Folsom Railroad Museum, California

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Folsom, California · Updated October 19, 2026 · 10 min read

Railroad museumCheck hours with the railroad association before you go

The Folsom Railroad Museum, run by the Folsom, El Dorado and Sacramento Historical Railroad Association, keeps the railroad history of Folsom and its neighbors alive from a Santa Fe passenger car on the railroad block in Historic Folsom, next to the town's train depot.

  • Museum in a Santa Fe passenger car
  • Turntable on the railroad block
  • Next to the Folsom train depot
  • Short walk from light rail

Folsom Railroad Museum at a glance

Hours
Railroad museum hours not posted here; check with the railroad association
Admission
Railroad museum admission not posted; Folsom History Museum $7 general, 5 and under free
Seasonal events
Moonlit Making at The Square
Best for
Rail fans and families exploring Historic Folsom
Parking
Street parking on Sutter Street, a lot off Leidesdorff Street, and a structure at Leidesdorff and Reading

Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to Folsom Railroad Museum? Bring Rally along.

In Rally Takes the Train, a corgi's little legs can't manage the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. It takes about five minutes to read, a good fit for the drive to Folsom.

Page 1 of 8

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

Like it so far? See the full book

25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.

A railroad block in the middle of Historic Folsom

The Folsom Railroad Museum is a project of the Folsom, El Dorado and Sacramento Historical Railroad Association, a group whose mission is to educate the public by preserving and maintaining railroad history in the City of Folsom, El Dorado County, Sacramento County and related connections. The same association is the parent of the Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad, which runs excursions on the old Placerville Branch.

The association's museum sits on the railroad block in Folsom's Historic District, next to the Folsom train depot. A Santa Fe passenger car serves as its office, exhibition space, library and store, and the association also cares for a turntable on the site. Visitor guides describe a collection of railroad artifacts, photographs and memorabilia that show how rail shaped the region. The association does not post regular museum hours online, so check with it before you go.

A few blocks away, the Folsom History Museum on Sutter Street tells the larger story of the town, from the Indigenous Nisenan to today.

Passenger car, turntable and a town museum nearby

Expect a compact visit: the Santa Fe passenger car with its exhibits, library and store, the turntable, and the depot setting around them. The Folsom History Museum at 823 Sutter Street adds the permanent exhibition Folsom: A History of Innovation, and The Square, formerly Pioneer Village, is an outdoor museum and makerspace at 196 Wool Street, just along Wool Street from the railroad museum.

Don’t miss

  1. The Santa Fe passenger carIt doubles as the museum's office, exhibit space, library and store.
  2. The turntablePart of the association's site on Folsom's railroad block.
  3. The SquareFolsom History's outdoor museum and makerspace, a short walk away on Wool Street.

Making a family morning of it

The railroad museum is small, so pair it with The Square, Folsom History's outdoor museum and makerspace, which opens weekends from 11 am to 3 pm with a suggested $5 admission as of October 2026. At the Folsom History Museum, children 5 and under get in free. In late October, The Square hosts Moonlit Making, an evening Halloween event for families.

Plan your visit: tips for Folsom Railroad Museum

  • Take Sacramento Regional Transit light rail to the Historic Folsom station, a short walk away.
  • The museum's location is 198 Wool Street; mail goes to 200 Wool Street, Suite 100.
  • Combine your visit with the Folsom History Museum, open Thursday to Monday, 11 am to 4 pm.
  • Eshuttle offers rides around Historic Folsom.

This October, Folsom History turns The Square at 196 Wool Street into a Halloween destination for Moonlit Making evenings, held October 23, 24 and 30, 2026, from 6 pm to 8 pm, with tickets sold online. For a train ride to go with it, see our guide to Halloween train rides in California.

A local railroad association

The Folsom, El Dorado and Sacramento Historical Railroad Association runs the Folsom Railroad Museum and is the parent organization of the Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad. Supporting its museum store and its railroad volunteers helps preserve the region's rail history.

Rail stops around Folsom

The Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad, run by the same association, boards in Folsom, and the Folsom Valley Railway is about a mile away. The Sacramento Valley Live Steamers Railroad Museum is about 8 miles off in Rancho Cordova. See California's train museums for more.

Every train museum in California

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor of Rally the corgi looking out an arched train window at the ocean and a white bird
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

The heart of this little museum is an old Santa Fe passenger car, and passenger cars mean windows. In our book, Rally rides beside an arched window, watching the ocean go by, and stops to greet a white bird outside. My mom dreamed up that quiet moment before she died in 2021. If your child wants to give Rally a window view of their own, our coloring pages have one to fill in.

Free for train families

Print the Rally coloring pages before you go

Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. Tuck a few in a folder with crayons for the drive or the wait for the next train.

Get the free coloring pages
Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A train story for the ride homeRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi's first train trip to see his grand-paw-rents. Hand-painted in real watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

More for train families

Work or volunteer at Folsom Railroad Museum?

We want this page to be the best introduction to your museum on the web. Send new hours, event dates, corrections or photos to kelsey@rallytakesthetrain.com and we will update it. You are welcome to share this page with your members.

Sources

Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.

Folsom Railroad Museum: 20 things to know

Where is the Folsom Railroad Museum?

The Folsom Railroad Museum is at 198 Wool Street, Folsom, CA 95630, on the railroad block in Folsom's Historic District, next to the Folsom train depot. Its mailing address is 200 Wool Street, Suite 100. It is a short walk from the Historic Folsom light rail station on Sacramento Regional Transit.

What are the Folsom Railroad Museum hours?

