Forestiere Underground Gardens

The Forestiere Underground Gardens in Fresno, California, are a series of 65 subterranean rooms built by Sicilian immigrant Baldassare Forestiere from 1906 to 1946 using hand tools and mules to escape the extreme heat and grow fruit protected from frost. The multilevel structure, spanning 10 acres with skylights and sophisticated airflow design, features living quarters, gardens with fruit trees, and was recognized as a historic landmark in 1977 and 1978. Forestiere created this unconventional underground complex without blueprints after finding the surface hardpan soil unsuitable for citrus cultivation.