Hidden under the San Joaquin Valley sits a maze of tunnels, hand-dug into the dirt to escape the heat. These aren’t dark, dreary tunnels you might picture. Instead, they are home to thriving gardens with fruit trees blooming beneath the earth.
The underground garden, called the Forestiere Underground Gardens, was originally a passion project of an aspiring farmer over 100 years ago. Now, decades later, it hosts public tours of its impressive passageways and tunnels. The garden includes fruit trees, such as Orange, lemon, and grapefruit, with some even growing 20 feet underground. You can also expect to see kumquat, loquat, jujube, carob, quince, dates, and grapes throughout the garden.
The underground garden is carved out of the valley’s hardpan soil, and local stones were used to create archways leading to patios and grottos filled with trees and other plants. It serves as a unique oasis from the hot sun in the valley and regularly welcomes visitors from around California.
The garden offers guided tours that last an hour, and on select dates, you can also take a tour accompanied by a sound bath.
Creating an underground garden
The Forestiere Underground Gardens were created by Baldassare Forestiere, who immigrated to the United States from Sicily in 1901, hoping to become a citrus farmer in California.
He purchased a plot of land in Fresno, but found the weather too hot to facilitate the thriving farm he envisioned. Instead, he started to create an underground retreat, slowly carving out the tunnels by hand.
He took inspiration from the catacombs in Italy when carving out the tunnels and underground rooms, and used skylights to plant trees that still stand today. Forestiere spent 40 years creating the 10-acre gardens, with no set plans, instead building and developing as he went along. As a result, the passageways grew organically, with rooms and skylights added over the years.
The unique garden and retreat were quickly recognized as something worth preserving and registered as a California historical landmark in 1978. The incredible gardens remain an awe-inspiring example of creativity and perseverance, making it a must-visit site in California.
The gardens are an approximately 3-4 hour drive from San Francisco in the Fresno area. You can learn more about Forestiere Underground Gardens and book tours here.
