This place blew me away. I had Rhanda (I think that's the spelling) as a guide and she was SO terrific. This is a historical landmark and she walked me through every room with great detail on the origin story and the rooms we were in. One of the best tour guides I've had. I have never experienced anything this - you have to really appreciate the amount of work, design and detail by Baldassare Forestiere - truly a feat! Very grateful the family makes this available for tours. Highly recommend if you appreciate gardening, architecture, art, engineering etc. They also did a great job of reminding me of my appointment and following up afterwards. If in Fresno area, this is a don't miss!! read more

My family along with our cousins and aunt decided to tour the Forestier Underground Gardens. It was such a gem to visit. The gardens were built in an unexpected park of Fresno and these is a lot of history behind them. Parking was somewhat difficult but once you enter, the staff were very kind, organized, and positive. Our tour guide Raul was super sweet and provided a lot of history regarding the gardens and the family who built them. Raul had my 3 young boys engaged and interested. He answered all my questions and was so open to conversation. You could tell Raul was proud to be there telling all of us how the Gardens came to be. The Gardens are very interesting. I've never seen anything quite like these. The smell of all the citrus trees combine with the natural cooling underground was amazing and made the tour comfortable. If you have any time i do recommend visiting these secret gardens. read more

Forestiere Underground Gardens - My son admiring the underground citrus trees - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Fresno, California

I read an article about these gardens online and I was very intrigued. I have been wanting to visit them for a while and I finally got a chance to go in December when I was passing through the area. You have to make reservations online or via telephone as it's by guided tour only. I was lucky enough to call same day and be able to get into one of the tours. The tours sell out so I wasn't able to go with the tour when I arrived, but I only had to wait about 30 minutes for the next tour. The tour was very informative. You learn a lot about the history of the gardens and of the gentleman who started them. You only actually see a portion of what the gardens originally were, but it's amazing to see and to learn about how it was accomplished. There is so much to learn about this place that even the 1-hour tour can't contain everything you'd want to know. There are so many different types of trees and plants and flowers in the garden. It's hard to believe that this was all done by hand with only one man and a donkey. It's a really interesting and unique experience and I would definitely recommend it. read more

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We were visiting our friend who recently graduated and she had been wanting to go to this place for a while. We were surprised at how cool this underground garden was. The tour was just about an hour and it was thankfully cooler underground. Our tour guide Rhanda was lovely and hilarious. She was a very good storyteller. read more

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It was a guided tour into one man's life long passion project and a family's dedication to preserving it. My family and I absolutely enjoyed seeing the underground garden, we were able to walk in and check for availability (got lucky considering it was a party of 5). The staff were very friendly, my only regret is not going when the citrus is in season. read more

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Such a fun and unique experience. This does require walking, good footwear, comfort in nature, smaller spaces and some stairs. The history, visuals, and exciting design make for an awesome experience. The tour is about an hour long and filled with a lot information. read more

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Beautiful!! So much history and our tour guide was amazing!! Thank you Brayden for a wonderful nearly private tour lol read more

Forestiere Underground Gardens - Orange/ lemon tree - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Fresno, California

Amazing engineering of an underground structure. I can't even imaging hand digging this giant hole/maze for 40 plus years. This man was ingenious and innovative in his construction. I wish I could have seen the enormity of his entire creation before he passed. This is quite the gem in Fresno. Don't blink or you will miss it. There is no onsite parking, you must find a spot on the street, either in front or around the corner. We walked up and lucked out with space on the 2 pm tour. I highly recommend jumping online and making reservations. Cost is $25 per adult, a price well worth the 1.5 hours. Our tour guide was amazing. Her love and exuberance for the place truly showed in her energy on the tour. I had a little bit of a coughing fit and she so sweetly brought me a water. read more

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Buy ticket online $25 each and $3.50 fee. We visited the place when the temperature outside is 80+, however the underground is cooler, we even have to put on a light jacket. The tour guide was great and very helpful, she shared fascinating stories about the garden's history. We were amazed by the work of one single man - B Forestiere. Overall, this was an interesting trip. 4 stars because the parking is limited, we have to do street parking on a busy street. read more

