SKETCHING TOGETHER JUNE 2026

The Plaza de César Chávez is an urban plaza and park in Downtown San Jose, California, in Silicon Valley.[1] The plaza's origins date to 1797 as the plaza mayor of the Spanish Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe, making it the oldest public space in Northern California. The plaza was reconsecrated after Californian civil rights activist César Chávez in 1993.

The Plaza de César Chávez is one of San Jose's primary civic spaces and the historic center of Downtown San Jose. It is bounded by numerous San Jose institutions and landmarks, including The Tech Museum of Innovation, the San Jose Museum of Art, City National Civic, and the Circle of Palms Plaza. The plaza hosts numerous notable events, including the San Jose Jazz Festival, Music in the Park, and Christmas in the Park.
The Plaza was established when San José moved from its original location on the bank of the Guadalupe River to the current downtown location in 1797 and has been in use ever since, making it the oldest public open space in California.

The present-day park was the site of California's capitol from 1849 to 1851, a period during which the California Republic gained American statehood; hence, the site contained California's first state capitol. From 1889 to 1958, San Jose's city hall occupied the center of the park before the local government moved it northward to North First and Mission Streets.[2] Today, San José City Hall is located nearby on Santa Clara Street.