Before Silicon Valley Self-Guided Bike Ride

The Before Silicon Valley Bike Ride is a self-guided 10-mile bike ride visiting five historic sites in San José prominent in the “Before Silicon Valley” website/online exhibition. The ride starts at San José’s City Hall, 200 E. Santa Clara Street. 

Ride with GPS route map: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44713956 

Stop 1: Gonzales - Peralta Adobe (175 W St John St, San José, CA 95110). 

• See the Before Silicon Instagram post for info on the adobe; 

• VIsit the History San Jose page for more info about the adobe

• View the exhibition: Pre-Colonial Native Americans and Spanish Encounters

Stop 2: Former site of the Palomar Ballroom  (25 Notre Dame Ave, San Jose, CA 95113)

• See the Before Silicon Valley Instagram post for info about the Palomar

• Watch mini-documentary: Mexican Music and Bands

Stop 3: Site of the former Del Monte Cannery (807 Auzerais, San Jose, CA 95126) 

• See the Before Silicon Valley Instagram post for info about the Del Monte Cannery

• Watch mini-documentary: Mexican Women Cannery Workers

Stop 4: Plaza Cesar Chavez (1 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, CA 95113)

• Learn more: Mexican Businesses in Downtown San José WWII to 1960 (scroll to slide 5)

• San Jose’s Downtown Historic District (National Park Service)

• "Do You Know the W now the Way to San Jose?" Ethnic Mexicans, Urbanism, Urbanism, Culture, and Politics in Emerging Silicon Valley, 1940-1980  

• See the Public Art, “Man of Fire” that references Ernesto Galarza

Stop 5: McDonnell Hall (2020 E San Antonio St, San Jose, CA 95116)

• View the exhibition section, “Mexican American Labor & CIvil Rights: Searching for Equality and Forming CIvil Space