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Loved this tour of Forestiere, who spent the majority of his life creating and building an underground ecosystem out of pure imagination, willpower and grit. He didn't have a lot, but I'm so impressed how much he accomplished. He dug the tunnels all by himself and grafted trees in the ecosystem to bear fruit. The tunnels are over 100 years old and I'm glad it is now a historical site being preserved by the family. Was also able to buy some pomegranate and limes to support. The tour of the tunnels is for an hour and the staff was knowledgeable and friendly. Purchase your ticket online and make sure to come on time as they start the tour on the dot. read more

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On Sunday before my husband and I flew home from Fresno, we stopped at the Forestiere Underground Gardens, a California historic site. What was once an 80? 40? acre property now has between 5-10 acres that haven't been sold / taken via eminent domain that has been preserved as the underground gardens. In the early 1900's, second born son of a Sicilian citrus farmer Baldassare Forestiere made his way to Boston to work digging underground subway tunnels. He saved his money hoping to one day start his own citrus groves as his older brother was to be the sole inheritor of their father's groves in Sicily. He saved his money and bought a plot of land in Fresno, only to find extremely hot summer weather and rocky, dense "hardpan" soil - terrible for growing anything. Between 1906 until his death in 1946, Baldassare took a pickaxe and hand dug 10 acres of underground rooms, some with skylights, to both live in and to plant all manner of fruit trees. The trees were mostly shaded with only indirect sunlight underground, keeping the plants cool and thriving. As the trees grew larger, the very tops of the trees were accessible for harvesting at street level. Baldassare never married, never had children and spent his days digging new rooms every day after he got home from his other jobs working on railroads and other hard labor jobs. Baldassare's younger brother and his wife saved the property after his death and their family worked to get it registered as a California Historic Landmark. Only about acres are still managed, maintained and owned by the family, while other parts of the tunnels run under the street and even a nearby Starbucks. While it felt a little pricey at $25 per person, our tour guide Rhanda was very knowledgeable and it was great that the tours are limited to small groups. Visited: July 2025 read more

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This place it's beautiful. It has a story of a man who started digging and building this underground garden. It is unique here in Fresno. You have to check on line for tickets and times. It is great for walking and taking your tourist family and friends. There is not a lot of parking out side this place. You have to find your self one close to it. There are some trees that were planted underground and the man had to make a hole On top of the tree so it gets the sunlight. He had to plan this accordingly. It is a rare Gem. Highly recommend. They also have food trucks outside. If you get hungry. read more

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Incredible staff. Incredible part of history of a Family legacy very close to where I live. Had a chance to take my family and out of town visiting family there recently after not being there for probably 40 years since I was a little kid. read more

One of a kind experience! Like nothing else! Beauty to see and be inspired by what tenacity and inspiration can achieve. Well informed with deep knowledge tour guide. read more

This tour enlightened us on the historical significance of the underground lifestyle rather than it being a botanical exploration. All tours required us to have tickets prior and they do sell out. There was street parking available and there was a gift shop to roam around prior to the tour. The tour started promptly but they did allow late comers to join in later. Our tour guide was incredible and she was knowledgeable about the history and architecture of the underground passageways. There was a lot of religious symbolism incorporated in the way the trees were grown and rooms where set up. Due to the underground nature, the temperature was noticeably cooler so I would bring a jacket depending on the day. Although children under 4 were free, this experience seemed more suitable for older children and adults. We were expected to stay as a group so don't expect to be allowed to roam about. Art and history buffs would love this tour and most of the enjoyment came from the explained history and context from our guide. The tour took over an hour, ending in a room connected to the gift shop. I wouldn't approach this tour expecting luscious greenery but with the expectation of appreciating the historical context of Fresno. read more

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I've been going there since it OPENED to the public and I'm 79 years young!! It is an amazing wonder: how one man's dream came true due to HARD WORK, DETERMINATION! He was a GENIUS.....I went (in my 20's) when it was a Halloween go to and with all the nooks and crannies: I was truly Halloween frightened!!! So fun. My family is 6th generation Fresno county and I'm blessed to have been a part of Forestiere Underground Gardens, pretty much, my whole life! read more

