Welcome to Alum Rock Park

Welcome to Alum Rock Park. California’s Oldest Municipal Park. , Alum Rock Park was acquired in stages over many years. The original claim is based on the first land grant by Governor Filipe de Neve, July 22, 1778. Alum Rock Park has survived many challenges to that original grant and on March 13, 1872 the California State Legislature set aside this land “...for all time to come, as a public park.” Since 1872, Alum Rock Park has grown to be San Jose’s largest, as well as our state’s oldest city park. Once a well known mineral spring health spa, the park has been restored to a natural area of majestic oaks, gently flowing streams and waving grassland. This series of interpretive panels will help visitors explore the rich and colorful history of this fantastic park., The Reservation , Alum Rock Park, and the stream that flows through it, has had many different names. The Native Americans that lived in the valley called the creek Shistuk, and the early Spanish settlers called the creek Aguague, the watering place. At some point the creek became known as Penitencia Creek, possibly from a nearby creek known as La Pentencia where the friars from the mission would go for penance. The Park was originally known as The Reservation, but this was only an unofficial title. The first recorded use of the name Alum Rock was in 1890. At that time, people thought the white coating on the large rock near the park entrance was the mineral alum. John Martin Ogan gave the name Alum Rock to the entire canyon sometime near the turn of the century. By the early 1900s, most maps and official references used the name Alum Rock.