Sights in Fresno
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Forestiere Underground Gardens
If you see only one thing in Fresno, make it the Forestiere Underground Gardens, one block east of Hwy 99. The gardens are the singular result of Sicilian immigrant Baldasare Forestiere's creative obsession. Beginning in 1906, Forestiere - whose plans for citrus groves were foiled by the hardness of the soil - dug out some 70 acres beneath the hardpan soil, and, with a unique skylight system, created a beautiful subterranean space for commercial crops and his own living quarters.
The tunnel system includes bedrooms, a library, patios, grottos and a fish pond, and is now a historic landmark. This utterly fantastical accomplishment took Forestiere some 40 years to complete…
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Tower Theatre
Fresno's Tower District began as a shopping mecca during the 1920s, gaining its name after the Tower Theatre, a beautiful art deco movie house that opened in 1939. The theater is now used as a center for the performing arts. Surrounding it are bookstores, shops, high-end restaurants and coffeehouses that cater to Fresno's gay and alternative communities. This is the city's best neighborhood for browsing and kicking back with an iced latte.
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Fresno Metropolitan Museum
A favorite with children, the Fresno Metropolitan Museum has hands-on science exhibits, Native American crafts, a large collection of antique puzzles and a William Saroyan gallery. The museum's holdings also include a large collection of Ansel Adams photographs.
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Fresno Art Museum
The Fresno Art Museum, in Radio Park, has rotating exhibits of contemporary art - including work by local artists - that are among the most intriguing in the valley.
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Storyland
Adjacent to Roeding Park is Storyland, a kitschy children's fairy-tale world dating from 1962, and Playland, which has kiddie rides and games.
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Chaffee Zoological Gardens
On Olive Ave just east of Hwy 99, large and shady Roeding Park is home to the small Chaffee Zoological Gardens.
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