Daytrips & Local Hot Spots

Here’s a list of family-friendly things to do within Fresno, or the surrounding areas. I’ve included links to websites where applicable. If you have any to add…please email me via the contact page to the right.

Field Trip Ideas
Farms & Pumpkin Patches
Family Fun
Museums

Factory Tours Listings
I found this webpage and thought some of you might be interested in a listing of factory tours for California. The site actually covers the entire US, but I’ve linked you to the CA page.

FIELD TRIP IDEAS
Since I homeschool, I’m finding out about all kinds of local field trip ideas and booking them for our local homeschool group…I’ll post them here as I learn about them! These will be things to do with groups of kids. More ideas for group trips in the sections below as well.

• American Avenue Disposal Tour (Kerman Landfill, where Fresno garbage goes)–846-6138 or 351-0698 Jerry Libecki. They only allow 4th grade and up.
• Chevy’s Fresh Mex–446-1905, 7634 N. Blackstone (at River Park)–They do a wonderful behind-the-scenes free tour, including free food! 25 kids max.
• City Water Waste Management Tour (we call this “The Poop Tour”, LOL! Where Fresno sewage goes for treatment.)–Jensens/Cornelia. Call Jim Holmes or his assistant Annette 621-5102. They only book these on the first Wed. of the month, in the morning. 25 kids max.
• Fire Station Tour–just about any station will do a tour, just call!
• Margaret Hudson‘s Studio–these tours are very popular so you must book them months in advance if you want any chance of getting in. Call 222-2420 for more info. Call in June to book April field trip.
• Petco & Albertson’s Field Trips–visit the Field Trip Factory and book these field trips online!
• Sunset Waste Recycling Center Tour (where Fresno curbside recycling goes)–Leah 499-1595
  Also–The city does a recycling presentation that they will bring to your group…Call 621-1111 and ask about the city recycling presentation.
• West Coast Waste Tour (where Fresno green waste goes)–Dennis 497-5320
• Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (River Park)
• Uncle Harry’s Bagels–Shaw/Marks store! (that’s the only one that makes bagels on site)
• Kings Canyon
• Reedley Beach
• Police Station Tour
• Bakery Tour
• Ice Cream Store Tour
• Tortilla Factory
• Pelco Tour
• AVCRAD (helicopters)
• Coarse gold gold panning
• SUN goods tour
• Thyme for Tea Parlor
• Vintage Rose Tea Room
• Chuck E. Cheese
• Color me Mine
• Gateway Ice Center
• Cynthia Merrill’s
• Cedar Lanes
• Laser Quest
• Yosemite Fitness
• Gymnastics Beat
• All about a Girl
• Fresno World of Baseball

