SAN JUAN BAUTISTA CALIFORNIA STATE HISTORIC PARK
Park Interpreter Marcos Vizcaino talks with Big Blend Radio about the fascinating history preserved and told at San Juan Bautista California State Historical Park, and at the neighboring Old Mission San Juan Bautista.
Nestled within the historic village of San Juan Bautista and part of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail in San Benito County, San Juan Bautista State Historic Park represents the blend of cultures and events during the Mexican period, when San Juan Bautista served as the military and commercial center of the San Benito Valley.
Adjacent to the park is Old Mission San Juan Bautista, which was built in 1797 and is the fifteenth and largest mission church in California, and along with the park, has not changed much since the town’s early history. The park and its Plaza represent what was once the largest town in central California, an important crossroad between northern and southern California. The park exhibits and buildings represent 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 including the Plaza Hotel, the Zanetta House/Plaza Hall, the Plaza Stables, and the Castro-Breen Adobe, and also features a blacksmith shop, the historic jail, and an early American settler’s cabin. The park hosts Living History Days the 1st Saturday of every month.
San Juan Bautista CA State Historic Park is located at 19 Franklin Street, San Juan Bautista, CA 95045. For more information call (831) 623-4881 or visit http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=563.