William Saroyan House Museum celebrates author’s 113th birthday, 3rd anniversary

FRESNO, Calif.August 31 marks the 113th birth anniversary of the Pulitzer Prize and Oscar-winning Armenian-American writer William Saroyan. His Armenian identity was a paramount force in the writer’s life, his stories and pages filled with characters, dialogues and themes that reflected his cultural values, mores and history. On this day, three years ago, the first and the only museum dedicated to William Saroyan opened its doors for its honorable visitors. Since then, the museum has been welcoming and surprising guests from all over the world with its innovative technologies.

Unique and innovative exhibits at the Museum, along with the William Saroyan hologram have attracted thousands of visitors from his hometown of Fresno and around the globe. The Museum has become one of the most important cultural assets of Fresno.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, The William Saroyan House Museum is excited to reopen its doors to the public and welcome back all Saroyan lovers. It should be noted that the creation of the museum was fully carried out by the Renaissance Cultural and Intellectual Foundation operating in Armenia, and this year, like in the previous years, the Saroyan House project’s team celebrates Saroyan’s  anniversary. 



Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS