California State Parks Invites Community to Help Shape the Future of Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park
Contact:
Newsroom@parks.ca.gov
CHICO – California State Parks invites the public to participate in an online survey that will help shape the vision for the future of Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park (SHP). Responses to the survey will help inform the development of the Reimagine Bidwell Mansion SHP Vision Plan, which will guide the future of the historic park in the aftermath of the December 2024 fire. The online survey will be open until Friday, April 24. The survey is available on the project website reimaginebidwellmansion.org.
The release of the online survey represents an important milestone in the recovery planning process. The survey, which will take approximately 15 minutes to complete, collects feedback on several key project outcomes, including:
- Overall visitor orientation and experiences
- Potential options for the future of the historic fire-damaged structure
- Potential topics for future education programs
- Potential changes to programs and facilities.
Community Workshop
State Parks is committed to hearing from the public across a range of outreach and engagement opportunities. To amplify the momentum from the launch of the public survey, State Parks is announcing the first of two virtual Community Workshops will take place at 6-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14.
The first virtual Community Workshop is an opportunity for the public to learn more about the project, share insights, hear from other community members, and meet the project team. To register for the workshop, please sign up at reimaginebidwellmansion.eventbrite.com.
Pop-Up Events
To provide opportunities for in-person interaction with State Park staff, State Parks is announcing two pop-up events at the Certified Chico Farmer’s Market (Downtown Chico Municipal Parking Lot, 2nd Street and Wall Street).
- Pop Up #1: 7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., March 14
- Pop Up #2: 7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., March 28
State Parks staff will be present to answer questions about the project, share fact sheets and other project resources, and engage in conversations with the public about the future of the park. Additional pop-ups may be scheduled in April.
Reimagine Bidwell Mansion
State Parks launched the Reimagine Bidwell Mansion effort in September 2025 to gather community input on how the park will be revitalized. The planning effort will continue through the end of this year and result in a Vision Plan that will integrate extensive community, tribal and stakeholder engagement with technical feasibility and existing conditions studies to identify the best path forward for the park. Please visit ReimagineBidwellMansion.org for the latest updates.
Infographic encouraging participation in the Reimagine Bidwell Mansion SHP survey.
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California State Parks provides for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high quality outdoor recreation.