orange grove tour california

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Where to Find the Bygone Citrus Groves of Southern California

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For as much as we treasure our native trees and other native plants in Southern California, you can’t deny the impact that one import had on the development of our great state: the orange tree.

Citrus had become the second largest industry in California — just behind oil — right up until the late 1930s. But by World War II, what was once the “citrus belt” of Southern California — including areas like Lemon Grove in San Diego County, which had drawn visitors and property-buyers to its “sea of lemon trees” — was plowed and paved.

Citrus first arrived in California in the late 18 th century (thanks to Spanish missionaries), but it took another 100 years for us to truly strike citrus gold — with a type of seedless orange tree from Brazil (by way of Washington D.C.).

And so was born the “Washington navel,” and legend has it that nearly all of the orange trees of this type that you’ll find in California are descendants of two “parent” trees.

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You can find one of them — supposedly the “Mother of the California Citrus Industry” — in the City of Riverside at the intersection of Arlington and Magnolia Avenues.

But the Inland Empire isn’t the only place to discover what Southern California was like when citrus was king (though you’ll learn a lot just by visiting California Citrus State Historic Park , also in Riverside).

Citrus dollars built many of our residential neighborhoods and affluent cities — like Pasadena, which was founded by the San Gabriel Orange Grove Association. But a cornucopia of subtropical fruit could once be found from the San Fernando Valley to the San Gabriel Valley, the Pomona Valley, and the Spanish land grant ranchos that were to become what’s known today as Orange County.

Now, the extant citrus groves and packinghouses are mostly limited to a couple of small towns in an area of Ventura County known as “Heritage Valley.” But there are some other great places where you can peel back the layers of time and reveal the fruits of all those growers, pickers and packers who revolutionized Southern California commerce and tourism.

Here are five great places to stand in the shadows of groves gone by and get a slice of some juicy citrus history.

1. Irvine Ranch Historic Park, Irvine

In the 1890s, a large swath of land had been devoted to either lima bean fields or sheep and cattle grazing — and that included a large portion of the Rancho San Joaquin and Rancho Lomas de Santiago that James Irvine bought and transformed into his expansive Irvine Ranch. But those land uses soon gave way to citrus orchards — namely, Valencia oranges — and thus Irvine Ranch (and, later, The Irvine Company) became one of California's first major agricultural “growers” as well as one of the state’s earliest and most productive agricultural enterprises. At Irvine Ranch Historical Park, you'll find a little of what's left of the Irvine family’s orange empire — like the Driving Barn (a red behemoth at 54 feet by 120 feet) that once housed tractors, a lima bean windrower, and other farm machinery and equipment. Also in the park, the former Irvine family residence now serves as the Katie Wheeler Library, so named after the granddaughter of James Irvine who was born and raised in the ranch house. The original, built in 1876, was damaged by electrical fire in 1965 and demolished three years later, so the present-day library is a replica that was built according to its original blueprints, just an inch off of the original footprint. Other housing along the self-guided tour includes the bungalows and cottages along Foreman's Row on Irvine Boulevard, which were built between the 1900s and the 1930s — three of which have been restored. There’s also the turn-of-the-last-century mule corral that was repurposed as a bunkhouse for single male workers and the mess hall, although their interiors are off-limits to the public.

2. Anaheim Packing House, Anaheim

While much of SoCal’s citrus industry fell victim to development and demolition in the 1940s, Valencia oranges actually continued to be Anaheim’s top export until the 1960s. The packinghouse of the Southern California Fruit Growers Exchange (a.k.a. Sunkist), situated along an old Southern Pacific rail spur in the Packing District, is one of the few that remain in Southern California — and the only one left in Anaheim. Closed in 1955 (the year Disneyland opened and changed Anaheim forever), it’s been preserved, restored and converted into an eclectic food emporium and community gathering space. The current 42,000-square-foot packinghouse pays tribute to its roots by converting an old train into patio seating and retaining much of its rusty, industrial exterior. The food stalls that have been added keep the vintage, unfinished feel, having been fabricated from reclaimed wood, salvaged materials and other design elements befitting a giant converted warehouse. You can go for a nosh or a tipple , a yoga class, a concert, or any number of other events and activities that are offered in and outside, and at the adjacent Farmers Park . The stucco-clad building is a beauty to behold, with its skylights and clerestory windows in Mission Revival Style — so, in truth, you could probably stay there all day. But for the sake of due diligence, you can head 25 miles north to check out the former College Heights Lemon Packing House, which has been refurbished and repurposed as a multi-use space now known as Claremont Packing House .

