Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park
State Park · Folsom, California
Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park sits in Folsom, Sacramento County, on the American River below Folsom Dam. Its brick powerhouse dates from 1895 and is often described as a pioneering step in long-distance alternating current: the plant sent electricity about 22 miles to Sacramento (confirm the details), which helped prove that AC power could serve cities far from the source. The site preserves the generating equipment, the control room switchboards and the canal that fed the turbines, built with convict labour from the nearby prison. Guided tours run at set times (confirm) and a small museum may be open. It suits history readers, engineers and families and takes an hour or two. Summers are hot. Folsom Lake State Recreation Area and Folsom's historic district lie nearby as separate stops, and the American River bike trail passes close to the site, which makes a bicycle visit easy for riders from Sacramento.
9980 Greenback Ln, Folsom, California, 95630, United States
The powerhouse is open 12 PM to 4 PM, Wednesday through Sunday, and California State Parks has kept this kind of limited schedule at the site - confirm the days and times, which may change with staffing and with the season. The grounds and bluff viewpoints may be open outside those hours, while the building interior is generally reached only on the posted tour times - confirm what is open. Summer afternoons run hot, so a morning walk outside and an afternoon inside is a sensible plan. Check the park page on the day you go, especially on holidays, when the schedule often differs.
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