Fresno Convention and Visitors Bureau
848 M Street, 3rd Floor
Fresno, CA 93721
(559) 445-8300
Population
354202
Time Zone
Pacific
Latitude/Longitude
36.75° /-119.77°
Today's Forecast
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HIGH: 60
LOW: 42
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In the geographic center of the state and heart of the San Joaquin Valley, Fresno has grown rapidly in recent decades to become one of the largest agricultural centers in the world. Fresno is the world's raisin capital and principal marketing, shipping, and purchasing point for the fertile fields around it. Fresno also serves as the gateway city to such scenic attractions as the Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks.
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Because it's so close to Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia national parks, Fresno makes an ideal location from which to begin a wilderness adventure into the Sierra Nevadas.
But, if you are looking for scenic wonders closer to the city, make a reservation to tour Forestiere Underground Gardens, the remarkable creation of self-taught architect, engineer, and horticulturalist Baldassare Forestiere, who spent 40 years carving these elaborate, subterranean rooms and gardens. Outdoor diversions of all kinds are found at Roeding Park, home of Fresno Chaffee Zoo. The zoo offers orangutans and tigers in the Sunda Forest exhibit, a tropical rainforest, and daily Winged Wonders bird shows. The 159-acre park also features boat rentals, fishing ponds, and a children's storyland.
Hands-on science exhibits, paintings, and Native American crafts are offered at the multipurpose Fresno Metropolitan Museum. Permanent galleries at the Fresno Art Museum are devoted to Mexican art from pre-Columbian to contemporary times and French post-impressionist graphics. The museum, whose mission is to outline the development of modern art in relation to social change, also presents excellent visiting exhibitions. Seven miles west of downtown, you can tour the Kearney Mansion Museum, home of raisin baron M. Theo Kearney.
For a night of cultural doings, the 50-year-old Fresno Philharmonic presents its full season of classical music at the William Saroyan Theatre, located at the Fresno Convention and Entertainment Center. The historic Tower Theatre, once an art deco movie palace, is now a venue for film festivals and music concerts by jazz, rock and pop music artists. Baseball fans can watch the Grizzlies of the Pacific Coast League who play at their new Chukchansi Park, which opened in 2002. The Fresno Falcons of the ECHL play hockey at Save Mart Center on the campus of Fresno State.
February and March are wonderful months to visit Fresno, when fruit trees blossom in the surrounding countryside. At the visitors center, pick up a map that shows the most scenic fields of wildflowers, orchards, and trails found along the 62-mile, self-guided Blossom Trail. During the warmer months, keep cool amidst the speed slides and wave pool at the Island Waterpark.
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