3. Orange Grove, Northridge

While you may associate the San Fernando Valley more with burgers and hot dogs than with oranges and lemons, there’s just five acres left of the 15,000 acres of orange trees that once could be found there — in Canoga Park, Granada Hills and what’s known today as Northridge. Found at the southeast corner of the California State University, Northridge campus, this citrus paradise was almost paved to put in a parking lot in the 1990s, despite having been acknowledged as a historic site as far back as 1972. There are some 400 Citrus sinensis trees that still bear fruit in what’s considered the last remaining orange grove of the San Fernando Valley’s agricultural past. And you can not only visit the grove for free without being a CSUN student or faculty, but also pick a Valencia orange or two without anyone necessarily stopping you. There’s a nice path through the grove that’s been cleared — aptly named the Orange Grove Walk — and that leads to a lovely gazebo and a koi pond that’s frequented by red-eared slider turtles and all manner of ducks, geese and other waterfowl. Don’t disrupt the pond ecosystem by disturbing the birds, which are federally protected — and that means resisting the urge to feed them. You can park on the street for free or in one of the nearby paid lots on campus. If you’ve got a lot of time on your hands, continue your ramble through the CSUN “ Urban Forest Tour ,” which takes you deeper into the campus past a variety of notable species of non-native and largely ornamental trees that are characteristic of Southern California.

4. Heritage Park, La Verne

In the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries, much of the San Gabriel Valley was covered with citrus trees — and the city of La Verne (called Lordsburg until 1917) was right at the center of it. Until the 1940s, citrus growing, picking, packing and shipping dominated the city — and it wasn’t just oranges, either, but also lemons and grapefruit. Today, you can witness first-hand all of the machinery that once went into cultivating a commercial grove — from hoppers and tractors to manure spreaders, furrowers and smudge pots — at Heritage Park in present-day La Verne. A real highlight on its 1.5 acres is the horse-drawn "spray rig" that was fashioned out of a 1930 Ford Model "A" truck. Also preserved on the property is the historic Sloan Barn. While the orange-picking season is only in January and February, the rest of the year the park hosts a variety of concerts, a pumpkin patch, a holiday festival with tractor “sleigh” rides and even a car show. Unfortunately, the La Verne Orange and Lemon Growers Association Packinghouse and D and First Streets was demolished in the 1960s, and there are few others still standing. While you’re in the area, swing by the La Verne Chamber of Commerce to see one of them in its current use. And the University of La Verne has repurposed historic packinghouses as its Arts & Communications building as well as the department of Enrollment Management, Mail Services and Facilities Management.

5. E. Waldo Ward & Son, Sierra Madre

The oldest business in Sierra Madre is E. Waldo Ward & Son, purveyors of local gourmet foods and home to a historic grove of Seville orange trees. Its 2.5-acre estate (reduced down from its original 30 acres, which once had over 600 trees) features original buildings in very good condition, like the home that Edward Waldo Ward Sr. built in 1900, which has housed various members of the Ward family over the years, including current, fourth generation owner Jeff Ward. The youngest Ward has preserved much of the original features of the kitchen, including the burners, 1950s-era conveyor belts, and many pots, pitchers, and pourers. The striking red barn out back, with its looming tower, is another original, preserved structure of the ranch that dates back to 1902 and includes a historical museum featuring an original jar of marmalade, empty jars with original labels and the presses that once embossed those labels. E. Waldo Ward is known not only for their jam-tastic marmalades but also their sweet pickled jarred kumquats — something they can pretty much guarantee you won’t find anywhere else. Although now citrus-based gourmet food products constitute just 10 percent of E. Waldo Ward’s overall business, they’re all made from the tangerines, oranges and kumquats grown right on the ranch property. You can tour the ranch and orchard (as well as its canning factory) on Saturdays by appointment — and reportedly the best time to visit is when they're actually cooking, canning and labeling. But you can also visit the shop to buy some of their goods direct from the source anytime during the week 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Closed on Sundays.)

• Board of Directors

Visitor Center & Museum

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The Visitor Center and Museum were built as a replica of a packinghouse. You can walk through the museum to learn the expansive history of how citrus groves came about and concentrated in Southern California. The main continuous counties were Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.

