Stand on the Fulton Mall and look up: the Pacific Southwest Building rises over a six-block stretch of pedestrian street lined with public art, and a few doors down the Old Fresno Water Tower has stood since 1894. That pairing — one of the city's oldest structures in the shadow of its tallest — is a fair introduction to Fresno, a place where the San Joaquin Valley's agricultural wealth, its immigrant histories and its twentieth-century reinventions sit within a few blocks of each other.
This guide suits travellers passing between Yosemite and the southern Sierra, sports fans following the Fresno Grizzlies or Fresno State Bulldogs, and anyone with a spare day in the Central Valley who would rather see what the city itself holds than treat it as a fuel stop.
What follows covers the sights and experiences worth your time, followed by a one-day plan that strings them together.
Top things to do in Fresno
1. Forestiere Underground Gardens
A complex of underground gardens and rooms built by Sicilian immigrant Baldasare Forestiere between 1906 and his death in 1946. Originally intended as a hotel, the subterranean complex instead served as Forestiere's residence, and some tunnels remain on land with different owners and are not open to the public.
Reservations are required and the tour lasts one hour. Tours run May to October, 9AM to 3PM; admission is $23 for adults, $21 concession and $12 for children.
2. Fresno Chaffee Zoo
A zoo in Roeding Park near downtown, with popular animal exhibits including the Winged Wonders Bird Show. It is an easy half-day for families and pairs naturally with the park setting around it.
The zoo is open 9AM to 4PM. Admission is $19.95 for adults and $13.95 for children, and $3 cheaper for local residents.
3. Fresno Art Museum
The only modern art museum between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Its collection includes contemporary art and a large collection of Mexican art from pre-Columbian times to the present.
Opening hours are Thursday and Friday noon to 5PM, and Saturday and Sunday 10AM to 5PM. Admission is $10, with youth tickets at $5.
4. Fulton Mall
A formerly traffic-free six-block pedestrian mall where traffic is being reintroduced. It features a large collection of public art and holds a place on the California Register of Historical Places.
The retail and restaurant scene is not robust, but the area is home to Fresno Brewing Company for coffee and craft beers and to Twee for artsy, often local home goods and gift items, along with several other retail and dining outlets.
5. Old Fresno Water Tower
Built in 1894, this is one of the oldest buildings in Fresno. It is a quick stop, best combined with a walk along the Fulton Mall and the public art there.
6. Pacific Southwest Building
The highest building between Los Angeles and San Francisco, completed in 1925. View it as part of the same downtown walk as the Old Fresno Water Tower and Fulton Mall.
7. Fresno Grizzlies at Chukchansi Park
The Low-A Minor League Baseball team affiliated with the Colorado Rockies, playing at Chukchansi Park downtown, which was built in 2002 for the team. Tickets run from $7 to $44.
An evening game is one of the simplest ways to spend a night in the city. The park also hosts Fresno FC, the San Joaquin Valley's first professional soccer team, a member of the United Soccer League whose first season was in March 2018, with tickets from $17 to $77.
8. Fresno State Bulldogs
The sports teams of Fresno State (formally California State University, Fresno), competing in 20 sports, with almost all teams in the Mountain West Conference. Football has traditionally been the highest-profile sport, with men's basketball a close second, and baseball and softball are nationally competitive.
Essentially all venues are on campus, most notably Bulldog Stadium for football and Save Mart Center, the city's main indoor venue, for basketball. In-person enquiries run Monday to Friday 9AM to 4:30PM, by phone 8AM to 5PM, and on football game days from 10AM to halftime.
9. Meux Home Museum
A 16-room Victorian mansion available by tours that take 45 minutes to an hour. Tours run Friday to Sunday, noon to 3PM, at $10 for adults and $5 for children.
10. Kearney Mansion Museum
This turn-of-the-20th-century mansion was the ranch headquarters of Kearney's Fruit Vale Estate. Guided tours run Friday to Sunday at 1PM, 2PM and 3PM, at $10 for adults and $8 concession.
11. Nonini Winery
Wine tasting and tours run Monday to Saturday, 9AM to 4PM. Call ahead to schedule a tour before you go.
12. Woodward Park
A city park worth adding to a day that already includes the zoo in Roeding Park, if you want open space between stops.
13. Tower District events
The Tower District hosts the Rogue Festival each March, modelled on the Canadian and North American Fringe Festivals, showcasing local and national artists in dance, music, comedy, film, art and theatre at venues around the district, with performers from around the state and as far as Vancouver and London.
The district also hosts Reel Pride, the sixth oldest gay and lesbian film festival in the country, and the Tower District Mardi Gras Parade. The Tower Theatre and Warnors Theatre — spelled with an "o", the spelling changed to avoid copyright infringement after it was sold by Warner Bros. — are the district's performance venues.
14. Taco Truck Throwdown
Held in November, this event celebrates the origins of the food truck, which was first created to serve agricultural workers in Fresno and catered to a Mexican clientele. That tradition is alive at the Throwdown.
15. African-American Historical & Cultural Museum of the SJV
Located at 1857 Fulton St, this museum sits on the same downtown stretch as the Fulton Mall and is best visited as part of that walk.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start with the Forestiere Underground Gardens, where reservations are required and the tour lasts one hour; tours run May to October, 9AM to 3PM, so book an early slot. Follow it with the Fresno Art Museum, open Thursday and Friday from noon, or Saturday and Sunday from 10AM.
Afternoon: Move downtown to the Fulton Mall and walk its six blocks of public art, taking in the Old Fresno Water Tower and the Pacific Southwest Building on the same stretch. If you are travelling with children, swap in the Fresno Chaffee Zoo in Roeding Park, open 9AM to 4PM.
Evening: Take in a Fresno Grizzlies game at Chukchansi Park, or, if you are in town in March, look for Rogue Festival performances around the Tower District. Round off the day with coffee or a craft beer at Fresno Brewing Company on the Fulton Mall.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book the Forestiere Underground Gardens in advance?
Yes. Reservations are required, and the tour lasts one hour. Tours run May to October, 9AM to 3PM.
When is the best time to see the Fresno Art Museum?
It opens Thursday and Friday at noon and Saturday and Sunday at 10AM, so a weekend morning gives you the longest window. Admission is $10, or $5 for youth.
What can I do in Fresno in the evening?
A Fresno Grizzlies game at Chukchansi Park is the most straightforward option, with tickets from $7 to $44. In March, Rogue Festival performances take place at venues around the Tower District.
Is there anywhere to taste wine in the city?
Nonini Winery offers wine tasting and tours Monday to Saturday, 9AM to 4PM. Call ahead to schedule a tour.
Pick your dates around a Grizzlies home game or the March Rogue Festival, book the Underground Gardens tour, and the rest of Fresno fits easily into a day or two.