Unlike some of the other reviewers here (who've written some truly hilarious narratives), I didn't have the chance to stay at Folsom Prison. But I really wanted to see Folsom and while on the way to Folsom Lake State Recreation Area with friends, we noticed a sign for the Folsom Prison Museum. Naturally, curiosity won out and we took a much desired detour. Despite having checked online and learning the museum is closed for the foreseeable future (likely budget related), we still decided to drive onto the prison campus anyway to at least see the outside. Mission accomplished! Not only did we find the museum and snap a bunch of fun photos but we also ended up meeting two of the friendliest prison guards imaginable (please note: they're also the only prison guards I've ever met, but still!). They generously took the time to share stories about the prison's history, current conditions, and even fun trivia like the fact that all California license plates are made here at Folsom. Incredible! Oh! I also got a Junior Correctional Officer sticker, how fun!!! Their kindness and willingness to chat really made the stop worthwhile, even without stepping inside the museum. Which, by the way, the museum is the old warden's residence! While I'd love to return if the museum ever reopens, I'll definitely pass on the chance to spend a night here as an official guest. Still, for a quick, quirky, and historic stop, Folsom Prison delivered. read more

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The Johnny Cash trail was interesting to say the least. Definitely wear sunscreen as the sun beams down, you'll get your steps in for sure. This is not for the weak or slightly interested. Pay attention to the signage so you'll see where to go. The informational plaques here and there are nice. It's still cool to see wildlife I. The distance or the areas around. read more

The place is awesome plenty of rooms. Plenty of toilets a beautiful Jim. Nothing but a guy paradise

I only got to spend one night here but BOY do I wish i could have stayed longer! Staff went above and beyond to make me feel welcome during my stay. They really took care in adjusting the handcuffs to where they were comfortable. The sleeping arrangements were pretty cush if i may say so with comfortable cots and cardboard pillows (the good kind). And compliments to the chef because the cat food sandwiches were some of the best i've had. must be farm to table cat food. Really lived up the hype from Johnny cash i could actually hear the train rollin' by. Would give it a 6.9/5 if i could!! read more

So I've always wanted to come here and wondered if they'd let you get anywhere close to the iconic entrance, pulled up in here after a bit of a drive off the I-80 and talked with the super cool prison guard up in the shack , he said it was fine to go in and take pictures. Took a bunch of pictures and spoke with some workers who were leaving to go home after their shift, they were super cool, provided some backstage info on prison life and the prisoners themselves. I will definitely come back again, it's definitely worth a trip anytime you're in the area, this place is filled with history . read more

Folsom Prison - Entrance - Jails & Prisons Near Me - Folsom, California

Not the best timeshare I've invested in, but also not the worst. I think my biggest gripe was that I was locked in to a 5 year contract that I couldn't break. Could be worse I suppose, some of the people there had contracts lasting 20+ years. Pros: -Great security, some of the best I've ever encountered. -Meals were free, albeit substandard, but I wasn't expecting breakfast, lunch, AND dinner. Side note, the rest of the residents seemed very hungry because my meals were stolen frequently. Different meal plans maybe? -No cell phones allowed. I know that seems like a negative for some, but man was it nice to detach. -Great location. Folsom is a beautiful city in Northern Cali. Cons: -Limited floor plans. Not much to choose from. -Dress code was heavily enforced. Very odd dress code too... jumpsuits? -Not many women. Zero, actually. -Assigned roommates. Felt like I was in the dorms again, but this time with a convicted felon. I guess they'll let anyone buy time shares nowadays. Anyway, like I said, not the worst, but not the best. If you are looking for a more structured environment without all the frills, this is your place. Otherwise, if you need the perks of the high-life, I suggest something closer to Downtown Sacramento. read more

Personally, I think this is a wonderful facility! This wasn't my first escape room so I thought that I would be able to escape this no problem. I ended up staying way longer than I planned on but once I figured out the puzzles and talked to the exact right people, I got my way out! I would say to prepare for this escape room to last many days, even for experienced breakers like myself! Anyways love this place and can't wait to bring my new friends from the escape room back sometime! read more

I found out that this is where my license plates were made! I have custom California plates on each of my Ford Fiestas. One says SCHLITZ and the other says KOKTAIL. I would have used C's for the second one, but that one was already taken. Anyway, the letters came out great, and the coloring of the license plates are superb. I would like to thank the person who made it. Also, yes it's the same prison as the one from the Kenny Rogers song. read more