As you explore the Museum, you’ll follow citrus from its earliest origins in Asia to its centuries long journey to North America. You’ll also begin to understand why people once followed and still follow their dreams to the Golden State and how their widely divergent dreams come true. It’s an exciting journey.

Also, inside the Visitor Center you’ll find Eliza’s Emporium Gift Shop that sells a wide variety of citrus related merchandise from marmalade and candy to books, t-shirts and kitchen items.

Adjacent to the Visitor Center, park visitors can also explore various paths through the Citrus Varietal Grove, up to the knolls that display breathtaking views of the entire 247-acre park and enjoy a picnic in the lower area of the park.

We hope you enjoy it and come back soon!

Historic George Key Ranch is a historic house, museum, garden and orange grove, located in the City of Placentia. This beautifully landscaped site totals 2.2 acres. Located within the park is the George Key home, built in 1898 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a collection of farm equipment and hand tools, a one-acre orange grove and 3/4-acre verse garden.

George Key Ranch Historic Park is open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with guided tours offered at 1 p.m.

Park Brochure

The historic home was damaged during the La Habra earthquake in March 2014, and reopened November 2021 following extensive repairs.

Upcoming events for this location

Food preservation demonstration - tomato preservation.

625 W. Bastanchury Road Placentia , CA 92870 United States

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Unique Destinations, Weird History and More…

Tracing California’s Orange Roots at the Citrus State Historic Park

The orange is one of the most iconic things about California. Southern California’s climate makes it a perfect place to grow citrus, and thanks to advances in irrigation, processing, transportation, and the addition of the Washington navel orange, California’s citrus industry boomed in the late 1800s, as oranges and their citrus cousins made for California’s “second gold rush.” While the orange is still big business here, “orange groves as far as the eye can see” as L.A. Confidential hailed, are a thing of the past, unless you find your way to the California Citrus State Historic Park .

Here visitors can walk among the over 70 varieties of citrus that grow within the park and feel as if they have stepped into one of the linen postcards of the past featuring orange trees with snowcapped mountains in the distance. The Visitor Center features a museum that chronicles the history of citrus fruit which has a much longer history than I realized, and of course the industry that we know today here in California. The museum also takes note that from grove to table, the citrus industry employed a rotating door of people of color, noting that each labor group was often driven out by racism, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Overall, I was impressed with the amount of history, and the creativity of the displays that were packed into such a small space within the Visitor Center.

A unique offering that can be found at the park is a citrus tasting. We arrived during a small, free tasting of a variety of citrus at the Visitor Center, which also houses a small gift shop, I say small, but I still managed to spend over $70! Seriously, park visitor centers and museum gift shops are a weakness for me.

The California Citrus State Historic Park is free to visit, after paying for parking, which was $5 during the time of our visit. It should be noted that most of the pathways have little to no shade! So a highly recommend a parasol, which I failed to bring! Additionally, hours vary depending on the season, so it is vital to check their website before planning your visit.

Not far from the California Citrus State Historic Park (in fact the Visitor Center has a map you can take to show you) is perhaps one of California’s most important trees, the Parent Navel Orange Tree. In this case “parent” means “first.” While oranges of different varieties had been growing in California since the arrival of Spanish Missionaries, the navel orange was not introduced until 1873, all thanks to one woman named Eliza Marie Lovell Summons Tibbets.

Eliza was born in 1823 in Cincinnati Ohio to progressive abolitionist parents, and went on to become a practicing Spiritualist, suffragette, and adopted an African-American child. Three marriages later, Eliza and her husband, Luther moved to Washington DC, where they were neighbors with William Saunders, the first superintendent of the recently created U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the pair became friends.

In 1870 the Tibbets moved to Riverside, which was working on experimenting with various types of agriculture. In the meantime Saunders had been communicating with a Presbyterian missionary in Brazil, who had been working with a type of orange that produced seedless or near seedless fruit. Saunders received samples and began to cultivate what was dubbed the “Washington navel.” Interested in contributing to Riverside’s growing agriculture, Eliza wrote to Saunders for suggestions on what to grow, and Saunders mailed her two small trees of the Washington navel. The Tibbets planted the two trees in their front yard, sharing their new addition with their fellow Riverside citizens by selling cuttings from the trees, even making a living from the profits. The fruit from the trees became an instant hit after winning first prize at the Southern California Horticulture Fair in 1879. The Tibbets’ quick rise thanks to the Washington navel was relatively short, due to Luther’s tendency for suing or being sued, and they lost their fortune, both dying penniless, Eliza in 1898 and Luther in 1902.

