All aboard for a look at California’s first train depot!

With service starting in 1856, this station in Folsom, California, was established as the eastern terminal of the Sacramento Valley Railroad.

It was California’s first railroad, linking Folsom to Sacramento, and then went on to San Francisco. By 1861, some 1,500 men worked at the machine shops that were built at the Folsom terminals. However, eight years later, operations were transferred to Sacramento and by 1878, the Folsom shops closed down because they were barely used.

Southern Pacific took over ownership in 1898, but by January 1939, passenger service to Folsom ended. All commercial service was cancelled by mid-1971.

The property was donated to the City of Folsom. The depot, turntable (not pictured) and tracks were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It is also a California Historical Landmark.

The Santa Fe passenger car at the site is also the office of the museum office, library, exhibition space and store.