Fresno’s museums and its unique underground garden/house say so much about this city: it’s eclectic, unusual and a unique blend of modernity and history.
Forestiere Underground Gardens
Dug out by hand over a 40-year period, more than 90 rooms, patios, gardens and courtyards lie underneath a 4.5-acre piece of land. “It is a fascinating and unusual experience,” says one TripAdvisor Member. “It is not really a garden-it's actually an underground house built around 100 years ago with some plants and fruit trees growing out through holes in the ground. The purpose was to build (cheaply) a house that was cool in summer and warm in winter. The current owner is the grandson of the builder's brother and he acts as a guide. It is well worth seeing, if a little costly.”
Fresno Art Museum
“I was surprised by the caliber of the Fresno Art Museum,” says another TripAdvisor Member. “While visiting family in Fresno, I stumbled along the modern art museum and was extremely impressed. Fresno, a place more recognized for its agriculture than for its arts, does not get the credit it deserves. The museum had a wonderful collection when I visited. I especially enjoyed an architecture exhibit by well-known architect Arthur Dyson. And their beautiful sculpture garden had pieces by sculptors I recognized and love, like Clem Renzi. I will make sure to revisit the Fresno Art Museum each time I return to Fresno.”
Two other museums are the Meux Home Museum , once the home of a Civil War-era surgeon, and Kearney Mansion Museum , featuring a large garden, this was the home of one of Fresno's most prominent early residents.
Under the baton of the Music Director Theodore Kuchar, the Fresno Philharmonic is among the best of American regional orchestras. As the largest professional orchestra between San Francisco and Los Angeles , the orchestra’s mission is to provide high-quality orchestral music and music education programs to audiences and school children throughout the Central Valley .