The two trees were given to the Pioneer Historical Society of Riverside; one was replanted in the courtyard of the Mission Inn (a place I desperately need to blog about) with help from President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903, but which sadly died in 1921. The other was moved to a small park at the intersection of Arlington and Magnolia, where it still remains today. The Parent Navel is severely protected, especially since the rise of the citrus killing disease, Asian Citrus Psyllid, which recently destroyed part of Florida’s citrus industry. The issue was so prominent and the tree so important that the city of Riverside issued a press release last year on the actions to protect the tree.

Walk among the citrus trees in California Citrus State Historic Park at 9400 Dufferin Avenue and pay homage to the Parent Navel Orange Tree at the intersection of Arlington Avenue and Magnolia Avenue in Riverside.

Sources Boule, David. The Orange and the Dream of California. Santa Monica, Angel City Press, 2013. Print. Information on site.

Outfit Orange Bakelite Necklace: Gift Peasant Top: Jet Rag , Los Angeles, California Belt & Skirt: Buffalo Exchange Shoes: Target Bangles: Here and there Green Bakelite Ring: Hattie’s Vintage Clothin g, Portland, Oregon Orange Flower Ring: Classic Hardware Purse: Flea market

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7 comments on “Tracing California’s Orange Roots at the Citrus State Historic Park”

So glad you’re checking out Riverside. I loved driving by the groves there

Wonderful blog post, thanks for doing it. I love citrus fruit.

Thank you, Tandi! I do too!

Delicious post! And your outfit is perfect. The color scheme of the post makes me think (a bit randomly) of Amaro Angeleno, an amaro distilled in Southern California. If nothing else you’d enjoy the graphic on the label – it’s retro and very orange-y. (I’m not affiliated with the brand – just a fan!)

Thank you! And oh my goodness, their label is super cute!

Such a perfect outfit for visiting an orange grove! And now after reading this post, I’m (unsurprisingly) craving citrus….

Stellar post! I adore learning more about the history of California. It shares numerous points in common with BC, yet the two also differ in many ways and you’ll be hardpressed to find widescale citrus fruit production around these parts, with their long winters spent in subzero temps. 😀

Your outfit is dazzling and such a gorgeous, wonderfully composed ode to one of the world’s most beloved fruits.

• Victorian Era Grandeur Walking Tour
• Planning Division
• Design and Historic Preservation
• Historic Preservation
• Historic Walking and Driving Tours

During the 1890s, South Orange Grove Boulevard became known as Pasadena’s “Millionaires Row” due to the construction of many grand homes on the former agricultural home sites of the “San Gabriel Orange Grove Association” founders.  Although the 1914 Wrigley mansion at the end of this tour was built too late for the Victorian period of significance of this tour, “Tournament House” is included here because it still conveys the scale and setting of the Victorian mansions that formerly graced South Orange Grove.

Mobile Tours

On this walking tour, the rich variety of forms and detailing of houses from the turn of the 20th century express the changing tastes and trends, as designers learned to adapt Eastern and Midwest styles to California’s climate, while responding to advances in technology and the greater availability of a range of building materials.  You will see examples of rusticated Richardsonian Romanesque, detailed Queen Anne, Prairie and American Foursquare, expansive Shingle style and Craftsman homes, as well as more modest examples of Folk Victorian and vernacular cottages.  The Ross Grove Landmark District at the tour’s beginning includes the largest remaining grouping of original South Orange Grove homes still in existence.

You can click on any house in the list below to jump to information about that property in the California Historical Resources Inventory Database.  Known as the CHRID, this program promotes and protects cultural heritage through documenting and sharing information on historical resources.

At the end of this tour, another nearby walking tour can show you even more Victorian Grandeur: the Governor Markham Landmark District (named for Henry Harrison Markham, California governor’s 1891-1895, “the dashing colonel from Pasadena”).  With its quiet streets bordered by sidewalks, period streetlights, and mature street trees , it’s considered one of the best and most intact examples of this period in Pasadena.

1.  250 S. Orange Grove  Boulevard  (  Link ) Part of the Ross Grove Landmark District, this 1911 home is one of the few examples of the Prairie Style in Pasadena.

