museums Archives - FresYes!

Think you’ve seen all the local museums? Here are 6 you may have missed

February 13, 2018 by JoAnn Hallum Leave a Comment

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Houseplant killing optimist- freelance writer -kid herder

1. Fresno County Museum

Located in Fresno and open to all during The Big Fresno Fair, The Fresno County Museum is dedicated to all things Fresno, including the historic Hacienda Hotel sign that graced Highway 99 for all those years. There’s also a good collection of tractors, fire trucks, and wagons from days of yore.

Since it’s open during The Big Fresno Fair, there’s a fair chance (haha) you’ve seen it. But if you haven’t and you can’t wait for the fair to roll around, call (559) 650-FAIR to schedule a tour, because neon signs and local history are always in season.

Photo by The Big Fresno Fair

2. Kingsburg Historical Park

Kingsburg Historical Park is a place I’ve written about before, and it really is a rich goldmine of Valley history. You’ll see homages to the old Del Monte Factory, and a lot of antique farm equipment. If you’re smart (and you are), you’ll be sure to stop by Jeb’s Swedish Creamery, a small family-owned business that makes its own ice cream.

3. Clovis-Big Dry Creek Museum

Whatever you do this month, make time to check out the Clovis-Big Dry Creek Museum on Pollasky Ave. in Clovis. Why? Because it’s time for the annual bank robbery.

You can read more about that annual event here, but in the meantime mark your calendar for Saturday Feb. 24. The event recreates a bank robbery that took place in Clovis in 1924 by thieves called the Owl and the Lone Wolf (really), and you can catch the reenactment every fifteen minutes from 11 a.m. to 1 .m.

4. Fossil Discovery Museum

Make no bones about it, the Fossil Discovery Museum in Chowchilla is a must-visit museum. Who can resist the thrill of fossils from another era dug from the depths of a humble landfill?

Did you know there are even dire wolf fossils, and that the dire wolf originated in the Central Valley? Winter is coming. Just kidding.

But seriously, read all about FresYes author Natali’s experience at the Fossil Museum here.

Photo: Fossil Discovery Center

5. Sierra Mono Museum

The Sierra Mono Museum is the first museum created and operated by the Mono Indian tribe. Inside, it contains an extensive basketwork display as well as beadwork. The museum is very involved in Native American-focused events, such as the annual Indian Fair Days and Pow Wow, and Mono Storytelling, which is happening on March 10 at the North Fork Family Wellness Center (not at the museum itself). You can hear traditional stories from Mono elders at this event.

Located in North Fork, the museum also hosts wildlife dioramas and a large taxidermy collection. It is open by appointment only, and you can download the tour request form here.

6. Hanford Carnegie Museum

Open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10-5, this is one of the most accessible small museums on the list. The Hanford Carnegie Museum hosts an Amelia Earhart exhibit and a display about the Infamous Mussel Slough Tragedy.

Housed in the old library built with funds donated by Carnegie, the building is a great example of Romanesque architecture. The museum also offers tours through other historical Hanford destinations, such as the Fox Theater. Also, while you’re in Hanford, you’ll want to make a pit stop at Superior Dairy, of course. Call (559) 584-1367 or (559) 553-5602 to schedule a tour.

Photo from Hanford Carnegie Museum Facebook page

So there’s the list for you, including some bonus ice cream stops. If you’ve actually been to all six of these hidden gems, there’s room for bragging rights in the comments. If you haven’t, what are you waiting for?

Check out these 5 new exhibits at the Fresno Art Museum

February 5, 2018 by Sarah Soghomonian Leave a Comment

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Sarah Soghomonian

TV Producer and fan of all things fabulous.Bulldog Born, Bulldog Bred!

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Interested in working more art and culture into your life? Five new exhibits recently opened at the Fresno Art Museum as part of the museum’s Winter/Spring show, and they’ll be on display through June 10.

There are three solo exhibitions and two group shows. There’s a little bit of everything: paintings, drawings, wood carving, and photography.

“Each curator spent six to 12 months organizing their exhibitions,” says Michele Ellis Pracy, the Executive Director and Chief Curator for the Fresno Art Museum. “Studio visits to the artists is an important part of our selection process. As is writing and research for wall texts and curatorial statements.”

1. David Tomb: Rockfowl and Other Wonders

The work of Bay Area artist David Tomb is featured. His art reflects a lifelong interest in birds and his commitment to the conservation of species and habitats. The images he creates are very large and are collage and mixed-media works on paper installations.

The work of artist David Tomb is part of the Winter / Spring Exhibit at the Fresno Art Museum.

