Spread the love

Fresno Flats Historic Village & Park was awarded a $174,500 museum grant from the California Natural Resources Agency through the California Cultural and Historical Endowment. The funds are dedicated to improving exhibits and programs showcasing the history and cultures of underrepresented communities, digital asset upgrades and critical infrastructure repairs.

New exhibits will be installed focusing on the history and culture of the local Indigenous population in their own words including the cultural burning practices and local fire ecology, and the contributions of the early Chinese immigrants in California. The existing digital collections on the website will be updated and made more accessible with a digital historical photo library and oral history recordings.

Improvements and repairs to the museum include replacing a rotting log on the bottom of the Taylor Log Cabin, built in 1869, and repairing the roof and flooring of the museum, creating a safer experience for museumgoers. “Our museum is dedicated to sharing amazing stories from our past and providing hands-on experiences that inspire and educate our children,” says Paul Adelizi, President of the Fresno Flats Historic Village & Park.

In addition to housing historical artifacts and preserving 19th-century buildings, the Village & Park hosts events open to the public such as the Monthly Mountain Artisan Market on the third Saturday of each month from March to December and the Monthly Friday Night Lecture Series. Stay up to date with the monthly events by following the Fresno Flats Historic Village & Park Facebook page.

Fresno Flats Historic Village & Park is built around two restored and furnished homes designated by the State of California as Points of Historical Interest dating back to the 1870s, along with two early-day one-room schools, two 19th-century jails and several farm buildings. This area recaptures what 19th-century life was like in the Sierra Nevada foothills and the mountains of Central California during the Gold Rush of 1849 and the subsequent logging, farming and merchanting industries. The Village & Park is open for self-guided tours from dawn to dusk. Guided tours of the buildings are available from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Monday – Friday and on weekends in the summer.