Well actually…it was about an hour in the prison museum…the day before yesterday. Located less than 25 miles to the west of my camping location in gold country…it was another museum calling me to visit. Here’s a Google Earth view…
Here are some of the photos I took at the museum…
Starting with one of the rooms…
Johnny Cash made Folsom Prison famous with his song “Folsom Prison Blues” which he recorded live during visits to the prison in 1966 and 1968.
License plates are one of the prison’s productions…
Here’s a homemade gun seized from a prisoner…
Just a few of the many knives found in possession of prisoners…
A Gatling Gun…
Perhaps the most unusual exhibit was this 60 year-old, eight foot high Ferris Wheel made with 250,000 toothpicks was a good project for someone with a lot of time on his hands…
A close-up of a seat on the Ferris Wheel…
A painting of the old prison…
A cell replica…
Inside the cell…
A painting of the prisoners building the prison…
A searchlight…
A combination toilet lavatory…
A gun shield…
A gate to the railroad yard…
An old guard tower…
Finally the east gate to the prison…
Here are some links to further your knowledge about the prison…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folsom_State_Prison
http://www.folsomprisonmuseum.org/
Finally, a link with a video of Johnny Cash’s visit in 1968…
http://www.visitfolsom.com/history/museum/prison.aspx
I love going to museums. Learning about the areas I visit is one of the most enjoyable things about the full-time RVing lifestyle.
All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2011
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