
The accident that made an empire. Ask how the raisin business started and Fresno will tell you the story: in 1873 a brutal heat wave dried a farmer's Muscat grapes right on the vine — a ruined crop, until a San Francisco grocer sold the shriveled clusters as a delicacy and asked for more. The Valley has been drying grapes in the sun on purpose ever since, by the billions.
“Fresno” is Spanish for ash tree — named for the ashes along the San Joaquin River; the city began in 1872 as a Central Pacific Railroad station.
Why People Visit Fresno
Visitors choose Fresno for its unique gardens, family-friendly parks, and gateway convenience. The Tower District and downtown highlight history and everyday culture, and the city's central location makes regional day trips simple — most of all into the High Sierra. Travelers find year-round appeal in its parks, paths, and public spaces, where vintage farm-town California and the wild mountains beyond sit side by side in a welcoming way.