The Plaza & Circle of Palms

The pueblo moved here in 1797, and the plaza laid out then is called the oldest public open space in Northern California. San Jose’s City Hall stood in its center from 1889 until 1958, and today it hosts Christmas in the Park, the Jazz Summer Fest main stage and Music in the Park. (Wikipedia)

The plaza was named for César Chávez in 1993. In 2026, after allegations against Chávez, the city covered his name and asked residents to help choose a new one; staff recommended Plaza de San Jose, and the City Council has the final say. (San José Spotlight)

Across Market Street, a ring of palms around the state seal marks the site of the first State Capitol, where California’s first Legislature met in December 1849; it is California Historical Landmark No. 461. The same block held the Market Street Chinatown until it was burned in 1887, and a plaque outside the Signia hotel remembers it. (Wikipedia, Wikipedia)

Around the plaza: the San José Museum of Art, whose historic wing opened as the post office in 1892; The Tech Interactive, in Ricardo Legorreta’s building of 1998; and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, on a parish site in use since 1803. (Wikipedia, Wikipedia, Wikipedia)