Sutter Street Theatre is more than a stage. It’s part of the living history of Folsom.
Every brick has a story to tell. Our building at 717 Sutter Street has stood through saloons, shops, switchboards, and now, an intimate theatre filled with laughter, music, and applause.
From Saloons to Shops
Take one look around Sutter Street and you immediately feel the history surrounding you. Our home is part of this fabric. In the late 1800s, 717 Sutter Street was home to The Palm Saloon, where locals gathered to swap stories and rest their boots after long days.
By 1914, the building had a sweeter purpose. Fleckenstein & Trentman Candies operated here, serving handmade confections and sodas. And in 1908, Folsom’s very first Pacific Telephone Company switchboard was installed in this building, connecting neighbors here to the wider world.
A Lucky Find
Fast forward a hundred years to 2010, when our own Managing Director, Mike Jimena, uncovered a rusty old horseshoe during the excavation and widening of Sutter Street. Believed to have been buried since the late 1800s (give or take a few years), we like to think of it as our Lucky Horseshoe and it still hangs in the theatre today as a reminder of the many footsteps and hoofbeats that came before us.
Sutter Street’s Larger Story
Sutter Street itself has always been a path forward. Once part of Highway 49, it carried fortune seekers into the Sierra foothills during the Gold Rush. Even earlier, the Pony Express thundered down this same stretch, carrying messages across the frontier. Today, the street still buzzes with life but instead of stagecoaches and saloons, it’s filled with galleries, shops, restaurants, and the joyful spirit of live performance.
Today’s Chapter
What began as a saloon, later became a candy shop, then a telephone hub, and now a theatre. Through every chapter, this place has always been about people gathering, connecting, and sharing something meaningful.
When you step into Sutter Street Theatre today, you’re not just seeing a show… you’re becoming part of a story more than 140 years in the making.
Our lucky horseshoe found by Managing Director Mike Jimena in 2010.