“Making artwork of birds is a way to connect and personalize my experience of seeing birds,” Tomb says. “The ultimate goal is to have people think, ‘That animal is incredible, we need to save them’.”

2. Marcos Dorado: Immigrant Me

The Winter/Spring Show also features the work of Fresno-based artist Marcos Dorado, whose art explores social issues that matter to him. The art he has on display is of portraits of immigrants. Each portrait features a short biography about the person featured.

“My goal is to convey their struggle,” Dorado says. “I want to put the spotlight on the positive contribution of immigrants that are here.”

Fresno-based artist Marcos Dorado tells the story of immigrants through his drawings.

3. Holly Lane: Indwelling Nature

The third solo exhibition features the work of Holly Lane, a Bay Area painter and sculptor. Known for her elaborately framed paintings which are hand-carved, Lane is inspired by architecture, and her work is often tied to Greek mythology and philosophy.

Hand-crafted sculptures like this one are part of the Holly Lane exhibition.

4. Hanna S. Barsam Photography Invitational: California Nature

The Fresno Art Museum is also hosting a biennial photography exhibition that recognizes the legacy of local photographer Hanna S. Barsam.

The theme of the 2018 Hanna S. Barsam Photography Invitational is “California Nature.” Each of the photographs featured explores the beauty of the Golden State.

Celebrate the beauty of California at the 2018 Hanna S. Barsam Photography Invitational.

5. Untitled

The fifth exhibition of the Winter/Spring show is “Untitled.” It’s made up of a selection of works from the Fresno Art Museum’s permanent collection with no title, aka no context. Visitors are asked to create their own story based on how they interpret the art.

Visit the FAM

“This is Fresno’s only art museum and we have been on this site for 69 years,” Ellis Pracy says. “We are accredited with American Alliance of Museums which means our stand for excellence is evident in all that we do here. The Fresno Art Museum is a jewel in the cultural crown of Fresno.”

The Fresno Art Museum is located at 2233 N. First Street, just south of Clinton. The museum is open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-17. Little ones five and under are free.

To learn more about the Fresno Art Museum, including details on how you can become a member, visit FresnoArtMuseum.org. They are also active on Facebook and Instagram.

…

All photos courtesy of the Fresno Art Museum

Saturday’s Free Museum Day is your chance to museum hop

October 26, 2017 by FresYes Writing Team Leave a Comment

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Attention fans of art, history, and things that are just cool: The Greater Fresno Alliance of Museums and Educational Sites is hosting a free museum day on Saturday, Oct. 28, and it’s basically your chance to museum hop. The variety of museums participating is broad: from fossils to friendly turtles to fine art, there’s something to interest pretty much anyone.

Here’s the scoop on 10 local museums that are opening their doors for free this Saturday.

1. African American Historical & Cultural Museum of the San Joaquin Valley

Location: 1857 Fulton Street, Fresno
Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Website: http://www.aahcmsjv.org/

Here’s where to find local artifacts and objects celebrating the accomplishments of local African Americans such as broadcaster Woody Miller, Fresno’s first black radio station owner. This museum also has a focus on building community, so this Saturday is a great time to jump in.

2. Central Sierra Historical Society & Museum

Location: 2642 Tollhouse Rd, Shaver Lake
Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Website: http://www.sierrahistorical.org/

This museum is nestled in the mountains by Shaver Lake, so head this way for fresh air and pine needles. A “museum without walls,” there is an indoor and an outdoor portion. The outdoors include old railroad cabooses and a steam donkey engine (maybe even a deer if you’re lucky). Inside you can participate in crafts and learn about indigenous peoples.

This is a Power House you can visit at the Central Sierra Historical Society and Museum in Shaver Lake. [photo: Central Sierra Historical Society and Museum]

3. Fossil Discovery Center of Madera County

Location: 19450 Avenue 21 1/2, Chowchilla
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Website: https://www.maderamammoths.org/

It’s worth the short drive to Chowchilla to see a dire wolf, right? Game of Thrones fans and budding paleontologists alike will enjoy the mementos from the middle-Pleistocene era. These include fossils of mammoths, camels and… GIANT SLOTHS. So there’s that.

Mammoth fossils at Fossil Discovery Center in Chowchilla. [photo: Fossil Discovery Center]

4. The Fresno Discovery Center

Location: 1944 N. Winery Ave., Fresno
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Website: https://www.thediscoverycenter.net/

Dinosaur fans will also find plenty to roar about at Fresno’s Discovery Center, which will unveil two new dinosaur models this weekend. Donated by NASA Ambassador Susan Morrison, these will be near the sandbox of dinosaur bones that toddlers go nuts for. Even if dinos aren’t your jam, odds are high you’ll see a turtle which is an automatic win in my book. I’m a bit obsessed with the Discovery Center, as you can see from my past article here.

