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San Juan Bautista State Historic Park is part of a nationally recognized historic landmark adjacent to the extant portion of California's 15th Spanish era mission. The park and its Plaza represent what was once the "town square" of the largest town in central California and a vital crossroad for travel between northern and southern California. Visitors can gain an appreciation of California's people, from Native Americans through the Spanish and Mexican cultural influences, right up to the American period in the late 19th century.
The park includes several structures built in the 1800s. The four main historic museums are the Plaza Hotel, the Zanetta House/Plaza Hall, the Plaza Stables, and the newly reopened Castro-Breen Adobe. Many of the interiors are arranged as furnished vignettes or with colorful and informative exhibits that help create a unique learning environment for people of all ages. The park also features a blacksmith shop, the historic jail, and an early American settler's cabin.
Getting There
The park is located on Second Street, between Washington and Mariposa Streets in the city of San Juan Bautista, 3 miles east of Highway 101, 7 miles west of Hollister, 15 minutes south of Gilroy. From Hwy 101, go east on Highway 156, take a left at the light onto The Alameda; from Hollister or Pacheco Pass on 156 westbound, take a right at the same intersection. Landmarks: the Windmill Shopping Center.
The park is located on Second Street, between Washington and Mariposa Streets in the city of San Juan Bautista, 3 miles east of Highway 101, 7 miles west of Hollister, 15 minutes south of Gilroy. From Hwy 101, go east on Highway 156, take a left at the light onto The Alameda; from Hollister or Pacheco Pass on 156 westbound, take a right at the same intersection. Landmarks: the Windmill Shopping Center.
Seasons/Climate/Recommended Clothing
San Juan Bautista’s climate can be either foggy or very hot in spring and summer; it is often rainy and cool in winter. Layered clothing is advised.
San Juan Bautista’s climate can be either foggy or very hot in spring and summer; it is often rainy and cool in winter. Layered clothing is advised.
Operating Hours & Contact
The day-use area is open from 10am to 4:30pm. The park is open Tuesday through Sunday for self guided visits and also offers guided walking tours by advanced reservation. The park is closed on Mondays.
Telephone: 831-623-2753
The day-use area is open from 10am to 4:30pm. The park is open Tuesday through Sunday for self guided visits and also offers guided walking tours by advanced reservation. The park is closed on Mondays.
Telephone: 831-623-2753
Programs & Events
Living History Days: On the first Saturday of each month, costumed docents reenact daily life in California history, such as the stagecoach era and the hotel’s heyday.
A summer celebration called Early Days features costumed early California residents and mountain men, blacksmithing demonstrations, sarsaparilla tasting and other events.
Living History Days: On the first Saturday of each month, costumed docents reenact daily life in California history, such as the stagecoach era and the hotel’s heyday.
A summer celebration called Early Days features costumed early California residents and mountain men, blacksmithing demonstrations, sarsaparilla tasting and other events.
Park Buildings
Castro/Breen Adobe: José Tibúrcio Castro commissioned this adobe home in 1838 for his son, Mexican General José Antonio Castro. General Castro was appointed commander of the Monterey District of Alta California in 1834 and acted as governor until 1836. In 1846 western pathfinder John C. Frémont and frontier legend Kit Carson planted the first U.S. flag over California on Gavilan Peak (now Fremont Peak), above the San Juan Valley. General Castro demanded that Frémont’s group leave Mexico’s territory; they left after three tense days.
The adobe was completed in 1841, but General Castro’s duties elsewhere kept him away from his new home. In 1848, Patrick and Margaret Breen arrived penniless in San Juan with their seven children. The entire family had survived 111 days in the Sierra Nevada snow as members of the Donner party of 1846. A sympathetic General Castro allowed the Breens to live in his home until they could afford to buy it. Sixteen-year-old son John Breen set off for the gold fields in 1848, soon returning with over $10,000 in gold dust. The Breen family used John’s profits to purchase the adobe from the Castros, as well as 400 acres of prime farmland. The Breens owned the adobe until 1933, when it became part of the State Park System.
