Monterey State Historic Park, Adobes and the Path of History
The combination of Monterey State Historic Park and the antique adobes restored by the Monterey History and Art Association make Monterey the most historic city in California. 55 historic sites lay along Monterey's two-mile "Path of History," providing residents and visitors with a daily, living tie to California's heritage. The Path of History is one of the great bargains on the Peninsula. This self-guided tour of Old Monterey—marked by yellow tiles set in the sidewalk—explores adobes, gardens and sites of interest. Maps are available for individuals and groups.
Download a Self-Guided Tour of the Path of History!
Take yourself on a tour of the Path of History with an informative, knowledgeable guide you can download directly to your iPod or other digital music device. The Path of History Audio Tour is loaded with the facts, history, mysteries and scandals of historic Monterey. Right-click and select "Save Link As" or "Download Link" to download the free audio tour. The audio tour can then be opened in iTunes or whatever application you use to place music on your iPod, iPhone or other digital music device.
Please note: Due to state budget cuts, tours at Larkin House, Casa Soberanes, and Cooper-Molera Adobe have been suspended. The Custom House and Pacific House Museums are open Saturday and Sunday, 10am-4pm. The Stevenson House is open Saturday, 1-4pm and the gardens will remain open seven days a week, 10am-4pm.
Historic Events
Various events lend Monterey's historic adobes a festive flair. History Fest, held every October, brings reenactors from near and far to create living history experiences. Monterey History Fest includes a reenactment of the California Constitutional Convention in Colton Hall, the very spot where it took place; an authentic Mexican fandango, held in the Custom House just as some were in the 1800s; pirate reenactments; historic military encampments; open houses; and even a historic cemetery tour. Sloat's Landing Ceremony occurs the first Saturday in July. Sloat's Landing Ceremony celebrates Monterey's rich heritage and marks the date July 7, 1846 when Commodore John Drake Sloat declared California as part of the United States. The annual Christmas in the Adobes is a popular December tradition when luminarias light the paths and the fragrance of Mexican hot chocolate fills the air.
Notable Historic Buildings
- The Royal Presidio Chapel is the oldest structure in Monterey, constructed by the Spanish government in 1794. It is the first architect-designed building in California.
- The original portion of the Robert Louis Stevenson House dates from the late 1830s. Here the author reportedly began his classic tale of adventure, Treasure Island.
- In 1849, Colton Hall hosted the first California Constitutional Convention.
- California's First Theater was built in the 1840s by Jack Swan, an English sailor, as a saloon and apartments. The 1st New York Volunteers, an Army unit stationed in Monterey, put on their first play at the building in 1850, establishing it as Monterey's theatrical destination.
- Larkin House was the first house built in the Monterey Colonial architectural style. Thomas Oliver Larkin built it in 1834, adapting traditional New England motifs to the available redwood and adobe.
- The Custom House, at the entrance to Fisherman's Wharf, is the oldest government building in California and is California State Historic Monument #1.
- Pacific House has served many different purposes in its history. Since it was built in 1847, it's been a military supply storage site, a hotel, a church and a ballroom, among other things. It's now a history museum.
- Cooper-Molera Adobe was home to three generations of Coopers. Built in the 1820s and remodeled many times until 1900, it now houses a visitor center with a shop full of old-time treasures. Don't miss its historic garden.
- Casa Soberanes is a Mexican Colonial adobe structure furnished with handsomely preserved antique furniture, artwork and silver.
Casa Serrano has a special significance in California's early history because it served simultaneously as one of the first schools after the U.S. flag was flown over the Custom House in 1846. Open on Saturdays and free to the public.
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