About

Forestiere Underground Gardens is a network of hand-dug tunnels, rooms, and open courtyards built by Sicilian immigrant Baldassare Forestiere. He started digging by hand in 1906 and kept going for 40 years, partly to escape the Fresno heat.

He planted citrus and grapevines below ground and fed them light through carved skylights. Some of those trees still grow up toward the openings. You see the site on a guided tour that runs about an hour.

It stays cool underground even in July. Tours run seasonally, generally spring through fall, and weekend slots fill up, so reserve ahead. The entrance is off West Shaw Avenue near Highway 99.