We stayed in Tulare to visit the Sequoia National Park. We had an extra day to explore and we found…read moreout about AgVentures on the internet. When we got there, the door was locked but they opened for us and we were the only visitors at that time. They turned the lights on and we got to explore on our own. It was amazing to see the different farming equipment over time. It was cool that these were donated to the museum. Some equipment we were able to climb on and touch and others not but it was a great experience. There was also an area where they had information about dairy farms. We learned how they get the milk and how they process it. It was cool that they had a fake cow and you were able to try to milk it to see how the milk pump works! (It seemed a lot nicer and gentler than the breastmilk pumps ) It was fun and if you are in town I would recommend you visit this place. It's good for families with kids but also adults if you are curious to learn more about farming (the history of farming).

This is the little museum inside the International Agricultural Center. It's a free museum, free…read moreparking and clean bathrooms. There are some interesting old American built tractors including one that was invented and built in California. A few old pickup trucks and other equipment representing farming in the past. A lot simple facts presented and easily understood. California makes a lot of money for the USA in food & agriculture which means a lot of tax dollars. More than $6.5 Billion of California food & agricultural products are shipping around the world - more than any other state in the USA. About 99% of Almonds, Artichokes, Dates, Figs, Raisins, Kiwifruit, Olives, ClingPeaches, Persimmons, Pistachios, dried plums, walnuts consumed in the world are produced in California. Amazing stat. 90% of US wine production is here in California. And a lot of terrific wine is consumed here too. Lol. Trade war on food would really hurt our economic.

A wonderful place to view art. The gift shop offers lovely and unique gifts well priced.read more

I came here today and loved it! It was free to visit and even on a Friday afternoon, there was…read moreplenty of parking. In fact, there were only a few people inside. There's mostly just one big room and one small side room. You could easily comb the entire place in 30 minutes. Off to another side, there is a gift shop with lots of handmade crafts (like wooden carvings, jewelry, and pottery) from local artists and art prints for sale. There is a new exhibition every month with opening night the first Friday of each month. They also offer lots of cool art classes for adults and children. I am already planning my next visit :)

This was a very interesting place. It's nice someone cared enough to preserve it for future…read moregenerations. It's good to embrace history and this museum is full of that. Our tour guide was new and a little vague on some points of interest but that really didn't bother me. It has a cute little gift shop and tours are by donation so don't cheap out when you visit. What's a few dollars to walk back in time.

Quoted from the Taoist Temple Preservation Society website (where you can also contribute online):…read more "Everything you ever wanted to know about China Alley. China Alley in Hanford, California traces its roots to 1877, when the Central Pacific railroad was extended westward into the area and the new town of Hanford was formed. Numerous Chinese came to the area, many initially to help build the railroads, but others came for farming and agricultural purposes. China Alley grew rapidly and the Chinatown prospered to include restaurants, homes, boarding houses, grocery stores, laundries, herb shops with reputable herbal doctors, sundries stores, gambling establishments, a Chinese school and a Taoist Temple. It soon became known as a "city within a city" with buildings lining both sides of the alley made from bricks formed and fired on site. Visiting Hanford's China Alley Historic District is a fascinating adventure that allows us to step back into history. As visitors enter China Alley today, they are met with a sense of historic ambiance that is reminiscent of a strong cultural heritage. Many of the buildings lining the alley are visually unaltered and remain largely as they did over 100 years ago. Various myths and folkloric legends have weaved their way into tales of this historic Alley. It has been alleged that the population of Hanford's Chinatown went from a small but thriving number of residents to a crowded metropolis rivaling the Chinatowns of San Francisco and Los Angeles. The stories of underground passageways that connected the basements of some merchants on China Alley have been wildly embellished to include tall tales of an expansive network of subterranean tunnels that reached far away from the Alley's core. Some minor alterations to the ground floor of several of the buildings occurred while creating The Chinese Pagoda and Imperial Dynasty restaurants in the late 1950s. These restaurants were established and operated by the Wing family and once served as a catalyst for the revitalization of China Alley. For nearly 50 years until its closure in 2006, the Imperial Dynasty was recognized as a world renowned restaurant serving continental cuisine. The restaurant became famous for its gourmet dinners, extensive wine cellar, and escargots bourguignon. Certified executive chef Richard Wing is widely credited as the originator of fusion cuisine as he combined Chinese and French cooking techniques that became known as Chinoise. One of the highlights of China Alley is The Taoist Temple Museum, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Temple and Museum offers a rare and authentic experience of entering a unique and historic cultural structure that has remained mostly unchanged over the years. Upstairs in the Taoist Temple Museum, the original Temple exists where visitors are first met with large plaques covered with Chinese characters that list the names of members of the Sam Yup Association who donated funds for the construction of the building. On the south wall are wooden figures of the eight immortals while their corresponding ceremonial staves are displayed next to the stairwell. In a corner of the room is a ceremonial brick oven in which symbolic paper money or clothing was burned as an offering to an individual's ancestors. Silk embroideries throughout the Temple featuring animals, birds, and shiny objects have various symbolic meanings. A variety of tools used for individual worship remain where they were once used. Apparent on the ceiling are different methods of lighting from bygone eras that were used to illuminate the Temple. A separate room behind an elaborate altar served as a schoolroom so children could learn of their cultural heritage and beliefs. The street level of the Taoist Temple Museum includes rooms that once served as sleeping quarters for single men. These rooms now reveal a variety of artifacts from the everyday life of Hanford's Chinese residents including kitchen items, gambling matter, and articles and furnishings from several of the Alley's herb shops. Along the walls of the single hallway are photos of the early populace and structures of the area. A small shop occupies the front of the ground floor where informative books and commemorative items can be purchased with the proceeds used to assist in ongoing maintenance of the Temple and the restoration of other buildings in the Historic District."