Plaza Hotel: The hotel, now a museum and park entrance point, was a one-story adobe built in 1814 in the Spanish colonial style. The building first served as barracks for the Spanish soldiers who protected the mission. In 1856 Italian immigrant Angelo Zanetta leased the building and added a redwood second story; the building then became the Plaza Hotel. The hotel opened in January 1859, attracting patrons for both its fine French and Italian cuisine and its saloon. Travelers from around the world were guests at the hotel.
Plaza Hall/Zanetta House: Angelo Zanetta remodeled the hall on the site of an earlier mission building; he later moved in with his family. Many elegant events were held in the grand ballroom upstairs. Period furnishings are on display, and one child’s room in the exhibit features 1800s-era toys.
Plaza/Courtyard: Spanish pueblos were usually built around a central courtyard or plaza that was used for bullfights, bearfights, cockfights, parades and social gatherings. Early residents baked bread in igloo-shaped outdoor ovens called hornos, and dried cowhides in the plaza. The courtyard behind the Castro/Breen Adobe has a gristmill, an horno, and a tallow display.
Plaza Stable, Blacksmith Shop: Horses pulled the busy stagecoach and wagon traffic through San Juan Bautista when it was a transportation hub on El Camino Real between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Up to eleven stages arrived and departed daily. Eventually, trains replaced stagecoaches; when the railroad line bypassed the town for Hollister in 1876, San Juan Bautista declined. Exhibits in the stable and blacksmith shop area include stages, wagons, carriages and fire wagon.
Several buildings at San Juan Bautista SHP today stand on the sites of or incorporate earlier mission structures, probably built by native people. The stone foundations of two narrow adobe row houses that once housed neophyte families lie hidden underground in the Taix lot south of the park headquarters. The original buildings are no longer visible, but the stories of their inhabitants are preserved in the archaeological deposits that remain.
Castro/Breen Adobe: José Tibúrcio Castro commissioned this adobe home in 1838 for his son, Mexican General José Antonio Castro. General Castro was appointed commander of the Monterey District of Alta California in 1834 and acted as governor until 1836. In 1846 western pathfinder John C. Frémont and frontier legend Kit Carson planted the first U.S. flag over California on Gavilan Peak (now Fremont Peak), above the San Juan Valley. General Castro demanded that Frémont’s group leave Mexico’s territory; they left after three tense days.
The adobe was completed in 1841, but General Castro’s duties elsewhere kept him away from his new home. In 1848, Patrick and Margaret Breen arrived penniless in San Juan with their seven children. The entire family had survived 111 days in the Sierra Nevada snow as members of the Donner party of 1846. A sympathetic General Castro allowed the Breens to live in his home until they could afford to buy it. Sixteen-year-old son John Breen set off for the gold fields in 1848, soon returning with over $10,000 in gold dust. The Breen family used John’s profits to purchase the adobe from the Castros, as well as 400 acres of prime farmland. The Breens owned the adobe until 1933, when it became part of the State Park System.
Plaza Hotel: The hotel, now a museum and park entrance point, was a one-story adobe built in 1814 in the Spanish colonial style. The building first served as barracks for the Spanish soldiers who protected the mission. In 1856 Italian immigrant Angelo Zanetta leased the building and added a redwood second story; the building then became the Plaza Hotel. The hotel opened in January 1859, attracting patrons for both its fine French and Italian cuisine and its saloon. Travelers from around the world were guests at the hotel.
Plaza Hall/Zanetta House: Angelo Zanetta remodeled the hall on the site of an earlier mission building; he later moved in with his family. Many elegant events were held in the grand ballroom upstairs. Period furnishings are on display, and one child’s room in the exhibit features 1800s-era toys.
Plaza/Courtyard: Spanish pueblos were usually built around a central courtyard or plaza that was used for bullfights, bearfights, cockfights, parades and social gatherings. Early residents baked bread in igloo-shaped outdoor ovens called hornos, and dried cowhides in the plaza. The courtyard behind the Castro/Breen Adobe has a gristmill, an horno, and a tallow display.
Plaza Stable, Blacksmith Shop: Horses pulled the busy stagecoach and wagon traffic through San Juan Bautista when it was a transportation hub on El Camino Real between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Up to eleven stages arrived and departed daily. Eventually, trains replaced stagecoaches; when the railroad line bypassed the town for Hollister in 1876, San Juan Bautista declined. Exhibits in the stable and blacksmith shop area include stages, wagons, carriages and fire wagon.