FARMS & PUMPKIN PATCHES

• Chateau Fresno Nursery – FOLLOWS ORGANIC PRACTICES, tomatoes, prepicked produce, restrooms
  13505 S. Chateau Fresno, Caruthers, CA 93609. Phone: 559-896-4225.
  Email us at: bosaitaly@aol.com.
  Directions: 20 minute from Fresno. 10 minute from high way 41 Main street MT. View west. Crops are usually available in February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November. Open: Monday to Sunday 8 am to 7 pm We are certified organic for all crops! Payment: Cash, only. Organic vine- ripe Tomatoes Greenhouses
• Cobb Ranch – pumpkin patch, corn maze and more.
  8805 North Highway 41, Fresno, California. Phone: 559-439-0606. Email: jim@cobbranch.com. Bring your family and friends and try to navigate your way through the 2 ½ miles of twists, turns and dead end trails. Our 6 acre maze of 10 ft tall corn may “corn-fuse” you, but getting lost is part of finding fun! Bring a flashlight for a unique night time challenge. After you conquer the maze, visit our friends in the Animal Farm or go for a leisurely wagon ride around the beautiful and historic Cobb Ranch. Pumpkins, gourds, corn stalk and straw bales are also available to give your home or office the spirit of the season!
• Ens Vintage Farms — off Herndon/99
  estate@lightspeed.net (559) 275-2912; (559) 269-3143 (barn)
  Llama farm with tours. Wine and U-pick, table grapes, pomegranates.
  Crops are usually available in May, June, July, August, September, October, November. Open: By appointment. Pumpkin picking, all varieties, colors and sizes and HORSE-DRAWN WAGON RIDES Oct/Nov only, weekends by appointment. Beautiful wagon holds 12, circles farm, see the San Joaquin River meet our Giant English Shires (fee for excursion) Payment: Cash, only. BROWN EGGS available year round. POMEGRANATES, Dried luffa sponges, Blue Lake green beans, Okra, Brussels sprouts Farm friendly Llamas! Tours for Home Schoolers available w/picnic area.
• Huebert Farms – Peaches, nectarines, plums. Scary Corn Maze at Halloween Time.
  21570 E Lincoln Ave, Reedley, CA, 93654. Phone: 559-638-5650 or 559-638-4740.
  Email: peggyhuebert@yahoo.com.
  Open: May 15 – September 15. Directions: From Hwy 99 take Manning Ave Exit. Go East through Reedley. Turn left on Alta Ave. Take a left when the road T’s into American Ave. We are the first packing house on left. Alta is the main road taken by buses to go up to Kings Canyon Park. We are one-eighth of a mile off the route.
• J &K  Farley Farm –512 N. 7th Street in Kingsburg
  U-Pick Thompson Seedless Grape business.  Open mid-August to the first week of September. Clipers, carts, and boxes are provided free of charge.  Boxes are free to take your grapes home.  A small assortment of farm animals are provided for the children’s enjoyment for free also.
  Directions: Take Freeway 99 to the Bethel Ave. (Kamm Ave.) Exit,  travel south on Bethel until the road deadends at Elkhorn Ave.,  Turn right (west) on Elkhorn and go a short distance until you reach the intersection with Bethel,  Turn left on Bethel (south) at the PG&E power station, Travel about a quarter-mile and the J&K Farley Farm will be on the right.
• Organic Pastures–Organic Dairy Farm–Call Leslie 559-351-4544 or email–You may tour the bottling facility, observe dairy operations, and meet the cows.
• The Pizza Farm, Now at Cobb Ranch, Madera, 674-2391, e-mail
• Pumpkin King Pumpkin Patch - pumpkins, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, straw or hay bale maze, child-sized haybale maze, prepicked produce, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, face painting, pony rides, birthday parties, school tours.
  100 W. Shaw Avenue N/W corner of Blackstone & Shaw Avenues, Fresno, CA 93711. Phone: 559 658-2006. Fax: 559 658-2015. Email: info@pumpkinsfresno.com.  Directions: West of Highway 41 at the Shaw Avenue exit on the North West corner of Blackstone & Shaw Avenues.
  Crops are usually available in October. Open: 9 AM to 9 PM 7 days a week Pumpkin Patch and Straw Bale maze is open from October 1st through October 31st. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa/MasterCard. The Great Pumpkin Blood Drive 8 AM to 6 PM Friday October 11 and Saturday October 12th.
• The Pumpkin Patch – pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, child-sized hay bale maze
