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 Forestiere Underground Gardens - Fresno, CA
N 36° 48.485 W 119° 52.836
11S E 243021 N 4077454
Fresno's best kept secret: A spectacular undergound arboretum
Waymark Code: WM3ZDY
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 06/10/2008
Views: 127
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Just half a block off Highway 99 lies Fresno's best kept secret. Don't be surprised if you don't see anything driving by because there nothing to see on the surface!
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It may not look like it, but what you see in the picture to the right is ten feet underground. Over the course of 40 years, one man, armed only with a shovel and a wheel barrel carved out a network of rooms, grottos, and passageways once honeycombed almost 10 acres, and numbered nearly 100. He also installed giant skylights and rain water cisterns, enabling him not only to live underground but also to breed a variety of citrus trees and other plants. |
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Sicilian immigrant Baldassare Forestiere (1879-1946) came to California in 1905 and bought a parcel of land upon which he intended to grow trees and vines. Unfortunately, Baldassare's dreams were dashed when he discovered that his land was a solid plate of hardpan rock, utterly useless for agriculture.
Undaunted and inspired by images he saw in his mind's eye, Baldassare began to dig down through the hardpan.
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Combining his knowledge of farming with his observations of the Roman architecture of the Mediterranean, he turned worthless farmland into a spectacular maze of underground caverns. No dynamite was used, no plans were made; every idea originated in Baldassare's head as he went.
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Forestiere was a true do-it-yourselfer and he knew how to utilize the land. No help was hired, no expensive machinery was bought, all he used was a shovel, a wheel barrel and some self made pots. One of the most amazing facts about this underground empire is that it cost him only $300 in material to build it - and of course 40 years of hard work!
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Baldassare Forestiere's original tools on display
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Forestiere put in giant skylights to light up his underground world. They provide enough light for the plants he grow down here and sometimes, one can completely forget that one is ten feet under...
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 This shows, how deep underground we really are. |
 Skylight in the central hall |
 Now, this is why it is called skylight
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Over the years, Forestiere turned his cave into a really cozy home. Take a tour through some of his rooms:
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Room with a view - ten feet underground!
When thinking of caves, one doesn't necessarily think of much daylight, but Forrestiere's skylights were genially placed and illuminated large rooms, allowing for windows and rooms with a view almost everywhere.
His genius didn't stop there. Below are a picture of a well that was once on the surface and was lowered 15 feet below ground and a picture of one of Forrestiere's peep holes, allowing him to see who came to visit him before they could see him.
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Forestiere dug his tunnels to escape from the Central Valley's forbidding heat. But he wasn't only a tunnel architect; he also was a gifted gardener. In addition to having his living quarters underground, he created a giant arboretum filled with lemon and orange trees and some really strange species like strawberry trees. In fact, there is so much to say about his gardening that we created a separate Arboretum waymark to cover it.
Check it out! |
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Forrestire's underground realm is a California State Historic Site and is registered in the National Register of Historic Places. However, it is still family owned and operated and sometimes there are already more visitors than the family can handle. Public tours are limited to the weekend. Be polite, expect waiting time and don't advertise it all over the world.
Check out the official website for directions, schedules, prices and a lot more information.
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State: California
Nearest City: Fresno
Type: Structure - bridge or other historic infrastructure
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Visit Instructions:
Please give a brief description of your visit. Maybe why you were there, what you found interesting, or something along those lines. Photos are also encouraged. Although the only requirement to log a visit to a waymark in this category is to physically visit the location, the photos and extra information you can provide about the area is very helpful.
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