The railroad museum does not post regular hours online. Check the Folsom, El Dorado and Sacramento Historical Railroad Association's website, fedshra.org, before you go. If you are also visiting the Folsom History Museum, it lists Thursday to Monday, 11 am to 4 pm, as of October 2026.

Is the Folsom Railroad Museum free?

The railroad museum does not list an admission price online, so check fedshra.org before your visit. The separate Folsom History Museum on Sutter Street charges $7 general admission as of October 2026, with children 5 and under free.

Who runs the Folsom Railroad Museum?

The museum is run by the Folsom, El Dorado and Sacramento Historical Railroad Association. Its mission is to educate the public by preserving and maintaining railroad history in Folsom, El Dorado County, Sacramento County and related connections. The association is also the parent group of the Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad.

What is inside the Folsom Railroad Museum?

The association's Santa Fe passenger car doubles as the museum's office, exhibition area, library and store. Visitor guides describe railroad artifacts, photographs and memorabilia about rail's role in the region's growth. The association also maintains a turntable on the railroad block.

Is the Folsom Railroad Museum in the old depot?

Sources differ. The railroad association says its museum is next to the Folsom train depot, with exhibits in a Santa Fe passenger car, while one visitor guide describes it as inside a historic depot building. Either way, it is on the railroad block in Historic Folsom, so you will find the depot and museum together.

Is there a turntable at the Folsom Railroad Museum?

Yes. The Folsom, El Dorado and Sacramento Historical Railroad Association lists the Folsom Railroad Museum and Turntable among its activities. The turntable sits on the railroad block in the Historic District, near the museum's Santa Fe passenger car and the depot.

Where do I park for the Folsom Railroad Museum?

Historic Folsom has street parking on Sutter Street, a parking lot off Leidesdorff Street, and a parking structure at the corner of Leidesdorff and Reading Streets, according to Folsom History. You can also skip the car and ride light rail to the Historic Folsom station, a short walk away.

Can I get to the Folsom Railroad Museum by train?

Yes. The museum is a short walk from the Historic Folsom station on Sacramento Regional Transit light rail. That makes a car-free trip possible, and riding light rail in gives kids a train ride on the way to a railroad museum. Eshuttle also offers rides around Historic Folsom.

What is the Folsom History Museum?

The Folsom History Museum, at 823 Sutter Street, covers Folsom's history from the Indigenous Nisenan to today in its permanent exhibition, Folsom: A History of Innovation. It also hosts temporary exhibitions, such as Ride 'Em Cowboy! about the Folsom Rodeo. It is run by Folsom History, a separate organization from the railroad association.

What are the Folsom History Museum hours and prices?

As of October 2026 the Folsom History Museum is open Thursday to Monday, 11 am to 4 pm. General admission is $7; military, students 6 to 17 and college students pay $4; children 5 and under, members and Museums for All visitors with an EBT card get in free. Call 916-985-2707 with questions.

What is The Square in Folsom?

The Square, formerly called Pioneer Village, is Folsom History's outdoor museum and makerspace at 196 Wool Street. As of October 2026 it opens Saturday and Sunday, 11 am to 3 pm, with a suggested $5 admission, and it may close for bad weather or maintenance. It sits on Wool Street near the railroad museum.

Is there a Halloween event near the Folsom Railroad Museum?

Yes. Folsom History turns The Square at 196 Wool Street into a Halloween destination for Moonlit Making, scheduled for October 23, 24 and 30, 2026, from 6 pm to 8 pm. Tickets are sold on folsomhistory.org. The Square is on the same street as the railroad museum.

Is the Folsom Railroad Museum good for kids?

It is a small museum, so it works best as one stop in a Historic Folsom outing. Kids can see a real Santa Fe passenger car and the turntable, then head to The Square's outdoor museum on weekends. Arriving by light rail adds a train ride. Check hours first, since the museum does not post them online.

Does the Folsom Railroad Museum have a gift shop?

Yes. The association's Santa Fe passenger car includes the museum's store along with its office, exhibit area and library. Store hours follow the museum's, so check fedshra.org before you go. Purchases support the association's railroad preservation work.

Does the Folsom Railroad Museum have a library?

Yes, the Santa Fe passenger car that houses the museum also holds a library. Researchers interested in Folsom, El Dorado County or Sacramento County railroad history should contact the Folsom, El Dorado and Sacramento Historical Railroad Association through fedshra.org to ask about access.

Can I ride a train at the Folsom Railroad Museum?

The museum itself does not advertise train rides. Its parent association runs the Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad, which boards in Folsom; check its website for the current ride schedule. The Folsom Valley Railway, about a mile away, is another option.

How do I contact the Folsom Railroad Museum?

The railroad museum lists its location as 198 Wool Street and its mailing address as 200 Wool Street, Suite 100. Visit fedshra.org to reach the Folsom, El Dorado and Sacramento Historical Railroad Association. For the Folsom History Museum, email info@folsomhistory.org or call 916-985-2707.

How can I support the Folsom Railroad Museum?

Shop at the museum store in the Santa Fe passenger car, and look into volunteering or membership with the Folsom, El Dorado and Sacramento Historical Railroad Association through fedshra.org. The association also supports the Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad, which actively recruits volunteers.

What other train attractions are near the Folsom Railroad Museum?

The Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad boards in Folsom, and the Folsom Valley Railway is about a mile away. The Sacramento Valley Live Steamers Railroad Museum in Rancho Cordova is about 8 miles off, and the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento is about 19 miles west.

Keep exploring

More family train guides from Rally

Kelsey Cecil
Previous

Dallas Railway & Terminal Museum historic collection, Texas
Next

Benson Visitor Center - Train Depot, Arizona