ExploreButteCountyCA
7 Fun Facts About Chico
Chico, California, United States
With deep Gold Rush roots and as the most populous city in Butte County, Chico in Northern California has an extensive and interesting history. Here are just a few fun facts about Chico - go to ExploreButteCounty.com to learn more!
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California State University, Chico was established in 1887 as “The State Normal School.”
400 W 1st St
Chico, CA
Monday:
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday:
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday:
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday:
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday:
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday:
Closed
Sunday:
Closed
Its primary function was to train teachers. It is the second oldest CSU campus.
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At 3,670 acres and 11 miles in length, Bidwell Park makes up 17% of the city.
Old Chico Canyon Rd
Chico, CA
Monday:
Closed
Tuesday:
7:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Wednesday:
7:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Thursday:
7:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday:
7:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Saturday:
7:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Sunday:
Closed
The area west of Manzanita is referred to as Lower Park, and features flat and level walking areas with plenty of trees and shade. The area east of Manzanita Avenue is referred to as Middle and Upper Park, which is noticeably more rugged, with steep terrain and iconic rock formations. Several iconic movies have featured scenes filmed in Bidwell Park, including "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938), starring Errol Flynn, and "Gone with the Wind" (1939), starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable.
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Chico is home to Sierra Nevada Brewery, the pioneer of the American craft beer industry.
1075 E 20th St
Chico, CA
Monday:
11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Tuesday:
11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Wednesday:
11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Thursday:
11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday:
11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Saturday:
11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday:
11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
With Ken Grossman founding the company in 1979, Sierra Nevada rose to the top of the craft brewing world, which sparked a renaissance across the country. Today, Sierra Nevada is the 7th-largest brewing company in the country.
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Chico’s Rancho Llano Seco is one of the few remaining intact Mexican Land Grants in the United States.
8369 Hugh Baber Ln
Chico, CA
Monday:
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Tuesday:
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Wednesday:
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Thursday:
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Friday:
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Saturday:
Closed
Sunday:
Closed
The Spanish and Mexican governments made many concessions and land grants in the area now known as California and Baja California from 1775 to 1846. Most have been broken into smaller parcels, but Rancho Llano Seco has never been divided. The Rancho is a reminder of a lost era when California, American, Indigenous, Mexican and Spanish histories intersected. Rancho Llano Seco was incorporated in 1861 by John Parrott, an ancestor of the Theriot Family that owns the ranch today.
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John Bidwell, Chico’s founder, was a California pioneer, politician & soldier. The Bidwell Mansion is his & his wife's, Annie, former home.
525 Esplanade
Chico, CA
Monday:
Closed
Tuesday:
Closed
Wednesday:
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Thursday:
Closed
Friday:
Closed
Saturday:
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Sunday:
Closed
John Bidwell served in the California Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and even ran for president under a prohibition ticket. His and Annie's former home is now a State Historic Park. The iconic pink mansion is a three-story, 26-room Victorian in the stye of an Italian Villa, and had all the most modern amenities when built.
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Chico is home to the National Yo-Yo Museum, featuring the world's largest public display of yo-yos, yo-yo memorabilia, and contest awards.
320 Broadway St
Chico, CA
Monday:
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday:
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday:
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday:
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday:
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday:
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday:
11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
The National Yo-Yo Museum is the home of BIG-YO, the World's Biggest Working Wooden Yo-Yo in the 1982 Guinness Book of World Records.
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Chico and its surrounding lands are the historic homes of the Mechoopda and Concow (Konkow), tribes of the Northwestern Maidu.
Chico, California, United States
The Mechoopda tribe had a village located about 3.5 miles south of today’s Downtown Chico.