The plaza was laid out in 1797 as the plaza mayor of El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe and has been in use ever since. The first state capitol stood at its edge in 1849-51, and San Jose’s City Hall stood in its center from 1889 until 1958.
It was rededicated to César Chávez in 1993. After allegations against Chávez in 2026, the city covered his name and ran a public process to rename it; staff recommended Plaza de San Jose, and the City Council has the final say. The plaza hosts Christmas in the Park, the Jazz Summer Fest main stage, Music in the Park and Silicon Valley Pride, and Robert Graham’s Quetzalcóatl statue stands at its south end.