  2901 E. Alluvial , Fresno, , CA 93720. Phone: 559-323-9016.
  Email: thepumpkinpatch1@yahoo.com.
  Crops are usually available in October. Hours are 11am till 10pm. Haunted barn hours are 6pm till 10pm Payment: Cash, Visa/MasterCard.
• Rancho Notso Grande – FOLLOWS ORGANIC PRACTICES, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, flowers, nectarines, olallieberries, other berries, peaches, pecans , raspberries, tayberries, walnuts, prepicked produce
  5051 12th. Avenue, Hanford, CA 93230. Phone: 559-269-1152. Fax: 559-589-0420.
  Email us at: RanchoNotsoGrande@hughes.net.
  Directions: South East corner of 12th and Excelsior Avenues in Hanford, CA. This is 30 minutes south of Fresno, 25 minutes West of Visalia.  Crops are usually available in May, June, July, August. Open: We have a refrigerated, pre-picked fruit stand that is open from 7 AM to 7PM for seven days a week during the harvest season. During the season we are open for you pick and roadside sales from 7AM to 7 PM Tuesday through Saturday and all other times by appointment.  We follow organic methods, but are not yet certified.
  Payment: Cash, Check.
• Riverdance Farm - 12230 Lingston-Cressey Road, Livingston, California 95334.
  ORGANIC, Blueberries – on two annual you-pick weekends
  Phone: 209-761-0081. Email: riverdancefarms@clearwire.net.
  Also, Prepicked: Certified-organic walnuts, almonds, pecans, blueberries, cherries, pomegranates, persimmons, cut flowers, lavender, and, in the winter, oat hay. They host you-pick days during the annual Heartland Festival with the Merced River Fair with a lower key, breakfast, u-pick and farm tour morning on Sunday June 3, 2007. Our second blueberry u-pick will be Fathers’ Day weekend, F-S-S. Call with any questions (209) 761-0081. In the future, they would also like to offer flowers, stone fruits, and pumpkins on a you-pick basis.
• Satterstrom’s Tree Farm – pumpkin patch, hayrides, haunted house, haunted forest, haunted hayrides
  41255 Road 40, Reedley, CA 93654-9140. Phone: (559) 897-3685. Fax: (559) 897-7120. Email: mikesatterstrom@sierratel.com. Open: October 1st – October 31st from 10 am to 6 pm. Nighttime Events: Open the 2nd Friday in October through October 31st, Sunday – Thursday: Dusk – 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday: Dusk – 11 p.m.
• The Shafer Family Farm – Grapes
  13378 E South Ave, Parlier, CA. Phone: 559-646-2586.
  Grapes for the home winemaker on either a “u-pick” or a “we-pick” basis
• Single Palm Pumpkins – follow organic methods, pumpkins, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, child-sized haybale maze, tractor-pulled hay rides, farm animals, school tours.
  10635 W Barstow Ave, Fresno, CA 93723. Phone: 559-246-3937.
  Email: troy@singlepalm.com. Directions: 5 miles west of 99 on Shaw, right (north) on Dickenson and a left on Barstow for a half mile. Look for the 150 ft. tall palm tree. Crops are usually available in October. Open: Open all through October Weekdays 3pm – dark, all day Saturday until dark and Sunday 12pm – 5pm. 7 acres of pumpkins, 5 acres of Jack-o-lanterns, 1 acre of Big Max and 1 acre of sugar pumpkins. All pumpkins – $5 each. We follow organic methods, but are not yet certified. Payment: Cash, only.
• Sweetwater Berry Farm – 42961 Rd 628 , Ahwahnee, CA 93601. Phone: 559-658-8511.
  Email: sweetwaterberryfarm@msn.com.
  –Blackberries, raspberries, tomatoes, prepicked produce
  Directions: Highway 41 N. through Oakhurst to 49 to Road 628 (Roundhouse Rd)
  Crops are usually available in September. Open: Monday to Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Blackberries July 14 thru August 20. Raspberries September thru Oct 14. Public bathroom available.
  We follow organic methods, but are not yet certified.
  Payment: Cash, Check.
• Wiebe Farms Tour–Peach/nectarines farm…tour the packing farm and packing plant in the spring and summer. School rates are $5/person. Email Lavone Sawatzky, tour director. We have curriculum written for kids to introduce them to what they will see and learn. The school tour takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  The tour also includes a snack. We prefer to do the tours in the morning because it is cooler.  Students also enjoy bringing their lunch and eating out under the trees, by the barn and on the tour trailer.

