The past is well preserved in Fullerton’s historic downtown. The 1930 Spanish Colonial-style Santa Fe Depot, 120 E. Santa Fe Ave., and the adjacent Mission Revival-style Union Pacific Depot, are among dozens of historic structures that date back to 1899.
Visitor Centers
North Orange County Chamber 444 N. Harbor Blvd. Fullerton, CA 92832-0529. Phone:(714)871-3100
Self-guiding Tours
Information and maps for walking tours of Fullerton's historic downtown are available from the chamber of commerce.
Shopping
Antique shops, galleries and boutiques may be found in the downtown area, along Harbor Boulevard between Chapman and Commonwealth avenues, and in Villa Del Sol, 305 N. Harbor Blvd. Department stores and specialty shops are concentrated in Metro Center and Orangefair Mall, both at the junction of Harbor Boulevard and Orangethorpe Avenue.Fullerton Market, held Thursdays 4-8:30 from April to October in the Downtown Plaza, offers free live entertainment, fresh produce, arts and crafts, and activities for children. Don’t confuse it with the Certified Farmers Market, held Wednesdays 8-1 at Independence Park, 801 W. Valencia Dr. Here you’ll find not only fresh fruits and vegetables, but also bread, flowers and plants.
Nightlife
A growing number of cafes, bars and nightspots make the downtown area a popular destination year-round. Evans Public House, 138 W. Commonwealth Ave., offers live jazz nightly, drawing such top-notch musicians as Poncho Sanchez and Barbara Morrison; phone (714) 870-0039.STAGEStheatre, 400 E. Commonwealth Ave., a pioneer in Orange County’s storefront theater movement, offers a wide range of classic and contemporary plays; phone (714) 525-4484. California State University, Fullerton, one of the city’s five institutions of higher education, raised the curtain on its $48.5 million Clayes Performing Arts Center in 2006. The 109,000-square-foot complex includes a concert hall and two theaters for high-caliber musical and dramatic performances; phone (657) 278-3371.