It all started in 1958 when two interesting characters, Charles and Dorothy Chase, opened their Folk Music Center in Claremont in back of Boots Beer’s Real Estate Office. The whole operation quickly grew into the popular Golden Ring, one of the first southern California folk music venues. Golden Ring brought such revered names in folk music as Gary Davis, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee and Doc Watson. At the time, Dorothy was giving music lessons, and Charles was repairing instruments and teaching the trade to others. In 1976, they opened The Folk Music Center Museum which now contains a number of antique and rare musical instruments and cultural artifacts from all over the world. The Center aims to promote and preserve folk music of all kinds, traditional instruments and folk culture in general. It loans instruments to teachers, schools and museums, runs field trips for local kids and organizes the annual Claremont Folk Festival.

220 Yale Ave, Claremont, CA 91711, Phone: 909-624-2928

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