Chico Things to Do

Chico was founded in the late 1800’s by John and Annie Bidwell. Their home, located near downtown, is one of several historical homes of the era that has been preserved and restored. The Bidwell Mansion is a museum and tours are available taking you back in time to when Chico was nothing more than a pioneer town.

Hours of Operation: Wed – Fri 12 pm to 5 pm, Sat & Sun 10 am to 5 pm.
Tours & Tickets: Every hour on the hour, lasting approximately 50 minutes, $2 US. Group tours also available, call for a reservation.

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What surprised me the first time I visited the Bidwell Mansion was how surprisingly close to downtown and the university it was. Located at 525 Esplanade it is literally adjacent to the university.

This impressive mansion that is part of Bidwell State Historic Park was constructed beginning in 1865 by John Bidwell. In 1868 it became the home of John and Annie Bidwell after their marraige. The massive house has 26 rooms on three levels. It was designed as an Italian villa and the interior is adorned by a pink plaster.

After the death of Annie Bidwell in 1918 the home went through many uses. It was used both as a dormitory for Chico State Teachers College Students and later as the home of several academic departments of the college.

With cuts to the State budget, the interior of the Bidwell Mansion is now open only Saturday to Monday from 12 to 5. There is a visitor center adjacent to the mansion but it is open only during the time the mansion is open. The cost of viewing the mansion is $ 6 for adults and $ 3 for children.

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Downtown Chico still retains a fair portion of its original buildings from the early 20th century. Two notable examples are the Senator and El Rey Theatres downtown.

The Senator Theatre located on 517 Main Street opened in 1927 as a 1,400-seat vaudeville and movie house. It was operated by T & D Jr. Enterprises chain. In 1978, the theatre was purchased by United Artists. The company quickly sectioned off the balcony to create a second screening room, making the theater a twin.

The Senator Theatre was restored in 2001 and later reopened as a performing arts center. The restoration removed the artificial wall that was added in the twinning process and the theatre now seats about1,000making it one of the largest stages in the area. The Senator now books a wide variety of musical acts including everything from heavy metal to jazz. What is impressive is that the theatre marquee is completely intact and still sparkles at night.

The El Rey Theatre came nine years later than the Senator Theatre in 1936. It was designed as an art deco theatre by Clifford Balch. Its seating capacity is smaller than the Senator After serving as a local theatre for over fifty years it was converted to a music venue in 1994. The same company JMAX Productions owns both the El Rey and Senator Theatres.

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Walk through downtown Chico or drive along its many tree lined streets and you will surely see some murals. Some depict the history of Chico, others just familiar spots across the United States. All of them seemed to be very well done and in touch with the surrounding area. For example, at the back of the Brooklyn Bagel Works in downtown is a mural of the New York City cityscape. A detailed list, which I wish I had when I was last in Chico, is available from the below link.

http://chicowiki.org/Murals

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Across the street from City Hall between 4th and 5th Streets sits the Municipal Plaza or as some call it Plaza Park. The plaza was actually reserved by John Bidwell over 135 years ago as an informal gathering place for city residents. According to the Chico City Plaza Master Plan in 2005, Bidwell was actually reported to have planted the trees and suggested the diagonal walkways as a design element.

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This could be both a things to do and a restaurant but the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is so well known throughout Northern California that it really is a place to visit.

The brewery began in 1979 when Ken Grossman, a local brewer, began building a small brewery. A year later the brewery was brewing its trade mark Sierra Nevada Pale Ale which is now sold all over the United States and world wide. The brewery has undergone several expansions over the last twenty two years and is now part of a large complex on East 20th Street.

So what do you do when you come to the Sierra Nevada Brewery?

Brewery Tour- Sierra Nevada has a great brewery tour of its facilities. The tour is about 1 1/2 hours long and goes over the ingredients used, a look at the brew house fermentation and filtration process, and how the beer is packaged. The tour is free. At the end of the tour there is,"educational tasting," for those of drinking age. Tours are given on the hour and run until 4 on weekdays and 5 on weekends.

Tap Room and Restaurant- There is also an excellent restaurant and tap room adjacent to the brewery. The restaurant includes a wide variety of vegetarian items and all of the restaurant's breads are made at the brewery and utilize some of the ingredients that go in the beer.

Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park is just outside downtown Chico. John and Annie Bidwell lived here for many years. General John Bidwell was a leader in the Bear Flag Revolt, winning California's independence from Mexico. He was also a farmer, businessman, statesman, and civic booster. The Bidwells donated huge tracts of land to Chico State University and Bidwell Park. Without them, Chico would be nothing.

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In 1883 Oscar Stanbury, a medical doctor, built a large Victorian house for he and his wife. He was known at the time for making medical visits with his carriage throughout Chico. In 1974 this mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places and seventeen years later was taken over by the City of Chico. The City of Chico now runs the house as a museum for its residents and tourists. Unfortunately it is open only on Saturdays and Sunday afternoons for tours. In 2007 the City undertook a major modification to the carriage house in the rear of the property. The carriage house now has a collection of medical instruments including Dr. Stanbury's old X ray machine and a carriage similar to the one he used on house calls.

The house is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 pm. Cost of the tour is $4 for adults and $ 2 for students and free for children.