Fresno Family FUN Pages:
(aka Local Info)
Daytrips & Local Hot Spots for Fresno Families with
Children
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.
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.
American Avenue DisposalTour (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.
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)
Downing Planetarium
Uncle Harry's Bagels--Shaw/Marks
store! (that's the only one that makes
bagels on site)
Kings Canyon
Reedley Beach
Yosemite
Police Station Tour
Bakery Tour
Ice Cream Store Tour
Tortilla Factory
Pelco Tour
AVCRAD (helicopters)
Movie Theater Tour
Oakhurst Children's Museum
Visalia Children's Museum
Jelly Belly Factory (Fairfield)
Sacramento Train Museum
Coarse gold gold panning
SUN goods tour
Margaret Hudson's studio (April only...make
reservation in June)
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Forestiere Underground Gardens
Sugar Pine Railroad
Hillcrest Xmas tree Farm/Railroad
Duncan Water Gardens
Millerton Bald Eagle Tours
Boyden Caverns
Hilmar Cheese Co.
Thyme for Tea Parlor
Vintage Rose Tea Room
Chuck E. Cheese
Color me Mine
Gateway Ice Center
Cynthia Merrill's
Cedar Lanes
Laser Quest
Young at Art
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.
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
8th 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.
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.
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.
