tour begins at the parking lot for Historic Folsom near the corner of Riley and Scott Streets and ends at the Historic Truss Bridge. Before arrival, please install the VoiceMap mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket.
Itinerary
-
(Pass by)
Cohn Mansion, one of Old Town Folsom’s grandest Victorian homes, set among some of the town’s oldest houses on Scott Street. Merchant Simon Cohn built the street-facing mansion in 1894; only the kitchen survives from the original 1859 house. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Built in 1860 for Folsom’s Methodist congregation, this was the town’s first building made of kiln-fired brick. It anchors Figueroa Street’s row of Gold Rush-era Victorian homes and has been home to a Baptist congregation since 2010. A quiet, photogenic stop before you reach Sutter Street.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
The tour takes you down Sutter Street in Folsom
Admission ticket free -
Folsom History Museum (Pass by)
The tour passes by the Folsom Historical Museum.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
The tour passes by the Sacramento Valley Railroad.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
The centerpiece of Folsom’s restored rail yard plaza. A 1997 replica of the 1867 A-frame turntable sits on the original site, where crews once turned locomotives by hand. Look across to the brick roundhouse built over an 1869 engine house, now home to Scott’s Seafood and Willamette Wineworks.
Admission ticket free -
Sutter Street Theatre (Pass by)
The tour passes by the Sutter Street Theatre.
Admission ticket free -
Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park (Pass by)
The tour passes by the Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park.
Admission ticket free -
Lake Natoma (Pass by)
The tour passes by Lake Natoma.
Admission ticket free -
1
A 2.75-mile paved bike and walking path that heads toward Folsom State Prison, opened in 1880. Hear how Johnny Cash wrote “Folsom Prison Blues” in 1953 and played two shows for inmates in 1968, and how Gold Rush mining camps like Mormon Island once lined this stretch of the American River. PLEASE NOTE: If you walk the trail, expect about 50–60 minutes each way at a normal pace, or 5–5.5 miles there and back.
2 hours • Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
The tour’s finale. Built in 1893 from pin-connected metal, this bridge was dismantled and moved to the Klamath River in 1931, then brought home and reassembled on its original stone abutments in 2000. Today it’s a walking and biking bridge with views of Rainbow Bridge and the American River.
Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Your guide to the flawless travel experience
Popular Countries
Get our app