2.  260 S. Orange Grove  Boulevard  ( Link ) Part of the Ross Grove Landmark District, this 1906 Craftsman home was designed by Joseph J. Blick.

3.  268 S. Orange Grove  Boulevard  ( Link ) Built in 1892, this Colonial Revival style home designed by Joseph J. Blick and Edward C. Kent is part of the Ross Grove Landmark District.

4.  280 S. Orange Grove  Boulevard  ( Link ) This 1910 Prairie Style home designed by Frederick Roehrig, one of the few of this style in Pasadena, is part of the Ross Grove Landmark District.

5.  Mary E. Denham House, 297 S. Orange Grove  Boulevard  ( Link ) With its American Foursquare form and Richardsonian Romanesque detailing, this 1890 house designed by Frederick Roehrig is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

6.  490 Ellis Street  ( Link ) This 1887 Queen Anne home is eligible to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

7.  Mrs. J.H. Hood House, 494 Ellis Street  ( Link ) Built in 1886 at Orange Grove and Colorado Court, this Folk Victorian house was moved to its present location in 1901.  It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

8.  500 Ellis Street  ( Link ) Also built in 1886, this modest Victorian home is an example of a Vernacular Hipped Cottage.

9.  510 Ellis Street  ( Link ) This 1886 Queen Anne style home is eligible to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

10.242 S. Grand Avenue  ( Link ) With its prominent, steeply-pitched roof and vernacular design elements, this 1893 home is described as Folk Victorian style.

11.  280 S. Grand Avenue  ( Link ) Built in 1904, the expansive form of this Craftsman style home designed by Joseph J. Blick shows elements of the Shingle style, as these newer influences began to overtake earlier Victorian styles.

12.  325 S. Grand Avenue  ( Link ) This 1893 Shingle style home with Dutch Colonial Revival elements was designed by Locke & Preston.  It is eligible to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

13.  George B. Post House, 360 S. Grand Avenue  ( Link ) Designed by Joseph J. Blick, this 1903 Shingle style home features curved walls flanking the row of third floor windows in its front gable, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

14.  Cobble Oak, 395 S. Grand Avenue  ( Link ) This graciously sited 1893 Shingle style home, featuring lozenge-shaped gable end details and Arroyo stone foundation and landscape elements, was designed by Locke & Preston for Frank C. Bolt, the “dean of Pasadena bankers” in this period.  It is eligible to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

15.  440 S. Grand Avenue  ( Link ) Although built after the period of significance of this tour, this 1910 house includes some Victorian-era as well as Swiss Chalet style detailing.

16.  James Fielding Cosby House, 510 Lockehaven Street  ( Link ) Originally built south of downtown Los Angeles near the West Adams area, this elaborately detailed 1893 Queen Anne house designed by William O. Merithew was moved in 1902 to a nearby site, and again in 1982 to its current location.  It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

17.  505 Lockehaven Street  ( Link ) Built in 1904, this Vernacular Hipped Cottage features an eyebrow dormer.

18.  488 Lockehaven Street  ( Link ) This American Foursquare house was built in 1892.

19.  474 Lockehaven Street  ( Link ) Built in 1887, this house is described as an example of Folk Victorian composition.

20.  Amos Throop House, 468 Lockehaven Street  ( Link ) A conservative expression of the asymmetrical elements of the Queen Anne style, this house was built on a site two blocks away in 1887, when the civic leader “Father Throop” and his family moved to Pasadena .  It is eligible to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

21.  Wrigley Estate, 391 S. Orange Grove Boulevard  ( Link ) The Wrigley family’s Italian Renaissance style home in Pasadena was designed by G. Lawrence Stimson and built in 1914, and the family enjoyed watching the annual New Year’s Day parade from their front lawn.  In 1958 the “Wrigley Estate” was presented to the City of Pasadena as the headquarters of the Tournament of Roses Association.  Although built too late for the Victorian period of significance of this tour, Tournament House is included as an example of the scale and setting of the Victorian mansions that formerly graced South Orange Grove. Tours of the interior of the mansion are available on Thursday afternoons between February and August.

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• The San Fernando Valley
• Historic Landmarks
• Los Angeles Historic Preservation

San Fernando Valley’s last orange grove on its way to becoming a city landmark

The family that owns Tarzana’s Bothwell Ranch has listed it for sale—as a development opportunity

The city’s cultural heritage commission voted unanimously Thursday to preserve a San Fernando Valley citrus ranch that officials say is the last of its kind.

