After more than a year of uncertainty that left many local residents and history enthusiasts wondering about its future, one of Folsom’s most recognizable historic attractions is preparing to welcome visitors once again.
The Big House Prison Museum, more commonly known as the Folsom Prison Museum, will officially reopen this weekend, with its first day back scheduled for Saturday, July 25, operating from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum has announced it will initially operate on weekends, giving the public the opportunity to once again step inside one of California’s most unique collections of prison and corrections history.
The reopening comes about 18 months after the museum unexpectedly closed its doors amid financial and operational challenges that cast doubt over the future of the longtime attraction. As previously reported by Folsom Times in January 2025, the nonprofit-operated museum was shuttered while its governing board reassessed operations, inventoried its collection and reviewed the organization’s finances, leaving many in the community wondering whether the historic attraction would ever reopen.
As the volunteer run organization moves to reopen with a limited schedule, they are not discussing or commenting on the board’s previous decision to shutter the operation or the details of its financial reorganization as they reopen the doors to the community in a fashion that is sustainable with limited hours and volunteers making it possible.
Located just outside the granite walls of Folsom State Prison in the prison’s former warden’s residence, the museum traces its roots back more than five decades. Originally established in 1975 as the Retired Correctional Peace Officers Museum, the facility was later reorganized under the Old Guard Foundation and transformed into the Big House Prison Museum in 2014 with a broader mission of preserving and educating the public about corrections history.
Unlike many museums focused solely on famous crimes or notorious inmates, the Big House Prison Museum tells the story of those who lived and worked behind prison walls while documenting the evolution of one of California’s oldest correctional institutions.
Visitors will find exhibits spanning nearly 150 years of prison history, including original correctional artifacts, uniforms, inmate-made items, historic photographs and displays detailing the development of corrections in California. Among its best-known exhibits are extensive Johnny Cash memorabilia celebrating the legendary singer’s famous 1968 concert inside Folsom State Prison, one of the most iconic live performances in American music history.
Other displays include historic weapons, a hand-operated Gatling gun once associated with prison security, a traditional ball and chain, inmate-crafted artwork and handcrafted items, and an elaborate Ferris wheel built from approximately 250,000 toothpicks by an incarcerated craftsman. A recreated prison cell exhibit and numerous educational displays provide visitors with a glimpse into both the daily realities of incarceration and the changing role of corrections professionals over the decades.
The museum also highlights lesser-known chapters of Folsom State Prison’s history.
Opened in 1880, Folsom State Prison is California’s second-oldest prison and was among the nation’s first maximum-security institutions. It was also the first prison in the United States to have electricity, generated by power from the nearby American River, an achievement that reflected the institution’s role in early industrial innovation as well as corrections history.
Museum volunteers have long emphasized that while Johnny Cash introduced millions of people to Folsom Prison through his music, the institution’s history extends far beyond the famous concert. Exhibits explore prison firefighting programs, correctional emergency response teams, the evolution of inmate rehabilitation and the experiences of correctional officers whose careers helped shape California’s prison system.
The reopening also represents a victory for the many volunteers who have worked to preserve the museum’s collection through years of operational challenges. The nonprofit museum has historically relied heavily on retired correctional employees and community volunteers who serve as docents, sharing firsthand stories and historical perspective with guests from across the country and around the world.
During its closure, many community members expressed concern that one of Folsom’s most distinctive historical attractions could be lost. The museum has long been a destination not only for local residents but also for prison historians, Johnny Cash fans, educators, tourists and visitors traveling through the Sacramento region.
Beginning this weekend, those visitors will once again have the opportunity to walk through the former warden’s home and experience a collection unlike any other in California.
According to the museum’s reopening announcement, the Big House Prison Museum will initially be open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Museum volunteers have previously noted that expanding operating days will depend largely on volunteer staffing and operational needs.
Visitors can learn more about the museum, its exhibits, admission information and volunteer opportunities by visiting www.bighouseprisonmuseum.org.
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