Great locations and accommodations been in Business for well over a hundred years nice view of the river

My review is second-hand. That said, several of my relatives live close to this prison and have attended from time to time. Mainly it's a great getaway when for example, the wife is driving you crazy or life has really got you down. The architecture is stoic, minimalist, and contemporary with an emphasis on angular formulations, a swan song to the now past days of natural resource harvesting in the US of A. Before I die, I aspire to attend this institution should I be admitted. Other reviewers have already mentioned food, accommodations, friends, etc. It's barely an exaggeration to say that I would die a happy man were I to eat my very last meal here. read more

So SIL used to work here and took us as close as we could get during the lockdown. Some amazing history here. The tours were closed because of covid so we were very limited on activities. I enjoyed my quick trip here. Was actually getting hot and the no sweat full on heat thing was wearing out coon asses out. We needed to find a daiquiri shop read more

Folsom Prison - Jails & Prisons Near Me - Folsom, California

I came a couple of years ago and the museum was fantastic, but it's now closed indefinitely. We were informed by the guard when we showed up and bringing some visitors from out of town. read more

I went here to stay for the weekend, by myself, as I am single as a pringle. If anyones looking for a partner about 4.7ft, male and likes cheetos, but thats beside the point. After I was shown my room I realized there wasnt much space. I also had to share a room!!! The man I met was really nice though he let me in on his plan to escape, though I dont know why he would pay to stay here and then want to leave. In the room I was staying in there were some, what I hope was dirt stains on the sheets, also there was a toilet in my room, which I thought was nice, didnt have as much privicy as I am used to though. When I went down for lunch I met many new people and even got to share my lunch with a guy named ¨ill kill you if you dont give me your food¨ I thought that was a wierd name but he must have been from somewhere else. Now im going on a rant so heres the best part, when I asked when checkout was he said I would be staying there for another 10 years! i didnt even pay! Overall they had great service and I would stay there again. read more

Asked when checkout time was and I was told 12:15. It seemed oddly specific, but when I called over the guard to let her know I was ready to check out, she refused to let me (!?). Had to escalate to the manager, a Mr. Warden. He informed me that checkout time was actually 12 TO 15. Wish the front desk had been clearer. Food service is prompt, but quality is low. No room service unless you get some sort of "Solitary" package or something. I wasn't interested in paying that premium. Beds seemed to be cheap quality, but the toilets and sinks are updated stainless steel, which adds a certain modern flair to the place. Gym area was fairly crowded and had VERY specific hours, and the large security fences made it seem obvious that we weren't in a great area of town. Excessive security presence had the same effect. Overall, had a decent stay, but would prefer not to stay here again. I did party with a guy in a band named "Contra" or something. I don't recall the specifics. That was fun, though. Showers were rather inconvenient and lacked the privacy I am used to. I might try a different travel booking site next time. read more

