Discover 6 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Martinez (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: John Muir National Historic Site, Benicia–Martinez Bridge, and Martinez Library. Also, be sure to include Contra Costa Stadium Cinemas in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Martinez (California).
Table of Contents
John Muir National Historic Site
Historical place in Contra Costa County, California. The John Muir National Historic Site is located in the San Francisco Bay Area, in Martinez, Contra Costa County, California. It preserves the 14-room Italianate Victorian mansion where the naturalist and writer John Muir lived, as well as a nearby 325-acre tract of native oak woodlands and grasslands historically owned by the Muir family. The main site is on the edge of town, in the shadow of State Route 4, also known as the "John Muir Parkway."[1]
Address: 4202 Alhambra Ave, 94553-3826 Martinez
Benicia–Martinez Bridge
Truss bridge in Solano County, California. The Benicia–Martinez Bridge refers to three parallel bridges which cross the Carquinez Strait just west of Suisun Bay; the spans link Benicia, California on the north side with Martinez, California on the south.
The original 1.2-mile (1.9 km) deck truss bridge opened in 1962 to replace the last automotive ferry service in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 1962 bridge has seven 528-foot (161 m) spans and 138 feet (42 m) of vertical clearance, now carrying four lanes of southbound traffic, as well as a path for pedestrians and bicyclists. It was named the George Miller Jr. Memorial Bridge in 1975 after California state legislator George Miller Jr. A 1.7-mile (2.7 km) bridge was built alongside and opened on August 25, 2007 with five lanes of northbound traffic. In 2007, it was named the Congressman George Miller Benicia–Martinez Bridge after U.S. Congressman George Miller, Miller Jr.'s son. The cost of the 1962 span was US$25 million and US$1.3 billion for the 2007 span. (Adjusted for inflation, equivalent to $214 million and $1.62 billion respectively.) The bridge is part of Interstate 680, a major transportation link connecting other heavily traveled freeways.
Between the two vehicle bridges is a Union Pacific Railroad bridge, the first bridge at this location, built between April 1929 and October 1930 by Southern Pacific. It is used by Union Pacific and BNSF (trackage rights) freight trains and 36 scheduled Amtrak passenger trains each weekday. Passenger trains include the long-distance trains California Zephyr and Coast Starlight and commuter-oriented Capitol Corridor services.[2]
Martinez Library
Public library. Martinez Library is a historic library located in downtown Martinez, California that is part of the Contra Costa County Library system.[3]
Address: 724 Escobar St, 94553-1114 Martinez
Contra Costa Stadium Cinemas
Concerts and shows, Cinema, Theater
Address: 555 Center Ave, 94553 Martinez
Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline
Regional park in Contra Costa County, California. Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline is a regional park on the shoreline of Carquinez Strait in Martinez, located in northern Contra Costa County, California. Formerly known as the Martinez Regional Shoreline, it was renamed on December 6, 2016, in honor of the late Ted Radke and his late wife Kathy Radke.[4]
Tucker House
The Tucker House is located in Martinez, California. Originally located at 40 Escobar Street, this luxurious 4 story, 4 bedroom, 2 bath mansion was built for Captain John Tucker, a former sea captain from Nantucket, Massachusetts, who settled in Martinez, become a wheat farmer and built a mansion atop the hill on Escobar Street in 1877. The persons who moved into the house included not only the Captain, but also his wife, Mary Swain Tucker, Mary's brother, Sylvester Swain, Swain's wife and daughter, and a Chinese servant known only as Vu. On Halloween, October 31, 1880, Captain Tucker died. The house was moved to 110 Escobar St. in the 1920s by City Postmaster Franklin Glass. After the house had been moved, it had served as a bordello for a while during the 1920s and 30s.[5]