Chico, California

The Museum of Northern California Art (MONCA) is an art museum in Chico, California, United States. The museum is housed in the Veterans Memorial Hall building on the Esplanade.

Chico High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Chico, California, United States. As of 2017, Chico High School has 2,083 students.Founded in 1902, it predominantly serves as the public school for graduates of Chico Junior High School. In 1966, Chico High School became a California Distinguished School recognized by the California Department of Education. In 1998 and 1999, it was given the National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, in 2001 it received the National Service-Learning Leader School, and in 2003–2005 it received National Smaller Learning Communities School award.In 2008, for the first time, Chico High ended off-campus lunch privileges for freshman students. Since 1967, the school has competed with cross-town rival Pleasant Valley High School at the annual Almond Bowl in junior varsity and varsity football. The game was unnamed in the schools' first three meetings, but local businessmen led by KPAY-AM radio executive Frank Mertz named the contest the "Almond Bowl" before the 1970 clash, when the schools were members of the newly formed Eastern Athletic League. The freshman game is unofficially referred to as the Peanut Bowl; Chico Junior High School played Bidwell Junior High School from the time of Bidwell's establishment in 1958 until 1992, after which freshmen were incorporated into the high schools.The school's graduation ceremony, held at California State University the evening of June 4, 1987, was featured on America's Funniest Home Videos due to the fact that the university's stadium sprinkler system began spraying water on the graduates unexpectedly. Principal Roger Williams scrambled to place a garbage barrel over one sprinkler head before it inundated the podium. The school now hosts its graduation ceremony at its newly built Chico High School stadium.

Hooker Oak was an extremely large valley oak tree (Quercus lobata) in Chico, California. Amateur botanist and local socialite Annie Bidwell, whose husband had founded Chico, named the tree in 1887 after English botanist and Director of the Royal Botanical Gardens Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker. It was featured in the 1938 film The Adventures of Robin Hood starring Errol Flynn. The tree fell in 1977, and portions of it were later milled for use by local artisans.

Bidwell Mansion, located at 525 Esplanade in Chico, California, was the home of General John Bidwell and Annie Bidwell from late 1868 until 1900, when Gen. Bidwell died. Annie continued to live there until her death in 1918. John Bidwell began construction of the mansion on his 26,000 acres (110 km2) Rancho del Arroyo Chico in 1865, during his courtship of Annie Ellicott Kennedy. After their marriage in 1868, the three-story, 26-room Victorian house became the social and cultural center of the upper Sacramento Valley. Now a museum and State Historic Park, it is California Historical Landmark #329 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The mansion was a $60,000 project, and was finished in May 1868.When constructed, Bidwell Mansion featured modern plumbing, gas lighting and water systems. The three-story brick structure is built in an informally romantic version of the Italianate style. It also has aspects of the Italian Villa and Octagon house types present. The building's exterior is finished with a pink tinted plaster. The first floor of the Bidwell Mansion is accessible via a ramp from the exterior of the Mansion. The interior of the entire mansion can be seen during an hour-long tour that starts on the hour most days of the week. A video is available in the visitor center for those who can not climb the 50 stairs to the 2nd and 3rd floors of the mansion. The Bidwell Mansion Visitor Center is completely accessible. There is a gift shop, museum, theater, and comfortable lobby. There are also restrooms and water.

St. Augustine of Canterbury Anglican Church (formerly St. John's Episcopal Church) is a historic church at 230 Salem Street in the South Campus Neighborhood of Chico, California, United States. It was built in 1905 at the southeast corner of West Fifth and Broadway Streets in Downtown Chico. The building was moved about three blocks, in 1912, to the northwest corner of West Second and Salem Streets.It added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It was deemed significant as a work of a master architect, Arthur Benton. Its National Register nomination asserted it "is a sophisticated design statement which demonstrates the architect's skillful integration of Gothic Revival and Shingle Style elements; the high quality of its design and workmanship set it apart as an outstanding example of ecclesiastical architecture of the period.In 1982, the building was sold to Bill and Amy Pang who converted it into a Chinese restaurant and dance club. It was purchased and reconsecrated by St. Augustine of Canterbury Anglican Church in 1994.

