Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art and Science, Art and science museum in downtown Fresno, California.
The Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art and Science was a museum in downtown Fresno housed in the historic 1922 Fresno Bee Building. It featured permanent science galleries and flexible art exhibition spaces across multiple floors.
The institution opened in 1984 as a regional museum for the San Joaquin Valley and became one of the largest museums between San Francisco and Los Angeles. A major renovation in 2005 modernized the building before it closed in 2010.
The museum displayed rotating exhibitions of modern art and scientific discoveries that reflected the interests of Central California communities. These shows helped connect visitors to contemporary creativity and learning.
Plan ahead when visiting downtown Fresno since the museum has been permanently closed. Visitors can instead explore nearby art centers and other cultural institutions in the area.
The building had a reflective pool beneath its cantilevered structure that created a cooling microclimate during hot months. Few visitors realized this architectural feature was intentionally designed to moderate temperatures.
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