FAMILY FUN

• Adventure Park, Hanford, 582-6000, Pizza, arcade games, batting cages, race cars, bumper boats & miniature golf.
• Blackbeard’s Family Fun Center, 4055 North Chestnut Diagonal, Fresno
  292-9000, Miniature golf, arcade, bumper boats, amusement rides and more.
• The Blossom Trail, (800) 788-0836
• Boomers, 7354 N. Abby Street, Fresno, 432-9684
  Large arcade, two 18-hole miniature golf courses, laser tag, three go-kart tracks, bumper boats, rock climbing and more.
• Boyden Cavern Tours, 209-736-2708, email
• Cal Skate Clovis, 2881 Peach Ave, Clovis, 291-0241
• Chaffee Zoological Gardens, 894 West Belmont Avenue, Fresno
• Coarsegold Historic Village, 35300 Hwy 41, On the corner of Raymmond Rd & Hwy 41–Turn left at the teepee.
• The Discovery Center, 1944 N. Winery, Fresno, CA 93703, 251-5533
• Downing Planetarium, CSU, Fresno
• Duncan Water Gardens, 6901 E. McKenzie, Fresno, 252-1567
• Forestiere Underground Gardens, 5021 W. Shaw Ave, Fresno, 271-0734
• Gold Gulch Museum At Yosemite Gallery & Indian Territory, Gold Panning in Coarsegold–On 41, on the right as you go north into Coarsegold.
• Hillcrest Christmas Tree Farm & Railroad
  2 miles north of the town of Reedley at 6943 Reed Avenue
• Hilmar Cheese Company, The largest single site cheese manufacturer in the world producing over 1 million pounds per day. Our cheese is sold whole sale and cut and wrapped with a variety of labels. Hilmar is 90 minutes north of Fresno.
  The Visitor Center Theme is Tour, Taste, Shop and Eat open 7 – 7 daily. June 14 – Labor Day we offer guided tours of the Visitor Center at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Every Saturday during June, July and August we are featuring Family Fun Days with an ice cream making activity. Sign up at 10:30 a.m. and tour and activity starts at 11:00. Allow one hour.
• The Island Waterpark & Family Fun Village, 6099 W. Barstow off of Shaw & 99
  277-6800
• John’s Incredible Pizza, 7095 N. Cedar, Fresno, CA 93720, 323-1111
• Millerton Bald Eagle Tours, Calif. Dept. of Parks & Recreation, Millerton Lake (209) 822-2332
• Pump It Up
• Rotary Storyland & Playland, 486-2124
• Shinzen Japanese Garden, Located in Woodward Park
• Sierra Endangered Cat Haven, Tours from 9am-3:15pm daily except Wed’s.
  338-1336
• Wildwater Adventures, 11413 E. Shaw Ave. in Clovis, 299-9453
• Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, 56001 Hwy 41, Fish Camp
  683-7273
• Yosemite Park

MUSEUMS

• Children’s Museum of the Sierra, 49269 Golden Oak Drive, Suite 104, Oakhurst
  559-658-5656
• The Discovery Center, 1944 N. Winery, Fresno, CA 93703, 559-251-5533
• Fresno Art Museum, 2233 N. First Street, Fresno, Between McKinley and Clinton in Radio Park
• ImagineU Children’s Museum, 700 East Main Street ~ Visalia, CA
  (559) 733-5975 or (559) 733-0735
• Meux Home Museum, Tulare & R Streets, Fresno, 559-233-8007, email
• Kearney Mansion Museum, 7160 W Kearney Blvd, Fresno, 559- 441-0862
• Kern County Museum, 3801 Chester Ave, Bakersfield, 661-852-5000
  From a Fresno Family visitor, about the KC Museum:
  “This is one of our favorite places to visit.  A little bit of a drive, but they have a nice picnic area and there or there is also a nice Sizzler within walking distance. There is so much to see and do that it is a whole day trip and well worth it.  Pioneer Village and the Lori Brock children’s museum, which is one of the best I’ve ever seen.  Young kids can spend hours in there alone.”

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