Pioneer Days is the historical name of an annual community event in Chico, California celebrated the week prior to Pioneer Day, the first Saturday in May. Chico has a history of "May Day Parades" dating back to the late 19th century. In 1915, the first parade that would later come to be called the Pioneer Day Parade was held on the downtown streets of Chico as a celebration of Chico Normal School's Senior Day. This tradition would continue as a celebration of local heritage under various names including Rancho Chico Days, and Celebration of People. In 1922, a fun-loving Whiskerino club in Sacramento extended a "charter" to William Mclaughlin of Chico.In 1986 Playboy Magazine named Chico State the "Number One Party School" in the nation. University President Robin Wilson met with city officials including City Manager Fred Davis, and Police Chief, John Bullerjahn with the goal of transforming the reputation by ending the parties directly with police intervention. The following year Playboy sent a photographer to Chico State to photograph female students for its "Women of the Top Party Colleges" pictorial as part of its annual Back to School issue. On 25 April, riots broke out between revelers and police during the Pioneer Days celebration, prompting President Wilson to cancel all further events that year. In 1990 President Wilson officially condemned the 70-year-old tradition and he later later announced an end to the celebrations.The tradition was revived the next year as Rancho Chico Days, and again in 1996 as the Celebration of People. The name Pioneer Days was brought back and has continued to now. One exception was 2020, when it was scrapped caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Silberstein Park Building is a building in downtown Chico, California located across from Chico's City Plaza. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.It is a three-story two-part commercial block building with facade of white terra cotta brick. It features Classical Revival details.It was designed by A.J. Byron to be an office building, however the building was used as a movie theater named The Lyric, and for many years as the La Grande Hotel. The building suffered fire damage in 1924. The La Grande Hotel ceased operations in 1981. Local developers Bob Fortino and Bud Tracy refurbished the building in 1984.

The Chico Midtown Station (more commonly known as the Downtown Chico Post Office) is a United States Postal Service post office in downtown Chico, California. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was designed in Renaissance Revival style by J.W. Roberts and Oscar Wenderoth.

The Alfred E. Warren House, also known as President's Mansion, is the official residence of the President of California State University, Chico, located in Chico, California. Designed in 1922 by famed Californian architect Julia Morgan as a private residence, it has served as the university's presidential residence since 1945.

El Dorado Ranch, previously known as the Chapman House, is the official residence of the President of California State University, Fullerton, located in Fullerton, California.

The South Campus Historic District is a historic district in Chico, California which was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 through efforts of the Chico Heritage Association. The district is situated entirely within the South Campus Neighborhood. The historical district extends from Salem Street to Cherry Street, and from West Second Street to West Sixth Street. Whereas, the neighborhood extends from West Second Street south to West Ninth Street and west from Salem Street all the way to the city limits, which, in that area, is called the "Green Line." The South Campus Neighborhood Association represents the interests of the neighborhood to the community. There are several fraternity and sorority houses in the area, and the city has designated the South Campus Fraternity/Sorority Overlay Zone which is largely contiguous with the neighborhood and district. Historically, this area was the first residential area established in the city. The area was surveyed for laying out streets in 1860. South Campus is home of the Stansbury House, the Southern Pacific Depot, and the Language Houses. Currently, South Campus is a dynamic residential neighborhood consisting overwhelmingly of young renters under thirty-five, and specifically Chico State students. It is one of the most densely populated areas of the city. The intersection of Fifth and Ivy Streets is a neighborhood commercial core referred to locally as "Five and I".

The A. H. Chapman House at 256 E. 12th St. in Chico, California was built in 1859. It has also been known as "Little Chapman Mansion". It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.It corresponds to a published house plan designed by architect Andrew Jackson Downing. It is likely that it was specifically designed by architect Henry W. Cleaveland, known to be a "disciple" of Downing and known to have been "working in Chico in the 1870s when the house was twice expanded to its present form."