Big Fresno Fair museum gives glimpse of rich local history

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Officials with the Big Fresno Fair are preserving the past and allowing visitors to experience the history of Fresno County.

When you step through the doors it's a chance to step back in time and experience Fresno County's rich history. From old race cars to vintage signs, there's a piece of the past everywhere you look inside the Fresno County Historical Museum.

When the museum opened last year, Big Fresno Fair CEO John Alkire wanted to make the stroll down memory lane into an educational experience.

"We're so diversified in the county of Fresno we have so many great stories to tell its really been a treat putting them all together," he said.

One of the features in the 14,000 square foot museum is the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame display. The bat and spikes mean a little bit more to a certain group of women. All three had Hall of Fame softball careers while representing Fresno.

"I've had people say, 'Gee I saw the exhibit at the museum and I didn't know that about the rockets,'" Jeanne Contel said.

Contel played third base for the Fresno Rockets team that won three national championships in the 1950's

"It's awesome because we had such great experiences and of course we're all happy with the growth of women's softball today," she said.

It's history coming to life and just about every piece of decor and furniture in the two-story museum once stood in the county.

"We just don't want to put things in here that we go down to the local store and purchase," Alkire said. "It's most imperative we utilize the artifacts that were used many, many years ago like the courthouse behind me over a 130 years old."

The museum is open every day of the fair.