Things to do in  Fresno

Located inside Fresno’s Roeding Park, the Chaffee Zoo is home to more than 200 species of animals, with popular areas such as Sea Lion Cove, African Adventure, and Roo Walkabout. Offering behind-the-scenes tours, a daily bird show, and interactive experiences, it’s an inviting place for visitors of all ages.

Thriving for more than 70 years in Fresno, this art museum houses a variety of modern and contemporary pieces, and honors the diverse cultures that have shaped the San Joaquin Valley. Alongside the permanent collection of over 3,600 works, the museum hosts temporary exhibitions, lectures, and films.

The Forestiere Underground Gardens in Fresno, California, are a network of underground rooms, courtyards, and passageways built in the early 1900s by Baldassare Forestiere that are just as impressive today as they were way back when. Trees, shrubs, and vines still grow throughout, making for quite the sight next to the garden’s massive stone walls.

An ideal place for family outings, the Fresno Discovery Center offers outdoor exhibits with play structures, gardens, and even animals, as well as an indoor science center. All of the exhibits have thoughtful, hands-on components, for an experience that encourages wonder and excitement when it comes to learning.

Inside Fresno’s Kearney Park stands the Kearney Mansion Museum, the site of historical buildings created in French Renaissance style by land developer Martin Theodore Kearney. Visitors tour the main headquarters of the estate, showcasing many of the original furnishings from the early 1900s, as well as the ranch kitchen and a gallery.

Step back in time at the Meux Home Museum, which showcases what life was like in the 1800s for the wealthy. This Fresno historical mansion once belonged to a Civil War–era surgeon and his family, and it features original, Victorian-style decor and furnishings throughout.