6 Great Ways to Explore Chico State: An Iconic Campus Park for Everyone

By Clayton Truscott

Chico State is its own historic neighborhood in the city’s downtown core—steps away from restaurants and boutiques, yet enchanted and tranquil like an extension of Bidwell Park.

A visit to campus holds something special for everyone: nature, history, auditoriums, galleries, public artwork, museums and more.

But the best way to get acquainted with this iconic Chico gem is on foot or on wheels, the way scores of Chicoans do every day.

Follow Your Curiosity

Tour the Iconic Arboretum Campus

Officially a dedicated arboretum spanning 132 acres, the Chico State campus is a living, breathing collection of native and rare trees and plants.

Towering and ornate, the sycamores, gingkos, and other natural giants mark time by showing off their deep and mesmerizing colors each season. Especially fall, when you’re treated to a daily festival of red, orange, and yellow leaves raining down on breezy afternoons.

Accessible to all levels of mobility, a network of pathways and marked trails allows visitors to follow their curiosity and be delighted. No matter where you go, you should take it slow—you’ll want to stop often to fully appreciate all 1,000+ species of plants and trees, the squirrels and other wildlife skittering and fluttering around, and the enchanting, constant song of Big Chico Creek flowing through campus.

If you’re lucky, you might even see one of the fabled otters frolicking in its waters.

Take a Creekside Break

Campus WATERS & Hidden Nooks

The creek has several nooks that are prime places to unwind. A popular one is the Mary Lemcke Camellia Garden, with its canopy of trees and view of the water.

Stop by in spring, and you’ll be treated to a bevy of blooms in pink, cream, and white. From there, it’s a short stroll over the Gus Manolis Bridge—one of nine walking bridges on campus.

Snap a Selfie at The Roses

George Petersen Rose Garden

No casual trip to Chico State is complete without a stop at the rose garden. Originally planted in 1957, this beloved bed holds roughly 400 bushes today (complete with personalized name tags for their species) and creates a calming detour for meandering students and visitors.

In addition to beautifying the campus, it also contributes to the University’s status as a Certified Butterfly Garden by the National Butterfly Association, an official Monarch Waystation via Monarch Watch, an official Bee Campus USA, and a Certified Wildlife Habitat through the National Wildlife Federation.

Be a Patron of the Arts

Art Around Every Corner

In addition to the overwhelming natural beauty on campus, you’re surrounded by art and stories embedded into the landscape architecture and carried through in performances.

There are sculptures and frescoes by alumni and noteworthy creatives, including the Three Sisters (named for Chekov’s play of the same name) facing the rose garden, and the wild-spirited Monoliths outside of Ayres Hall.

At the corner of the ARTS Building is a rotating student mural space. While at ARTS, stop in to the interior courtyard on weekdays for a chance to catch our ceramics and glassblowing students creating their crafts on full display.

For something more formal, campus has six theatres, recital halls, and auditoriums. Chico State brings a wide range of new and returning performers and shows to Chico every year, most of which are open to the public.

Laxson Auditorium, the university’s premier venue, welcomes visitors into one of its most impressive historic buildings (built in the 1930s) and hosts more than 100 performances annually—past headliners have included Willie Nelson, Ali Wong, and Joan Baez.

Visit Chico Performances for tickets and information.

Feel the Wildcat Spirit

Game Day, the Chico Way

The best way to experience the Wildcat spirit up close is at a home game supporting one of Chico State’s Division II athletics programs. The dedicated athletes embody the Do and Dare spirit of the University every time they play their hearts out—and the community knows it.

Whether it’s cheering court side for the basketball teams at Acker Gymnasium, in the bleachers at University Soccer Stadium, or at the Nettleton Stadium for baseball, you’ll be a lifelong fan by the final whistle.

Connect Beyond Campus

Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve is a living example of Chico State’s commitment to learning by doing and leading by example.

This 7,835-acre learning laboratory offers miles of trails, a rich variety of habitats, and impossible depths of beauty to explore, making it a dreamy extension to the classroom.

Due to ongoing recovery and safety restrictions following the Park Fire, the reserve is not currently open to the general public. Access is limited to Chico State classes, guided university tours, and approved research groups.

If you’re looking to experience similar landscapes, head to Upper Bidwell Park instead.

Just a short drive from campus, Upper Park offers miles of open trails, native plant communities, creek access, and sweeping canyon views. It’s where many Chico State students complete fieldwork, research projects, and it’s fully accessible for visitors.

While the reserve remains focused on academic use, Upper Park gives you the same sense of scale, wild beauty, and connection to nature that defines the Chico State experience.

More Great Ways to Connect with Campus

• Tag along on an Admissions tour.
• Pose with the Wildcat statue.
• Explore the gemstone collection in the Science Building and admire the views from the third floor—you can see all the way to the foothills. Learn about Chico Tribal history, with a display on the first occupants of this land, the Mechoopda.
• Pay a visit to the Janet Turner Print Museum. Originally created when distinguished artist and Chico State art instructor Janet Turner donated her collection of more than 400 fine art prints to campus, the collection has grown to more than 4,000 prints.
• Have a picnic. The perfect complement to Northern California’s nigh-perfect weather is an outdoor picnic surrounded by myrtle, redwoods, London Planes, and others.
• Visit the Gateway Science Museum. Equal parts laboratory and learning playground, the museum offers a mix of local and global attractions that bring wonder to the young and young at heart.

JASON HALLEY