The commissioners voted unanimously in support of landmarking the 13-acre ranch and commercial orange grove, with commissioner Richard Barron calling it “one of the cleanest, clearest [examples of a monument] I’ve ever seen.”

The grove’s status still requires the approval of the full City Council, but it already has the support of Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, who represents the area.

“A lot of folks don’t realize the Valley was once this great agricultural center ,” Blumenfield said at a committee hearing in August. “This property is literally the last remaining commercial orange grove—not just in the Valley, but in the city of Los Angeles.”

The Bothwell Ranch, located in Tarzana, was listed for sale earlier this year. Promotional material described the property as a “rare infill location” and laid out plans for 26 new single-family homes that could be developed at the site.

The possibility that the land could be sold and redeveloped inspired an online petition calling on city leaders to preserve the ranch as a historic site. In July, Blumenfield authored a council motion kickstarting the process of landmarking the site.

That’s raised the ire of the Bothwell family, which owns the property and does not wish to see it landmarked.

“Preserving this as a farm forever would take away all economic value” of the land for the owners, Andrew Fogg, an attorney for the family, told commissioners.

The family needs to sell the land because, according to Fogg, the orange orchard has become prohibitively expensive to maintain: In 2017, the ranch’s water bill was more than double the revenue brought in from the sale of its oranges.

Bothwell Ranch “hasn’t turned a profit in over 50 years,” said Fogg.

Landmarking the property would not preclude future redevelopment of the site, but it would give city officials leeway to review plans and potentially delay construction for up to a year.

Blumenfield emphasized that his landmarking effort is not about blocking construction on the site.

“This effort is not about stopping all potential development but rather ensuring that if anything is built here, it embraces the rich past of this incredible site,” Blumenfield said in a statement.

Blumenfield also said that his staff will continue to meet with the community, developers, and the owners of the ranch to discuss “different realistic options” for the future of a site that symbolizes an incredibly important part of the Valley’s history.

Only a century ago, Southern California led the nation in citrus production. In 1901, 4.5 million orange trees grew statewide , with farms concentrated in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties.

But with land values skyrocketing, most of LA’s citrus ranches had been subdivided into residential developments by the 1970s,

Most of the Bothwell Ranch has already been sold off and incorporated into the surrounding neighborhood. According to a report from city planning staff, the ranch contained roughly 30 acres of orange groves when grower Lindley Bothwell purchased the property in 1926. Today, only 13 acres remain.

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HOUSE TOURS

The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association opens its doors to the public for guided tours, at no cost. Experience the rich history of Pasadena and Wrigley Mansion, known locally as Tournament House. You are invited to take a peek at the Tournament House, uncover the stories and see this iconic landmark.

On this intimate tour, discover hidden details, little-known facts and endearing trivia about the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association and Tournament House. You will learn about the history of the house and hear more about the traditions of the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game.

Located in Pasadena, the house was once home to William Wrigley Jr. and his wife Ada Wrigley was also known for the Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field and Wrigley Chewing Gum.

Upon Ada’s death in 1958, the Wrigley family presented the property to the city of Pasadena with the request that it become home for the Tournament of Roses. Since then, the house has served as headquarters for the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game.

Further information and frequently asked questions on House Tours can be found here.

Thank you for your interest in House Tours. 

House Tours are now closed.

Please check back in the new year for future updates!

St. Callistus Chapel Tours

Extended times for docent-led group tours of the new St. Callistus Chapel below Christ Cathedral will begin on Tuesday, October 15th and end on Friday, October 18. Please click on the button below to book a tour of the St. Callistus Chapel.

St. Callistus Chapel Tour Schedule:

Christ Cathedral Tour Schedule

Cathedral tours:.

Monday to Thursday: 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Campus Tours:

Friday: 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

No tours on the following dates:

All Saints Day: Friday, November 1

Tours are not available on weekends, Holy Days of Obligation, and Major Holidays . Large campus events and construction may also cause tours to be relocated or cancelled.

Tour information

Languages : English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese Reservation required for tours in Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese

Tour Group Size : up to nine (9) people Reservation required for ten (10) people or more

Location: All tours begin in the lobby of the Tower of Hope

• Tours are free, but donations are appreciated

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• Children are welcome provided they are accompanied by an adult

To reschedule or cancel a tour, please email [email protected] .