A FREAKING PARASAUROLOPHUS and I am so happy to be typing dinosaur names right now. Part of a new display at the Discovery Center.

5. Fresno County Historical Museum & Big Fresno Fair Museum

Location: 1121 S. Chance Ave., Fresno
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Website: https://www.fresnofair.com/fresno-county-historical-museum

Here’s the place for fire engines and fair history. Head to this museum for local icons like the Fresno Motel sign. You can also visit the goddess of justice statues that once stood on top of the Fresno Courthouse.

6. Henry Madden Library at Fresno State

Location: 5200 N. Barton Ave., Fresno
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Website: https://library.fresnostate.edu/find

Full disclosure, I thought I had been here, having attended Fresno State and all, but then I realized I am old and this is the new building that wasn’t ready when I was a young collegian. And it has a Starbucks. This isn’t why you should visit it, but I had to mention it because now I’m a bit bitter. These young kids get all the perks in life, you know? Anyway, you might not have realized that besides books (and Starbucks), there are collections to enjoy—such as the Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children’s Literature.

7. San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust River Center

Location: 11605 Old Friant Road, Fresno
Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Website: https://www.riverparkway.org/

Home of the Hidden Homes Trail, a very exciting frog-filled pond in front of the ranch house, and a historical museum, there’s tons to explore at the River Center and it’s fun for all ages.

Hidden Homes Trail at the San Joaquin River Center

8. Shinzen Japanese Friendship Garden & Clark Bonsai Collection

Location: Woodward Park, Fresno
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Website: http://www.shinzenjapanesegarden.org/

Fresno is one of only three locations to host a public collection from the Golden State Bonsai Federation. These tiny trees are exhibited based on the season, so head there now to see what fall foliages are on display. As a bonus, koi ponds and tranquil landscapes set a peaceful mood. And of course, there are cool bridges to cross. Read more about it here.

Bonsai trees at the Shinzen Friendship Garden inside of Woodward Park

9. Tulare County Museum at Mooney Grove Park

Location: 27000 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Website: http://tularecountymuseum.org/museum/

Part of the oldest county park in California and within an oak preserve, this museum is geared toward Tulare County history. This includes agriculture, naturally, but it also includes one of the largest collections of Native American baskets.

Display at the Tulare County Museum [photo: Tulare County Museum]

10. Fresno Art Museum

Location: 2233 N. First Street, Fresno
Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Website: http://www.fresnoartmuseum.org/

Besides a stellar permanent collection, you can find great exhibitions when you visit the FAM. Currently, panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt are on display as well as art from Maurice Cohen and Joan Schulze. This is a great time to visit if you like your art to have texture.

“Opus” by Joan Schultze at the Fresno Art Museum [photo: Fresno Art Museum]

And there you have it, folks—ten museums and what to expect when you visit. Who knew you had an opportunity to visit a steam donkey engine AND a dire wolf on a Saturday?

For more information on Free Museum Day, including maps to the locations, check out the Greater Fresno Alliance of Museums website here. Although admission is free, parking is not, so bring a couple dollars and some change with you, just in case. Enjoy!

Find Gold & Other Cool Treasures in Mariposa

June 7, 2017 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

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Natali Carrera

Natali Carrera is a devoted coffee addict who also loves her teenage son, her husband of 18 years and shopping small & local. She is the founder & CEO of parent support non-profit Success Together, Inc. and has been a freelance content creator for FresYes.com for 7 years. Natali is a lifelong Fresno resident, unrelenting cheerleader and Fresno State grad.

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Last week, I had the opportunity to visit Mariposa, CA, along with my son and his fourth grade class, as a field trip chaperone. I expected to handle the responsibilities of chaperoning and keeping the eight boys in our group focused on educational activities versus making spit wads, accidentally throwing fidget spinners across the room, or whatever else fourth grade boys frequently do, but what I didn’t anticipate was actually learning a lot and enjoying the museum tours myself.

Our field trip consisted of two stops: The Mariposa Museum and History Center and the California State Mining and Mineral Museum. These two locations are just about five minutes apart from one another (driving) and on route to Yosemite, so if you’re headed that way and can make the time to stop – I suggest you do!

Printing Press & Panning For Gold at the Mariposa Museum and History Center

First, a little history. During the Gold Rush era, Mariposa experienced a huge boom in mining. People came from across the country to build and work underground mine tunnels and pan for gold in the Mariposa Creek (“Mariposa” is Spanish for “butterfly.” The town was named after the numerous butterflies seen in the area by Spanish explorer Gabriel Moraga in 1806, and each year it holds a Butterfly Festival.).

