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Madera is a city of about 68,000 people in California's San Joaquin Valley, just north of Fresno and the seat of Madera County. Its name is Spanish for wood: the town was founded in 1876 by a lumber company at the end of a long flume that carried timber down from the Sierra Nevada to the railroad. Today it is a farming center surrounded by vineyards, almond and pistachio orchards.
The historic 1900 Madera County Courthouse, now home to the Madera County Historical Museum, anchors Courthouse Park in the city center. Madera is also known for its wines, especially sweet dessert wines and ports, and the Madera Wine Trail links tasting rooms such as Quady Winery and Ficklin Vineyards among the vineyards around town.
Madera makes a convenient stop on the way to the mountains. Highway 41 and Highway 145 lead toward Yosemite National Park and Bass Lake, Millerton Lake is a short drive east, and the Fossil Discovery Center of Madera County displays Ice Age mammoth fossils found nearby.
A local history museum inside the 1900 granite Madera County Courthouse, with three floors of exhibits on Native peoples, the lumber flume that founded the town, farming, early businesses and pioneer life. The building itself is the highlight. Open limited days, so check hours before visiting.
A museum built near the site where Ice Age fossils, including Columbian mammoth, saber-toothed cat and ground sloth remains, were found at a county landfill. Displays show the fossils and how they were dug up, and kids can try a dig pit. It lies between Madera and Chowchilla; check open days first.
A shady park around the historic courthouse in downtown Madera, with lawns, big trees, a veterans memorial and a stage used for summer concerts and community events. It is a pleasant place for a break in the valley heat. Combine it with a visit to the museum and lunch on nearby Yosemite Avenue.
A group of family-run wineries spread among the vineyards around Madera, known for dessert wines, ports and warm-climate reds. Tasting rooms are small and friendly, and some host events through the year. Pick up a trail map, plan a designated driver and check each winery's opening days before you go.
A well-known Madera winery that specializes in dessert wines, including its Essensia orange muscat, Elysium black muscat and port-style wines, plus the Vya vermouths. The tasting room offers flights of its sweet and fortified wines. Check current tasting hours and reservation needs before visiting.
A family winery founded in 1946 that became one of the first in California to make port-style wines from traditional Portuguese grape varieties. Its small tasting room among the vineyards is a classic stop on the Madera Wine Trail. Hours can be limited, so call or check online before driving out.
The historic center of Madera along Yosemite Avenue, with Mexican bakeries and restaurants, shops and early 20th-century brick buildings near Courthouse Park. It is busiest during festivals and community events. A good place for an inexpensive meal; parking is easy on side streets.
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California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
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Photo: R&sbwn, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Rlopezrce, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Rlopezrce, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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