This historic site had been on my bucket list for decades and was elated that we were finally going to get to visit this truly one of a kind California attraction. Our tour guide, Carolyn, was amazing and a 5-star ambassdor for Fresno County and the Gardens. Her knowledge of the history of Sicilian immigrant Baldassare Forestiere and his magical world exceeded all our expectations. Despite the difference in temperatures above vs. below ground, those warm Fresno days raise those underground temps. When possible, plan to an early tour to avoid the heat. read more

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We were running late for our tour and called ahead and they were able to move us to a tour 15min after our initial reservation, it was perfect. The tour guide was so fun and knowledgeable. What a unique place! read more

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Pros: The best guided tour I have had (our guide was Latieshka who was excellent and really elevated the experience). A unique landmark in an unexpected location. I recommend a stop if you are in or going through Fresno. Cons: Street parking only was slightly inconvenient (and somewhat confusing as the parking is right next to the large parking lot associated with the gardens which was empty and locked). read more

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Omg stay home and watch the YouTube video and amazing life story of the founder. Going to the location is not recommended. They have 2 surly staff people at a bench that randomly decide to close early due to heat when it's 90 degrees outside and cloudy!! There's no parking and lots of road construction going on. So you're stuck with the couple spots of street parking and a sign telling you to lockup your car and hide your belongings. Sorry for the long novel but we drove 2 hours to be here when Yelp and google said it was open only to be told there are no tours. I said that's ok can we pay $25 each to walk under the orange trees for 5 minutes. Response: "No come back when you book an appointment ". We don't want to stay here past our shift that ends in an hour. Roflmao - great representation of the spirit of the founder read more

Forestiere Underground Gardens - Entry sign. Doesn't say "By appointment only" - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Fresno, California

The garden truly is a blessing to Fresno,. It is gorgeous with so much history. Thank you Maka, for making our tour special read more

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We had an amazing tour with our tour guide, Kai. We learned a lot about Baldassare Forestiere and how he had dug acres of underground rooms and passageways and grafted so many trees. He did so much hard labor, and sadly, only a small piece was preserved. It's a really amazing place to visit. read more

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What a neat place! We had purchased our tickets online ahead of time but were running a bit late so we called in and they were able to get us in with the next tour group. We parked along the street outside of the gardens and checked in with the staff. The guided tour is an hour long and very thorough. One of our group members was in a wheelchair and staff was very helpful taking her to an alternate route to meet us below for the tour. It was amazing to see the level of work put into this place and even some of the original trees! I was impressed with the grafting and how much fruit was on the trees. A must see if you're in the area! There is a little gift shop area at the end with souvenirs too. read more

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Amazing what this man accomplished. We had an outstanding tour from Randa. Definitely recommend going on this tour! Parking is close by on a side street. read more

I visited the underground gardens today as a solo rider. The intricate tunnels and caves make this visit unforgettable. As a self proclaimed fresno enthusiast - this historical site is a direct reflection of the beauty of our city. Aside from the rich history and outstanding architecture, I would love to call special attention to the workers that assisted with my visit today. Both Alondra and Kai blew me away with their kindness and warm spirits. Kai's tour was phenomenal and enriching, as she knew exactly what she was talking about. She added cute jokes and was super personable with our small group. If you are able to - please book your tour with Kai. Alondra turned my day around with her genuine kindness and warmth even before the tour started. From our small interaction, she was able to provide me with positivity and warmth and helped reframe my mindset about my morning. Both of these girls are wonderful assets to your team. I will be returning and encouraging others to come along and experience the magic. read more

Loved it! Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable, friendly and professional. Every aspect of the underground gardens was intriguing and showed amazing determination and creativity by Mr Forestiere. Very educational experience and I highly recommend this tour!! read more

Everyone from this area should check this out at least once. Amazing part of our local history. Also can be a nice random place for a date. read more

They did an amazing job during the tour, it was really engaging and informative. It truly is a beautiful hidden gem. read more

