Learn more about the rich legacy of John and Annie Bidwell, the historic role of the mansion and its gardens, and the impact of the December 2024 fire. This page also outlines the beginnings of the Reimagine Bidwell Mansion SHP planning effort and what lies ahead.

Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park (SHP) is an iconic landmark of the city of Chico and an important memorial to the lives and legacies of John and Annie Bidwell. The Bidwell Mansion, for which the park is named after, was the center of Chico’s political and social life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As much a part of the park as the three-story, 26 room mansion, the mansion’s grounds were described as an ‘agricultural eden’. The grounds reflected John Bidwell’s contributions to California agriculture and his passion for horticulture. During his lifetime, Bidwell supported the development of California’s first commercial raisin crop as well as the casaba melon and had planted numerous specimen trees, many of which still stand today. To learn more about Bidwell Mansion SHP, visit the official State Parks website.

On the evening of December 11th, 2024, a fire broke out at Bidwell Mansion SHP and severely damaged the mansion. First responders managed to put out the fire, which did not spread to adjacent buildings. At the time of the fire, the mansion was undergoing an extensive renovation process. Less than a week later, California State Parks in collaboration with CAL Fire and other partner agencies determined that the cause of the fire was arson. As of March 5, 2025, the arsonist has been apprehended and sentenced, but Bidwell Mansion SHP remains closed to the public with no date set for reopening.

California State Parks recognizes the profound grief of the Chico community and the countless individuals who helped to preserve, interpret, and celebrate an important landmark of California history. Planning efforts to re-open the park began almost immediately, but the question of what re-opening in the aftermath of the arson should look like remained unanswered.

Given public interest in the park and its significance to the local and wider community, California State Parks has begun a planning process called Reimagine Bidwell Mansion, which will engage the community, stakeholders, Tribes, subject matter experts, and park staff to produce a cohesive vision to reopen and shape the parks’ future. California State Parks has partnered with PlaceWorks, a leading environmental planning and design firm with experience in post-disaster park planning efforts, to assist with this project.