The Mariposa Museum and History Center boasts a life-size, working stamp machine, a preserved home called the Counts Residence that belonged to the town’s treasurer and features furniture and appliances from the 1870s (yes, the treasurer’s family name happened to be Counts – wasn’t that convenient!), as well as a printing press, a gold panning area, a blacksmith’s shop and artifacts including huge, water-tight baskets made by the Miwok Indians.

A printing press set up to make an invitation at the Mariposa Museum and History Center

A museum docent stumps kids on a tour with an “old school popcorn popper”

My son with a museum volunteer, panning for gold

Gold flecks catch the light in a gold pan

Gems & Minerals on Display at the California State Mining and Mineral Museum

The California State Mining and Mineral Museum offers visitors a look at hundreds of gems and minerals, many of which I’d never seen or heard of before our tour. (Have you ever heard of neptunium?)

They even had meteorites on display! Haven’t you always wondered what one might look like up close? They’re quite amazing! Additionally, you can tour a replica underground mine and see what it would be like to have worked in one (spoiler: not so fun!) and see possibly the coolest thing of all – the largest undisturbed gold crystal (yup, gold is actually a crystal!) ever mined and kept in one piece.

10 Things I Learned at the Mariposa Museums that Blew My Mind

1. Gold is super heavy, but can also be made super thin. An ounce of gold is about the size of a pinky finger, but can be rolled thin enough to cover the floor of a large room!

2. A stamp machine from the gold mining era has nothing to do with rubber stamping, but instead is a huge machine made from timber, iron and cylindrical “stamps.” It’s powered by steam and belts and is used to crush granite so gold can be collected from within the rocks.

A stamping machine, about to go to work at the Mariposa Museum and History Center

3. Huge stamping machines filled rooms and were so loud that when they were actually turned off, the townspeople in Mariposa got antsy because they were so used to the constant booming sound, the absence of which made them anxious.

4. Chinese coins, which have a square-shaped hole in the center of them, are often found by people who pan for gold in the Mariposa Creek. The Chinese were among the first groups in the area, brought in from San Francisco to build the intercontinental railroad.

5. Many people came to the Mariposa Creek to pan for gold, and they lived in tents and camped out with fires. Due to the close proximity of these tents and fires to one another, the entire city caught on fire multiple times.

6. Miners who were in charge of blasting tunnels bore small holes and used gun powder to break away at the earth. The blaster role was one of the higher paying mining jobs, but also the most dangerous.

7. The Mariposa newspaper was published once a week on a printing press that had to be hand set with type stamps for each page. The average paper circulated to 400 subscribers and was 8-10 pages long, and each page had to be pressed one at a time.

8. Some gems and minerals make bulgy, circular crystals where others make very square or rectangular crystals.

9. Families living in the late 1800s typically bathed once a week in the kitchen near the stove. The youngest was bathed first, standing in a tub, while heated water was poured over them. The water was then reused for each family member, with the oldest/adults going last, with what was certain to be pretty dirty and cold water.

10. Houses in the late 1800s also didn’t have running water, and using the family outhouse after dark could be dangerous, so most families kept pots under their beds for late night um … “waste” purposes. The oldest child was typically in charge of dumping them each morning. (Tell your oldest this next time they complain about taking out the trash!)

Everyone loves a good bedside commode! Oh wait… no one does.

Visitor Information

Mariposa Museum and History Center

Located at 5119 Jessie Street, Mariposa, CA 95338
Open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily
Phone: (209) 966-2924
Admission Prices: Adults $5. Children under 18 are free. First responders and military in uniform (or presenting active duty I.D.) also are free.
Website here

CA State Mining and Mineral Museum

Located at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds, 1.8 miles south of Mariposa on historic Highway 49. Turn left into fairgrounds.
Open Thursday-Sunday, closed to the public Monday-Wednesday. Summer hours (May 1- Sept. 30) are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Winter hours (oct. 1 to April 30) are 10 a.m to 4 p.m.
Phone: (209) 742-7625
Admission is $4 for adults, children 12 and under are free.

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Watch a Clovis bank get robbed this weekend

February 23, 2017 by JoAnn Hallum Leave a Comment

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JoAnn Hallum

Houseplant killing optimist- freelance writer -kid herder

What You’ll Find at the Clovis-Big Dry Creek Museum

Naturally, the Clovis-Big Dry Creek Museum is not only about the Great Bank Robbery of 1924. You could spend a whole day inside learning about local history. Recently, I enjoyed a fabulous museum tour by Docent Marian Prindiville, who is knowledgable and friendly, and offered my kids a free pen to remember their visit.