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Arroyo Craftsman House Tour Guide

The lower Arroyo Seco was settled around 1910 by artists and other bohemians who were drawn to this lovely oak glen and were advocates of the Craftsman esthetic movement and its veneration of nature and simplicity

• 35-minute walk
• 10-minute bike ride
• Park on West California, just east of Arroyo

The lower Arroyo Seco was settled around 1910 by artists and other bohemians who were drawn to this lovely oak glen and wished to avoid the high-society types along South Orange Grove Avenue, just up the hill to the east. Many who built here were advocates of the Craftsman esthetic movement and its veneration of nature and simplicity. Most of their houses were built rugged and woody, often with foundations of cobblestones brought up from the Arroyo. One artist was painter Jean Mannheim whose 1909 studio is still intact at 500 S. Arroyo. The Pacific Oaks School at 714 W. California was established in 1945 using existing oak-shaded bungalows as its campus. The friendly creature at 686 W. California was designed by the Irish immigrant Louis DuPuget Millar for an Englishman, perhaps homesick for the thatched roofs of the Cotswolds. The architect/carpenter Louis Easton built one of his finest redwood houses at 620 S. Grand. At 626 S. Arroyo, the tilemaker and teacher Ernest Batchelder constructed his home and first production kilns.

Mannheim House and Studio, 1909 500 South Arroyo Boulevard Designer: Jean Mannheim Cheesewright House, 1910 686 West California Boulevard Architects: Jeffrey, Van Trees & Millar Craig House, 1908 620 South Grand Avenue Designer: Louis B. Easton Clapp House, 1874 549 La Loma Road Designer: Unknown

Batchelder House, 1909 626 South Arroyo Boulevard Designer: Ernest A. Batchelder

La Casita del Arroyo, 1934 177 South Arroyo Boulevard Architect: Myron Hunt Perkins House, 1955 1540 Poppy Peak Drive Architect: Richard J. Neutra Church of the Angels, 1889 1100 Avenue 64 Architects: Arthur Edmund Street and Ernest A. Coxhead

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Where to visit orange groves & farms in florida.

Family trip to the Showcase of Citrus in Clermont.

Tour a citrus plant, enjoy some orange picking or grab some souvenirs at one of these florida orange grov es.  .

By Gary McKechnie

There’s no perfume as sweet as the fragrance of citrus blossoms, and few sights are as beautiful as a citrus grove bursting with oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, and tangerines.

A family-owned citrus business

- Carrie McLaren

Shop at Farmer John’s Country Store at Clermont’s Showcase of Citrus for fresh, locally grown oranges, lemons and other citrus fruit, as well as jellies, jams, honey and more.

- Peter W. Cross for VISIT FLORIDA

Keep in mind that some orchard operations are closed off-season (and sometimes on weekends), so be sure to check in advance before you visit one of these orange farms in Florida.

Also, inquire when their harvest will be at its peak because there’s nothing quite like seeing a citrus grove going (and growing) strong.

For an in-depth feature on citrus seasons and Florida orange facts , storage, juicing, and more, read the VISIT FLORIDA FAQ About Florida Citrus .

Meanwhile, here are suggestions to help you find orange groves in Florida, as well as stores, shippers, and other citrus-related attractions.

Citrus Tower Orange Grove Clermont

- Florida Department of Citrus

Citrus Stand Clermont

- Quentin Bacon

A Sampling of Citrus Grove Locations in Florida

Al’s Family Farms 2001 N. Kings Highway Fort Pierce, 34951 (772) 460-0556 (800) 544-3366

Bob Roth's New River Groves 5660 Griffin Road Davie, 33314 (954) 581-8630 (800) 227-0203

Boyett's Grove 4355 Spring Lake Brooksville, 34601 (352) 796-2289

Davidson Brothers 248 South Beach Street Daytona Beach, 32114 (386) 252-7462

Davidson of Dundee 28421 Highway 27 North Dundee, 33838 863-439-2284 800-654-0647

Dundee Groves PO Box 829, Dundee, 33838 (800) 294-2266

Florida Orange Groves Winery 1500 Pasadena Avenue South St. Petersburg, 33707 (727) 347-4025 (800) 338-7923

Hale Indian River Groves 9250 US Highway 1 Wabasso, 32970 (772) 581-9915

Joshua Citrus 4135 SE County Road 760 Arcadia, 34266 (863) 494-6166 (800) 749-8219

Mixon Fruit Farms 2525 27th Street East Bradenton, 34208 (941) 748-5829 (800) 608-2525