DRESS CODE: Bring extra clothes just in case you don't meet dress code. Bring a clear bag to put your ID and cash in. Yoga pants not allowed. No metal. Especially buttons or belt. Don't wear jeans or blue button up shirts. Don't dress like inmates. Don't wear short shorts or short skirts either. The guard will let you know if it's appropriate or not. There's a more specific dress code but this is pretty much the gist. There's no clothing stores around their either. FOOD AND PICTURES Bring Quarters so you can take pictures ($1 each). Cellphones are not allowed. Bring $1 bills to put into these money cards so you can buy whomever you're visiting some food or drinks. Guards don't have change. A card cost $5 and can be filled up to $90. There were some ice cream. Mostly frozen microwaveable food. Food sucks but it's better than what they're eating on the inside. COME EARLY so you can buy all the good stuff like pizza and sandwiches or anything with bacon. If you come late you and the inmate will be eating a salad. Inmates are not allowed to touch vending machine not microwave. You gotta get it for them. SCENERY Weather was nice. I'm from southern California so I'm use to sunny skies and the beach. It's a scenic forest. Very quiet unlike the city. Not something I'm used to. It looked like it was built by someone from medieval times. The entry gate is castle like. Stone walls and stone archway. Once in visiting area, you can sit inside or outside the building. Inside had lots of fans, outside had a canopy and fresh air PROCESS Inmates send you a form to be filled out. Only approved people are allowed to visit. If you have a DUI or anything worse on your record they you are probably denied entry. You can only arrive 30 minutes before visiting. They let a small group of people in every 30 minutes to be screened. Your inmate will come out with a sheet of paper for each visitor. VISITOR NEEDS THIS PAPER TO EXIT THE PRISON OTHERWISE YOULL STAY IN THERE WITH THEM. Don't throw the paper away nor lose it. VISITING HOURS weekends and holidays. From 7am-2pm otherwise specified. NOTES Appointments are highly recommended. You don't wanna drive hours here and get denied visitation. It's a level 2 prison. It's not as violent as the level 4 at Monterey valley nor level 3 at ironwood. Keep in mind everyone is here to see their sons, husband, boyfriend, or father. Nobody fought. Interracial inmates were courteous to each other. Everyone was happy and had a smile on their face. Be respectful to everyone around you. PEOPLE Noticed only 2 female guards there. 1 was a tall red head, supermodel-like. The rest were short pudgy men. Maybe 1 or 2 normal looking ones. Most of the inmates look like they could play for NFL. If an inmate is over 80 years old, just let him be free. What crimes can he still commit? Most of his enemies are dead from old age. There was a sign "due to inappropriate behavior only holding hand is allowed." When most of these inmates saw their wives, girlfriends, or mistress they were making out. Eating each other's faces. Every kiss seemed like it could be their last kiss. It was kind of funny and sweet. TO OTHER PEOPLE THAT WROTE REVIEWS You guys are crazy. It's a prison, not the hamptons. It serves it's purpose. Don't know why it's 4 stars or less. Imagine if it was a higher security prison. Other reviews were on point. I read Me. M and Eli T's review and maybe these 2 people are just retarded. State the facts and get to the point. read more

There are 217 good reasons to "know someone." This is one of them. The other 216 reasons aren't relevant here. Besides it's obvious purpose and function, this facility is an incredible display of history and architecture. Walking through the iconic arched gate in the granite stacked wall, a sense that was surreal; is this fascinating and exciting or on the edge and risky. This is some peoples home. A home of locked gates and doors at every turn, hoops of many keys, guards on catwalks, gangs of every color, small holding cages, group showers, and an entry and exit checkpoint that upstages any TSA security checkpoint. Pre-clearance only. No running, no phones, no cameras, no blue denim, and no smokes or other contraband. And no hair pins as one in our group quickly found out. I don't know anyone housed here. If I did, I would not have been allowed this inside look. Accompanied by an officer and the sergeant, this small group was led from the gates through cell blocks, across the yard, and outdoor gym. Across the track (think The Jericho Mile), indoors passing the hall (think Johnny Cash 1968) and finally into the industry production area (yes, where CA license plates are made). I'm not entirely sure who or what was on show here. Was it me or was it the inmates? Were they looking at me as an opportunity as I was them as something so far from my daily world. I was stunned at the areas we crossed, the groups that parted as we walked, the damp enclosed history story telling granite cell blocks (if walls could talk). I noticed my posture and positioning - trying to look taller and tougher and acting as a barrier between the men in custody and the women of our group. I discovered later that we were being watched at every turn from every angle - by guards in towers and those standing on post. Perhaps more of a writing of my experience than a review. This site of historical significance, an active State prison, a (true) story of escape, workplace of many, a site of industrial production and education, and "home" to many ... is fascinating - from an outsider looking in. How do you rate a prison? Is 5 good or is 1 good. I suppose it depends from what perspective. For me, its history and significance in local and national culture viewed through this rare opportunity/experience and not about it's purpose, people, or function in modern society. read more

How weird to review a prison...but here it goes. I came here last summer to visit my brother. He and I had been writing back and forth for months before we arranged for my dad and I to come and visit him. First, I had to go through the approval process. My brother sent me a couple of forms for my dad and I to fill out and we had to send them back to the prison to see if we were eligible to visit him. Of course, we were approved with no problems. My brother just had to let us know. When we arrived at the prison, there were tons of people waiting to get transported to the visiting center and each of us had to be checked over to make sure we we were dressed appropriately and had nothing that wasn't allowed in the visiting center. Finally, after what seemed like forever, we were transported over to the prison where we had to go through a metal detector (obviously). Pretty painless. At last, we were taken into the visiting room and my brother was sitting behind glass and we had to use the phones to talk (typical prison setup). It was so wonderful to see him after 5 years. The whole process that I went through to see him was worth it and we were able to talk for a good amount of time before he had to go back to his cell. The visiting room was large and spacious with some inmates behind the glass while others were able to go out and walk around with their family members. Quite a memorable experience! read more