Marian walked us through the museum and explained the history behind the photographs that line the walls, as well as some of the museum’s other artifacts, including a piece of the great flume that went all the way from Shaver Lake to the Clovis rodeo grounds. Seeing the photographs of rows of lumber where the rodeo grounds are now really shows how different Clovis is, 100 or so years later.

The museum also houses a section featuring artifacts from the indigenous Yokut people, and a wall dedicated to the city’s founder, “Wheat King” Clovis Cole.

My sons loved the Veterans’ Room, which had uniforms and photographs of local heroes who have served our country. There’s also a Heritage Room that houses outfits of yore, including some very fashionable bonnets.

And of course, there’s an area dedicated to “Gunsmoke” actor Ken Curtis (he played Festus Haggen), who lived out his later years in Clovis. Did you know the cowboy statue in front of the Educational Employees Credit Union on Pollasky Ave. is his likeness? I had always thought it was a random cowboy, but you learn something new every day, especially if you go to a museum with an informative docent.

A piece of flume that led to the mill in Clovis

After visiting the museum, I feel like I have a better connection with Clovis. It’s always grounding to know where a place has been and what sort of adventures have happened on the streets we currently walk on. From revolvers to bonnets, there’s really something for everyone at the Clovis Dry-Creek Historical Society Museum.

To Visit the Museum

Museum Hours: 10 a.m to 2 p.m, Tuesday through Saturday, or by special arrangement at 559-287-3033

Location: 401 Pollasky Avenue (the corner of Pollasky and 4th)

Admission: Free, but donations are welcome

A museum display of a wide variety of barbed wires, just one of the interesting collections within.

To Watch Saturday’s Robbery Re-Enactment

Bank Robbery Hours: Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., every 15 minutes. (If you’re reading this in 2018, the date is Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018.)

Extras: During the melodrama hours, you can enter to win a $100 door prize

More info: Click here

Places to go: Fossil Discovery Center

February 11, 2015 by Natali Carrera 1 Comment

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Natali Carrera

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Last Thursday I had the opportunity to chaperone my son’s class field trip to the Fossil Discovery Center in Chowchilla, CA. I’d heard of this place a number of times previously, but had this idea in my mind of what I thought it’d be like, and wasn’t in a huge rush to visit. I thought it would be a small place with lots of models of fossils – more of a tourist-y experience that appealed to little ones and sought to empty parents’ pockets on souvenirs. I was so, so wrong.

The Fossil Discovery Center is SO very cool. Our tour started in a theater room where we watched a video that explained how the center came about and what we’d be seeing. It explained that the Center was built across the street after fossils were found next to the Madera County landfill, at what is called the Fairmead Dig Site. Thousands of fossils have now been unearthed from Fairmead (and expect to continue to be found for decades) and through the study of these fossils, it was determined that there had been a watering hole that attracted all kinds of species to the area. There were saber-toothed cats, a flat-faced bear who stood over 12 feet tall and could likely run at speeds of 40 miles per hour, a large wolf called the “dire wolf” and even camels – which apparently originated right here in the Central Valley and later spread to other parts of the world (who knew!? not me!).

After the video, we began our tour of the center checked out a huge Columbian Mammoth skeleton. Turns out they were even larger than Wooly Mammoths!

We also got to see saber tooth cat skulls and compare their teeth to other animals.

The awesome fossil displays continued into two other large rooms in the center. There were so many creatures to check out, some set up as full size skeletons. We also got to see a mammoth bone that was still being carefully removed from the ground that had been surrounding it.

Outside the center, we toured a (replicated) Yokut Indian hut and shade structure as well as a watering hole created to simulate the one that once was present at Fairmead. Our tour ended with all of the students having the opportunity to experience what it’s like to dig up a fossil at a large model dig site complete with real tools and markers.

My son and his classmates had such a great time at the Fossil Discovery Center, and us grown ups all seemed to as well – we kept commenting to each other about things we had never known prior to our visit and how surprising some of the facts were.

I highly recommend taking your family or class to the Fossil Discovery Center soon! Located at 19450 Avenue 21 1/2, it’s just a short 30 minute drive from Fresno. Currently the Center is operating on Winter hours, so it is open Wednesday through Saturday from 9 to 4 and Sundays from 11 – 4. Tuesdays are available in Spring and Summer. The cost of admission is $8 for adults, $4 for students and $6 for seniors. Children 3 and under are free. For more information visit the Fossil Discovery Center or call (559) 665-7107.