Casa de Fruta is a large roadside attraction located in an unincorporated area of Santa Clara County, just west of the Merced County line, in the Pacheco Valley of Northern California, along State Route 152. Casa de Fruta was founded as an orchard by the Bisceglia brothers, who were Italian immigrants, in 1908.[1] Three teenaged grand-nephews of the first owner of the orchard opened a roadside cherry stand in 1943, and eventually sold other fruits. In 1967 the remaining two grand-nephews opened a restaurant, Casa de Coffee, gas station, Casa de Diesel, children's playground (including Casa de Choo-Choo, a scale model miniature train with a full size man for the engineer, for children to ride), and gift shop. Casa de Fruta today includes a Good Sampark RV resort, inn, Casa de Sweets, and Casa de Wine. Even the bathrooms in the Chevron Gas Station are called Casa de Restrooms. It is also the current home of the Northern California Renaissance Faire, which takes place in September and October each year.
The locale was known to American Indians and was first written about when Spanish missionaries discovered the artesian well there in the 1790s. The water source was popular during the Gold Rush.[2]
One reference says the nearby intersection of State Route 156 and State Route 152 may be called "The Don Pacheco Y."[3]