The Orange Shop 18545 N. US Highway 301 Citra, 32113 (800) 672-6439

Pell's Citrus and Nursery 400 Doyle Road Osteen, 32764 (407) 322-3873 (800) 459-8897

Poinsettia Groves 1481 US Hwy 1 Vero Beach, 32960 (800) 327-8624

Policicchio Groves 5780 North Courtenay Parkway Merritt Island, 32953 (321) 452-4866

Reed's Groves 16750 SE County Road 25 Weirsdale, 32195 (352) 821-2915 (877) 248-2575

Ridge Island Groves 6000 Old Polk City Road Haines City, 33844 (863) 422-0333 and 320 Highway 27 South Clermont, 34714 (352) 242-1511 (800) 493-7374

Robert Is Here 19200 SW 344 Street Homestead, 33034 (Florida City) (305) 246-1592

Showcase of Citrus 5010 U.S. Highway 27 Clermont, 34714 (352) 394-4377

Spyke's Grove 7250 Griffin Road Davie, 33314 (954) 583-0426

Sun Groves 3393 SR 580 Safety Harbor, 34695 (727) 726-8484 and 4030 Madison Street New Port Richey (727) 849-8959 (800) 672-6438

Sun Harvest Citrus 14601 Six Mile Cypress Parkway Fort Myers, 33912 (239) 768-2686 (800) 743-1480

White's Red Hill Groves 7210 Ronald Reagan Blvd Sanford, Fl 32773 407-885-0272 (800) 743-1480  

PLACES TO REMEMBER

Fort Pierce

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STRATEGIC ALLIANCE PARTNERS

Forestiere Underground Gardens

In fresno, california, featured tours.

• October 26, 2024
• Tags 1 Hour
• User All Ages

Halloween at the Forestiere Underground Gardens

Join us for a bewitching evening at the Forestiere Underground Gardens! Visitors will be able to enjoy a self-guided underground trick-or-treating tour, photos with Batman and Barbie, Reptile Ron Animal Presentations, and more family-friendly Halloween fun!

• HISTORIC LANDMARK NO. 916

Guided Tour of Forestiere Underground Gardens

Visitors will learn the history of Baldassare Forestiere and his underground home, gardens, and creations! This is a walking tour through underground passageways, rooms, and courtyards. Guests will be walking on earthen terrain and should dress accordingly.

See the beauty of Forestiere Underground Gardens!

Take an hour-long guided walking tour through Baldassare Forestiere’s creation.

See a hand-built network of underground rooms, courtyards, and passageways reminiscent of the ancient catacombs.

Unique fruit-producing trees, shrubs, and vines growing underground — some over 90 years old!

Ancient Roman architecture: arches, vaults, and stone-built walls.

Underground micro-climates — temperature variations of 10 to 20 degrees!

Underground home of Sicilian visionary and self-taught artist/builder Baldassare Forestiere.

In the early 1900s, Sicilian immigrant, citrus grower and visionary Baldassare Forestiere began turning what was useless farmland into a vast network of rooms, tunnels and courtyards as a subterranean escape from the sweltering Central Valley summer heat.

Using only shovels, picks and other hand tools, Baldassare was inspired to excavate for forty years, going as deep as 25 feet underground and spanning over 10 acres. He grew fruit trees and grapevines underground — many of which are still thriving today!

Today, guests from around the world tour through his grottos, passageways and underground homes at his underground gardens in Fresno. Although he never officially opened the Mediterranean resort of his dreams, we think Baldassare would be thrilled by all of the guests marveling at his life’s work today and finding inspiration underground.

Why our visitors love us!

"What a unique experience and interesting history of Fresno agriculture. This man was driven and thanks to his relatives, it’s still there to witness and enjoy. Our tour guide, Spencer, was a wonderful host and guide."

"Much more expansive than I expected with a fascinating story of the creator's life and ambitions. The tour guide did a fine job telling the story and pointing out the details. I plan to return with visiting guests."

"If you ever come to fresno, you definitely have to visit it. The underground gardens are so special and beautiful. Glad that we came!"

"The most unique underground gardens and home I have visited in the states. A must see. Incredible what this man did over a 40 year period. Must see!!! Excellent tour guide."

"What a cool place !! Our tour guide Latishka was phenomenal! Truly could tell she enjoyed telling the story of the garden !! I highly recommend going."

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