In the heart of California’s Heartland

Modesto’s downtown has a community feel and spirit that brings people from all over to enjoy living and being together. Downtown flows with the seasons and celebrates our heritage and diversity. It’s a great cup of coffee, the Cruise or a parade; it’s a quiet shady spot, it’s live music and theater, it’s a makers’ fair, it’s fine food and drink. Downtown Modesto has an irreplaceable authenticty rarely found, and is steadily building its quality of experience going into an exciting new phase of development with museums, rail transit, expanded river access, and more.

Downtown Master Plan Points Forward

The Modesto City Council approved a twenty-year Downtown Master Plan in August 2020. The plan encompasses specific development recommendations and planning guidelines to optimize circulation for pedestrians and bicycles as well as vehicles and activate more area for public use and enjoyment. The plan builds on anchor developments already underway including a renovated regional Transit Center to accommodate ACE Rail service and bus, with downtown rail Quiet Zones, and a new Courthouse that will energize the southeast area of the downtown core. A USL soccer franchise is on it’s way as part of an expanded Entertainment Distict

Coming and Recent Developments

There’s “Mo” to downtown soon including two much-anticipated museums - the Modesto Childrens’ Museum, and the Graffiti USA Museum inspired by classic cars and the Cruise popularized by Modesto-native George Lucas in American Graffiti.