Several buildings at San Juan Bautista SHP today stand on the sites of or incorporate earlier mission structures, probably built by native people. The stone foundations of two narrow adobe row houses that once housed neophyte families lie hidden underground in the Taix lot south of the park headquarters. The original buildings are no longer visible, but the stories of their inhabitants are preserved in the archaeological deposits that remain.
Natural History
Due to the town’s location along the San Andreas fault, San Juan Bautista’s buildings have sustained severe earthquake damage. Up to six quakes per day shook the town for 19 straight days in 1800. The 1906 earthquake also cracked many of the town buildings. The San Andreas fault is located at the end of the plaza east of the hotel. At the top of the hill near a statue, visitors can stand on the edge of the Pacific tectonic plate. The fault scarp formation, where the earth shifted between the Pacific and the North American tectonic plates, can be seen at the base of the hill.
Due to the town’s location along the San Andreas fault, San Juan Bautista’s buildings have sustained severe earthquake damage. Up to six quakes per day shook the town for 19 straight days in 1800. The 1906 earthquake also cracked many of the town buildings. The San Andreas fault is located at the end of the plaza east of the hotel. At the top of the hill near a statue, visitors can stand on the edge of the Pacific tectonic plate. The fault scarp formation, where the earth shifted between the Pacific and the North American tectonic plates, can be seen at the base of the hill.
Accessible Features
Picnic Area
A large picnic area between the Mission and the Zanetta House has tables that may be usable on a packed gravel suface. The tables provide knee space at each end that is only a bit short of requirements for persons using wheelchairs.
Exhibits/Programs
Short, narrow historic doorways and high thresholds have been modified where possible to enhance accessibility, and most of the park is usable, excluding the upper floors. Ramped entries are available to several areas. Routes of travel along city sidewalks are mostly usable. The following areas are the most accessible.
The Castro Breen Adobe, exhibits and visitor path of travel have been redesigned to provide enhanced accessibility as well direct access to more rooms. A captioned video is available showing the upper floors. Listening assistance devices are available. Staff assistance is available to unlock security gates to the courtyard behind Castro Breen.
The Plaza Hotel ground floor is generally accessible. Some persons may need assistance getting over the high historic threshold.
The Stables: A ramped entry allows access to the stables and blacksmith shop and a view of the exterior of the Zanetta House and gardens and the San Juan Eagle historic fire wagon.
Restrooms: The restrooms behind the Zanetta House permit side transfers only; these restrooms are open on a limited basis. Restrooms near the historic jail may have enough space (44") to permit front transfers. Both restrooms have some slight slopes along the path of travel and other minor deficiencies, but one or the other may be usable for some wheelchair users.
Be the first to add a trip in this destination!Picnic Area
A large picnic area between the Mission and the Zanetta House has tables that may be usable on a packed gravel suface. The tables provide knee space at each end that is only a bit short of requirements for persons using wheelchairs.
Exhibits/Programs
Short, narrow historic doorways and high thresholds have been modified where possible to enhance accessibility, and most of the park is usable, excluding the upper floors. Ramped entries are available to several areas. Routes of travel along city sidewalks are mostly usable. The following areas are the most accessible.
The Castro Breen Adobe, exhibits and visitor path of travel have been redesigned to provide enhanced accessibility as well direct access to more rooms. A captioned video is available showing the upper floors. Listening assistance devices are available. Staff assistance is available to unlock security gates to the courtyard behind Castro Breen.
The Plaza Hotel ground floor is generally accessible. Some persons may need assistance getting over the high historic threshold.
The Stables: A ramped entry allows access to the stables and blacksmith shop and a view of the exterior of the Zanetta House and gardens and the San Juan Eagle historic fire wagon.
Restrooms: The restrooms behind the Zanetta House permit side transfers only; these restrooms are open on a limited basis. Restrooms near the historic jail may have enough space (44") to permit front transfers. Both restrooms have some slight slopes along the path of travel and other minor deficiencies, but one or the other may be usable for some wheelchair users.
Nearby Community Trips
10 Mile Hike on the Historic De Anza Trail. Nice Spring or Fall Hike. Ini the summer it may get warm. I went with a Scout Troop.
