Circle of Palms Plaza, San Jose

Circle of Palms Plaza, San Jose

Circle of Palms Plaza is one of the more iconic locations in Downtown San Jose. This plaza is in the location where the state's first capital stood from 1849 to 1851. You can see a California state seal on the pavement, with a circle of palm trees surrounding the seal.

The concrete set around the seal contains quotes from the state constitutional convention in 1849. You can also see the Museum of Art at one end of the plaza. Other interesting adjacent locations include the Silicon Valley Financial Center, as well as the Fairmont Hotel, which are interesting landmarks in their own right.

There are lights illuminating the plaza at night that make a very interesting sight. If you visit this area during the winter months, you'll be able to take advantage of an ice rink. Even if you are not a skater, spending time watching people on the rink is always worth it.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in San Jose. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Circle of Palms Plaza on Map

Sight Name: Circle of Palms Plaza
Sight Location: San Jose, USA (See walking tours in San Jose)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in San Jose, California

Create Your Own Walk in San Jose

Create Your Own Walk in San Jose

Creating your own self-guided walk in San Jose is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
San Jose Public Art Walking Tour

San Jose Public Art Walking Tour

This walking tour, “Public Art as Resistance in San José,” highlights the history of resistance and public art in downtown San José and begins on the urban university campus, San José State University. Starting from the first two works of art on campus, you’ll find that these 12 works of public art are among many in this area. However, this particular walking tour considers how San...  view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 6.0 Km or 3.7 Miles
San Jose Downtown Walking Tour

San Jose Downtown Walking Tour

San Jose is California's third-largest city and the second-largest city in Northern California. From 1849 to 1851, San Jose served as the state's first capital, which is still a local source of pride. The city has formally incorporated in 1850 and has been a center of innovation from the late 19th century, starting with agriculture and food processing.

During World War II, several...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.9 Km or 1.2 Miles