Things to do in Fresno

Check out a film, play, or concert ...

Chukchansi Park is home the Pacific Coast Fresno Grizzlies baseball and Fresno Fuego minor league soccer teams. Come catch an exciting Fresno Grizzlies minor league baseball game at Chukchansi Park. Home to an excellent baseball team, fans routinely enjoy themselves out in the sun here at the brand new ballpark. The Stadium also has a children's playground and old fashioned carousel. Visit them on the web at www.fresnogrizzlies.com.

The Fresno Convention Center which has a massive seating capacity of 11,300 with a very spacious arena floor. This venue is host to various concerts, family shows and events such as 50th Annual Ebony Fashion Show, Porgy and Bess, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus High-quality sound and light system, assure you pure listening magic.

Fresno Filmworks brings films to Fresno that would not generally be seen at the movie megaplexes. They show foreign, art, and independent films from around the world on the second Friday of each month (December is the only exception) and in May they hold a three day long Annual Film Festival. All showings are at the historic Tower Theatre. For more info go to: www.fresnofilmworks.org/

Fresno Reel Pride is one of the oldest and largest LGBT film festivals in the United States. Now located in the historic Tower Theatre and at the nearby Starline, Reel Pride is a celebration of gay and lesbian cinema and has been recognized as a premiere cultural event in central California. Fresno Reel Pride presents an annual five-day film festival each September in addition to special film screenings throughout the year. For info visit www.reelpride.com

The Rogue Festival is a non-juried arts festival that celebrates the independent performer and artist. This typically-in-March annual event comprises theatre, music, dance, film, performance art, puppetry, spoken word, storytelling, visual arts and more. It has the typical elements of a Fringe Festival... but with a "21st century sensibility". For info go to www.roguefestival.com

The Saroyan Theatre is home to the Fresno Philharmonic Orchestra and the Fresno Ballet. The theatre has hosted renowned stars such as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Arthur Fiedler, and Isaac Stern. It has also played host to magician David Copperfield and the Broadway shows Les Mis, Cats, The Sound of Music, Evita, Chicago, and Riverdance. For info go to www.fresnoconventioncenter.com/venues/saroyan.html.

The Selland Arena stands tall and clear to travelers driving on nearby Highway 41, which runs through the center of FresnoWith a seating capacity of 11,300, Selland Arena also plays host to many concerts and family shows throughout each year and has seen more than ten million patrons come through its doors in the last 40 years. Artist who’ve performed at the Selland Arena include: Evanescence, E-40 and Keak Da Sneak , and Lil Wayne

See the sights...

African-American Historical and Cultural Museum
Opened in June 1993, this museum hosts rotating and permanent displays concerning African-American history and culture. Interpretive displays describe the lives and times of leading San Joaquin Valley African- American literature. For more info call: 559-268-7102 or email info@aamsjv.org or africanamericanmuseum@yahoo.com
Location: 1857 Fulton St, Fresno, CA 93721. Phone: (559) 268-7102

Bulldog Brewing Company
Visit the Bulldog Brewing Company, your gateway into the bustling Fresno nightlife of Fresno. Enjoy live music, sports TV and excellent brews. Find them at 706 W Shaw Ave, Fig Garden Village or call (559) 224-5100 to learn more.

Christmas Tree Lane
Every December, Van Ness Boulevard, between Shields and Shaw Aves, is transformed into a magical Christmas Wonderland. The two miles (3 km) long display includes decorations of some 140 homes and 300 trees.

Forestiere Underground Gardens
The Forestiere Underground Gardens in northwest Fresno near Highway 99, is a spectacular subterranean creation built by Baldasare Forestiere over a period of 40 years. It features nearly one hundred chambers, passageways, courts and patios, dug beneath the hard pan soil. Fruit-bearing trees planted below the ground protrude through openings at ground level. Forestiere resided here, benefiting from cooler temperatures during the high heat of the Central Valley in summer as well as warmer conditions within the ground during winter. For information on tours visit www.forestiere-historicalcenter.com

Fresno Art Museum
For a selection of international, local and even national artists in exhibits that focus on the art from the region of Mexico throughout a wide swath of history, visit the Fresno Art Museum, located at 2233 N. First Street. To find out more call (559) 441-4221 or visit their website at www.fresnoartmuseum.org.

Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Fresno Chaffee Zoo is one of the Central Valley’s finest zoos. A great way to spend an afternoon in Fresno is to visit the Chaffee Zoo. Fresno Chaffee Zoo is home to approximately 125 species, with more always on the way. It is the only zoo in North America that currently houses Northland green geckos (on exhibit) and Southern tent tortoises (off exhibit).There’s always something new and exciting to see, like the new Stingray Bay with live stingrays and even a few sharks! For more info visit: http://www.fresnochaffeezoo.com/index.html

Fresno Metropolitan Museum
The Fresno Metropolitan Museum is home to a permanent collection comprised of more than 3,000 works of art and artifacts drawn from several cultures spanning more than 400 years. For more info visit: http://www.fresnomet.org/

Kearney Mansion
The Kearney Mansion is located in the 225-acre "Chateau Fresno Park" (now Kearney Park), begun by Kearney in 1892. Rudolph Ulrich, the noted American landscape architect from New York, laid out the design for this park and the boulevard leading to it.

Kearney turned a flat, barren landscape into one of the most beautiful parks in the United States. At the turn of the century the park may have contained more species of trees, vines, shrubs and roses than any equal area in the United States. The San Francisco Chronicle called it the "most beautiful park on the West Coast." The eleven-mile boulevard leading from downtown Fresno to the park was lined with alternating eucalyptus and palms, interspersed with 18,000 white and pink oleanders. The Kearney Mansion is located seven miles west of downtown Fresno. For information on public tours of the Kearney Mansion, please call 559-441-0862

Shinzen Japanese Friendship Garden
Walking through the Shinzen Japanese Friendship Garden is one of the best things to do in Fresno for those who enjoy beautiful landscaping. Shinzen is divided into four sections to represent the four seasons and has seven bridges, a koi pond, waterfalls and a tea house. The Garden is located in Woodward Park and may feature seasonal events such as a floating lantern ceremony in August and a spring blossom festival in March. The beautiful and serene 5-acre garden is located within Woodward Park adjacent to Freeway 41 in the City of Fresno, California. The entrance to the park is located on Audubon Drive, just off of Friant Road. For more info visit: http://www.shinzenjapanesegarden.org/general.html.

The Tower District
The Tower District is a hub for major community events such as Jamaica My Weekend, Mardi Gras in February, Car Shows, A Taste of The Tower, Halloween in the Tower, and the newly opened Farmer's Market on the North-West Corner of Olive and Van Ness. An array of shows permeates the Tower District annually.

The neighborhood features some of Fresno's best restaurants and nightclubs, as well as many independent shops and bookstores. In addition, the area is known for its early twentieth century homes, many of which have been lovingly restored. For more info visit: http://www.towerdistrict.org/home.htm