Forestiere Underground Gardens, Underground garden complex in Fresno, United States
Forestiere Underground Gardens is a subterranean network of tunnels, rooms, and courtyards that extends beneath California soil. The system spans multiple levels at depths reaching 7.5 meters (25 feet) and covers approximately 4 hectares (10 acres) of excavated space.
The site was excavated between 1906 and 1946 by Sicilian immigrant Baldassare Forestiere using hand tools like shovels and pickaxes. This period of creation shaped a unique underground monument built through tireless manual labor.
The underground rooms feature Mediterranean architectural elements with open skylights that allow fruit trees and grapevines to grow beneath the earth. The place reflects a Sicilian immigrant's effort to recreate a familiar homeland landscape in this unusual subterranean setting.
Visitors should wear comfortable shoes since the underground paths are uneven and stairs are present throughout. The temperature below ground stays consistently cool year-round, so a light jacket is recommended.
Fruit trees and grapevines thrive underground, sustained by artificial ventilation and sunlight filtered through shafts above. This surprising combination of farming and engineering shows how nature and human ingenuity can work together beneath the surface.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