Don't know why I haven't been here before today. Interesting. The host was very friendly and knowledgeable. You could spends hours here reading everything they have. Can even watch a program about the history of the prison. read more

Located in the heart of the Sacramento Valley in scenic Folsom, Folsom State Prison offers world-class accommodations. Complimentary meals, a daily exercise program, wake-up service, and weight room are all included with your stay. Cozy rooms, laundry service and attentive staff come standard. Meet interesting people and create life-long relationships. Take advantage of their limited-time offer: enjoy unlimited access with your third visit! read more

I've been visiting a loved one and I have to say all the correctional officer are very helpful and I give them a great rating considering the environment they are all very pleasant! read more

Folsom State Prison. Grounds are clean and the CO's are friendly, mainly cause we tourist I think and not visiting inmates. Museum is fun to tour. read more

You guys want a real review on this place? Take it from someone who actually lived there. I did a quick stay here from the beginning of 2013 to midway through 2014, should've left sooner but some times God has different plans, but that's another story. Outside of all the historical mumbo jumbo and all the celebrity bullshit surrounding the prison, which by the way Johnny cash only played a show here never actually did time there. But you can bet your ass sitting in the chow hall you can almost imagine what it would've been like to be there, everyone at the time being on death row since that was all they housed at FSP during those years. But going on through the years they did some modernizations and only after going through the roller coaster of being a more violent level 3 prison(which I was there for) it dropped down to a level 2 at the end of 2013 (and by that you should know I also stayed there as a level 2 inmate, long story short after time your classification points drop and in turn your level drops.) So no doubt this place is cool, it has a lot of history to it and that should be appreciated. But now it's time to get real. The CO's that y'all claim to be so friendly have other sides. Now that's not to say that every one of them is crooked but remember I lived here and I know the truth. Your tax dollars are paying these guys, and many others like them in other prisons, to sit on their asses and turn keys, outside of that an "emergency alarm" might go off once a week and 9/10 times its just a simple mutual fight or a two on one, which a lot of times has a very stern reason behind it, but those are things I won't talk to you about. So imagine, these guys/gals make well over 6 figures a year, you make less than $50,000 a year and you bust your ass. The system doesn't sound so proper now does it? The cells, when they were designed shortly after the death of Jesus, are intended for ONE FUCKING PERSON, yet 80% of the cells in Folsom state prison are holding two inmates, full grown men, inside a cell the size that would make two small children go insane. Constantly having to live with an in house rule of "one up one down" because you simply can't both be moving about the cell at the same time. Let's be clear, I've been to other state prisons as well and most of the cells are more than accommodating for 2 people, I did a couple quick reception stays in Delano and I wouldn't have minded staying there, without all the lockdowns that come with reception of course, but I'm getting off topic. If you want any real idea of just how small these cells are, watch the iconic movie "American Me" staring Edward James Olmos, this movie was filmed AT the prison, and there's a couple scenes that show the actors in their cells, this was filmed in 1 building, not sure which side but that's irrelevant, those cells you see are still 2 inches around bigger than the cells in 2 and 3 building. 5 building is where they housed death row inmates and the oldest building the prison has, creepy and haunted right? Most definitely. But these cells as one would figure are large because it was thought and I agree, that people who basically have no more life to live deserve to be as comfortable as possible. But not just any inmate can move to the larger cells, you have to be a good guy, a CO pet basically to get this move approved. Simply put, this prison is one of the worst in the state. Between the already overcrowded system as a whole and the tight living quarters at this prison, it can only be a pleasant experience for those who don't have to return to the inner areas of the towering brick walls that were put in place with systems of levers and horses and sheer man power. Now remember, everything I've mentioned so far is not to take away from the historic value, I won't argue that it is a pretty fucking rad architectural piece, but outside of that, the way we get treated on the other side of those walls, the shit we're subjected to, I know someone here is gonna say don't do the crime if you can't do the time, and here's my response, brother/sister I've been doing time almost all my life, doing time isn't the problem, no matter how you look at it there are basic life rights and essentials that as a man/woman you are entitled to, once you step inside those walls you can kiss those goodbye, you're no longer mr/Mrs. So and so, you're, in my case, in AP****(the * would be replaced with numbers.) Remember this is merely opinion based, although most people who've really been here would agree, you may not. So I don't want to hear your whining. 2 stars, and that's generous. read more