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Picture taking is welcomed. No! Video cameras allowed One should definitely make it a priority to visit Forestiere Underground Gardens in Fresno Ca. The most spectacular place in Fresno Ca to see. The only underground botanical garden in the US and the world I think? Definitely make a detour traveling to the Central Valley or passing through to the Bay Area ( Northern California) make reservation online ( no walk ins) Rhanda our tour guide was spectacular, her knowledge in the history of the museum was amazing and her narrative kept us engaged. she didn't rush us out quickly from room to room . She gave us ample time to ask questions and admire in the beautiful master piece . Gratuity is much appreciated for the tour guides. read more

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Down from a quick vacation at Yosemite and Kings Canyon and the Generals, was looking for something to do in Fresno and found good suggestions Forestiere Underground Gardens. Very interesting and enjoyable visit. Our guide,Carolyn very well-versed for the tour and provided some well written information Highly recommend a stop at the gardens when you have a free hour or two. read more

This is a great way to step back into Fresno history. Knowledgeable young people eager to share stories of this unusual guy and project read more

Forestiere Underground Gardens - Museum at end of tour - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Fresno, California

This is an interesting place to visit once if you are passing by on I90 or in the area. The hand hewn tunnels are a sight, and the enthusiastic tour guide did a fantastic job sharing the tale of Baldassare Forestiere and his underground living area and gardens. The footing is a bit uneven (an older visitor in my tour had to take care). I was surprised that there is no water fountain as it gets very hot in Fresno, but they do sell bottled water. There was construction on Shaw Ave when I visited, so the block in front was inaccessible--then there was a train, so it took a bit of effort to turn around and figure out where to park. Leave yourself a bit of time to find parking and walk over! So: wear sturdy shoes, bring water, and arrive 10 minutes ahead of time :-) read more

Wow! What a great experience. We had the one-hour guided tour. Once we left the triple-digit heat of the surface-of-the-sun Fresno in August and went underground, we were transformed into a different world created in the early part of the last century by a Sicilian man with a great vision. I could t imagine one man doing all this. It should be on everyone's CA tourist bucket list. Who woulda thunk it? Right on Shaw near 99. Parking is a challenge with the road construction going on, but it's worth the effort. read more

Forestiere Underground Gardens - Looking up from the underground to the canopy of the orange tree. - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Fresno, California

Our tour guide Maxwell was very helpful, we loved the emphasis on the builder's faith in his work. Definitely recommend.

Really cool and unique place! The gentleman dug these tunnels, and the fact created his house here after his day job of digging ditches. I came here with fairly low expectations, but I found myself increasingly fascinated as the tour went on. It's a shame that a lot of this digging was lost overtime, but at least the core 10 acres was saved. If you are driving anywhere near this place, stop and take a look. It is well worth the time. read more

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This is a must to visit! The history behind it is so interesting. The architecture and trees are just magnificent. It is hard to believe that we have this beautiful hidden gem in our town. They are open from March to November. You need book online for guided tour. It's a great place to bring the family to learn a bit of history . read more

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Everything well organized, punctual, very clean, our guide lady was great, very charismatic, kind and friendly. The only thing we didn't like it was to wait outside for 20 minutes and they don't have any place to sit down. If you'll be the first group in the morning you have to be there at 8:55 am read more

A tad pricey but such a unique and fun experience, particularly if you're passing through, good for (patient) kids and adults alike, not very stroller or wheelchair friendly, would recommend booking tickets online beforehand since they sell out read more

Makenna (spelling?) was a wonderful tour guide with extensive knowledge about the history of this facility. My husband and I enjoyed learning about this fascinating man, Baldasera Forester. read more

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Our tour guide was articulate and well informed. The focus is more on the structures, history and how his methods advanced/changed over the 40 years as he built his "resort". It's sprinkled with some plant information (mostly citrus and grapes- which makes sense since they can grow up towards the light and form a canopy). Well worth the price of the tour. It really is amazing to think one person incorporated so many skills (engineering, physics, architecture) with minimal tools and formal education. A true visionary. read more

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