In this photo essay, I went around downtown Fresno, exploring the historic architecture that tells a story about the city. All these photos were taken on a Fujifilm XT-30 with a 10-24 mm lens.

This is the heart of downtown Fresno right by Tower District. The architecture of the city has a very important history that has shaped its culture drastically. On the left side of the photo is a Fresno Postage Stamp mural. This mural was created by Francisco Vargas in partnership with downtown Fresno. This mural showcases the things that make the city what it is today.

This is St. John's Cathedral which is in the center of downtown Fresno. It was built in 1882 (fully constructed in 1903) by Catholic settlers, making it the oldest remaining Catholic church in Fresno. Around 52% of people in Fresno are religious and about 33% of those are Catholic. This represents the large Catholic community in Fresno.

This is the Old Fresno Water Tower and it was designed by George Washington Maher. It was completed in 1894 and was used until 1963 when the pumping machinery stopped working. By 2001, the tower was remodeled to become the visitors' center for the City and County of Fresno. This holds an important place in Fresno's history and has established itself as an iconic symbol.

This is the Warnor's Theatre which is located on Fulton St. in downtown Fresno. It was originally known as Pantages Theater in 1928 after the name of its owner Alexander Pantages. The name was changed to Warner Theater after Warner Brothers purchased the theatre. Now the name is Warnor's to avoid trademark issues. The venue now is used mainly for concerts.

This is the Fresno Memorial Auditorium which is located right across the Old Fresno Water Tower. It was constructed in 1935-36 and was Fresno's most iconic cultural facility for 30 years. There were many events held in the auditorium like Broadway musicals, concerts, and operas. The name changed in 1992 when war veterans asked the city to rename it to Veterans Memorial Auditorium. Now it is filled with military memorabilia, honoring our service members.

The Fresno Convention Center has had a big impact on Fresno. Constructed in 1936, the four-building complex is made up of four main venues which include the Selland Arena and the William Saroyan Theatre.

The new rendition of Fresno City Hall was constructed by Arthur Erickson in 1991. It's been nearly thirty years but the building looks new due to its stainless steel exterior.

This is the newly built Tuolumne Street bridge which opened on Aug. 4, 2017. One of the reasons it was created was to let the California High-Speed Rail pass below it since it is much higher. With the construction of new bridges and buildings, Fresno is growing as a city but it still retains the cultures and values that the old buildings had.