The Lord told me about this place in a dream, and the upstairs is a temple. I been here 3x first 2…read moreI came it was closed but the third time I came they were open however to visit the temple upstairs you will need appointment in advance. I pray that this place will be preserved forever in Jesus name because the spirit of the LORD dwells here.

Much history here in China Alley. I used tio come here as a kid with my parents. They just…read morerecently had a fire in one of the buildings bt had minimal damage than goodness. But as I figured Id be there when the doors were closed. I strolled through and took some pics. It was fun.

This small museum is a gem packed with interesting material on the City of Tulare and surrounding…read moreareas spanning from the original Yukots people through the settlers in the late 1800's to contemporary events. There is a large military uniform collection from the Revolution to present day. You can also learn about a local woman Air Force Colonel who was responsible for the maintenance of Air Force One in the 1990's and the Tularian who flew the human powered plane Gossamer Condor across the English Channel in 1979. Hours are limited. Admission is very reasonable especially if you make use of the free audio tour headset which has more than 80 stops.

Excellent Tulare City Historical Societygreat exhibitions, beautiful space! The gardens are well…read moremaintained and the free entry.

Amazing gathering of antique (and operational) tractors! Some are beautifully and lovingly restored…read moreand others are coaxed into running for one more parade. Two-day event with lots of families. Really fun. Parade is great, almost two hours long. Then, the afternoon is filled with tractor pulls. It's great to see the old tractors working away, but also fun to see the hot rod ones... Some of the modifiers are insane. There is a giant vendor hall and also a great swap meet area. Also, antique auctions, displays of vintage engines, BBQ, etc, Parking is free, admission was reasonable at 8 bucks. GO!

It's rare for the youth of today to have some decent outdoor facilities. Tulare, despite needing…read moresome desperate infrastructure upgrades in general, seems to have gotten something right when it comes to this sprawling complex complete with at least six ball fields. I usually come to watch my wife's nephews. It's a great joy to see these once-little tykes grow into their bats and start knocking them toward the fences. As a spectator, you can usually find some shade beneath the trees lining the fences, but be sure to bring your own seating as the actual bleachers fill up. Here, more than most places, it seems like people come out in droves to watch the kids, which really shows some great community support. There are some improvements that can be made to the field and it can be quite distracting when the train rolls through every hour or so, but overall these kids have it made. Baseball is alive and well in Tulare.

Most of the Tulare little league park has decent fields. They finally take credit card payments at…read morethe snack bar. A majority of the scoreboards work. Parking isn't great and is particularly horrible if you have a game at the North end of the park. Lots of homeless people around. The league doesn't help coaches find decent practice spots. 2022 charge to play for 10-12 y/o was $150 for registration + $17 for your kid to get a drink/snowcone after their game + an estimated $20/$30 for an end-of-season trophy and pizza party, + each child is required to have an adult work two separate 2-hour sessions at the concession stands. Try not to deal with the board members as they are entitled pricks and pick-n-choose which rules they want to enforce. At the end of the day, my kids have fun out there playing ball with the other kids and every now and then you get some great coaches who volunteer their time.

The Caruthers Fair is the largest free-gate fair in California!! NO Admission Fees!! I grew…read moreup going to this fair and it still has a small town feel and a safe environment fair located in the small community of Caruthers, CA, just south of Fresno, CA. It is mainly funded by Fair Queen Contestants selling raffle tickets for a new car! This year it is a Ford Mustang! The stand out to this Fair is all the food booths that are operated by churches, schools, and other non-profit organizations! All the food is diversified and home-made delicious!! Come support these organizations and have some diversity of home-made pies, aebleskiver, tri-tip dinners, pizza, fresh corn on the cob, turkey leg, teriyaki chicken, hamburgers, nachos, carne asada!! There is a small Midway that covers enough rides and Ferris wheel! There are local vendors selling their hand crafted merchandise and jewelry. All friendly people! They have exhibit buildings for art and horticulture. Since it's a Country fair there are tractors and farm equipment! It's a 4 day fair at the end of September Wednesday thru Saturday and a Parade on Saturday!! People are Friendly, Food is Good! Live Music!

The free-admission Caruthers Fair is a good small-town fair with GREAT food and okay entertainment…read moreand merchandise. (I have no children, so I have no interest in the carnival section, although it looked fine to me.) The one thing they could do better on is to explain the parking options on their website. There is $10 parking (cash only) at the high school next door and limited free parking on the street, but the website says absolutely NOTHING about parking at all. (For some reason, event websites often neglect to mention transportation/parking. I do not know why this is, since it seems like an obvious thing that people coming to any event would want to know about before getting there.)