Juana Briones Park

Juana Briones Park is the kind of place that rewards a slow look. At first glance it is a neighborhood park on Maybell Avenue with a lawn, big shade trees and a playground. Walk the edges and you find small groves of apricot trees, planted by volunteers to recall the orchard that covered this ground before the houses came. Near one corner a sign tells the story of the woman the park is named for, a 19th century landowner who could neither read nor write and still beat the American courts.

The city describes it as a "4.1 acre neighborhood park with generous open space, shade trees, picnicking and play areas" at 609 Maybell Avenue in the southwest corner of Palo Alto. It serves the ranch-house streets of Green Acres and the eastern side of Barron Park. This guide covers what is in the park, the two names it goes by, the history on display and how it fits with the schools and paths nearby.

Juana Briones Park at a glance

The city lists picnic tables, drinking fountains, wheelchair access, basketball courts, walking trails and playgrounds. In more detail:

• Size: 4.1 acres, mostly open lawn under mature trees.
• Play: a playground with a long-running train theme, plus swings and equipment for toddlers in older listings.
• Courts: basketball courts, listed by the city.
• Picnics: picnic tables in the shade. They are first come, first served.
• Paths and water: walking trails and drinking fountains.
• Access: the city lists wheelchair access, which covers paths and facilities.
• Restrooms: the city's page lists no restroom.
• Fees: none.

Our playgrounds guide singles out Briones and Bol parks for good tree cover. That shade is the main reason families pick this park on a hot afternoon over the more exposed fields up the road.

One park, two names

The city's web listing calls the park simply Briones Park. The municipal code, which lists every piece of land reserved for park use, is more precise. Section 22.08.270 reserves the land as Juana Briones Park, "formerly known as the Arastradero Road Park." Most neighbors, the elementary school a few blocks away and the Barron Park Association all use the full name.

The old name made sense. The park sits close to Arastradero Road. The land along Arastradero was orchard and farmland until the postwar building boom. Green Acres itself was built on old apricot orchards, which is why its neighborhood page lists the former use in its facts box.

The apricot orchard

The park sits on ground that was once an apricot orchard. In the first half of the 20th century, orchards covered much of the Santa Clara Valley. Apricots and prunes were among the main crops. As tract homes replaced the trees in the late 1940s and 1950s, a few blocks were set aside for parks.

Volunteers have since planted small apricot groves around the edges of the park to honor that past. Look for them along the borders rather than in the middle of the lawn. In early spring they bloom white and pale pink. By early summer there may be fruit. Treat it as a neighborhood planting, not a harvest. Leave enough for everyone.

The Juana Briones sign

Near the park's northeast corner, behind the train play structure, stands an interpretive sign titled "Juana Briones." Its subtitle reads "This is her park." The sign gives a short biography:

• Juana Briones de Miranda was born around 1802 and married a soldier from the San Francisco Presidio at about 18.
• She later separated from her husband, raised her children and built a business as a trader, healer and property owner.
• In 1844, at about 42, she bought the 4,436-acre Rancho La Purísima Concepción for $300.
• After statehood she kept her land when many Californio owners lost theirs. The sign notes that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in her favor on a San Francisco property after twelve years.

The sign also notes that her property line ran along Matadero Creek toward Bol Park and on through today's Gunn High School and Alta Mesa cemetery, so the park sits close to the edge of her old holdings. One detail has dated: the sign calls her house the oldest surviving structure in Palo Alto. That house, on Old Adobe Road, was taken down in June 2011 after a long legal fight. Our page on Juana Briones tells the full story. Our guide to the Spanish and Mexican era explains the ranchos.

The Barron Park fair

The park is the home of the Barron Park Association's Celebration and Craft Fair, a small fall gathering with local makers and neighbors. The 2026 fair is set for Sunday, November 15, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. It is a good time to see the park full of people. On an ordinary weekday morning it is quiet, with a few parents at the playground and dog walkers on the paths.

Dogs are welcome on a leash, as in every city park. The nearest fenced runs are at Mitchell and Hoover parks. See our dog parks guide.

Tips for a visit

Parking is on the residential streets around the park. Weekday afternoons bring a wave of students and parents once school lets out, so the playground is calmest in the morning. The city lists drinking fountains, though a bottle of your own helps on hot summer days. A blanket under the big trees makes a good base for a picnic. The open lawn has room for a game of catch when the field is not in use.

Families with small children should note that the city's page lists no restroom. Larger city parks such as Mitchell and Greer list restrooms. If you plan to stay a few hours, Greer or Mitchell may suit you better.

Hours and rules

Posted hours on the city's page are sunrise to sunset. The municipal code sets a 10:30 p.m. closing for city parks. There are no sports lights, so plan on daylight visits. Standard rules apply: dogs on leash, no drones and no feeding wildlife. The city posts closures and notices on its Briones Park page.

Schools nearby

Few parks in Palo Alto have as many schools within a short walk or ride:

• Juana Briones Elementary, 4100 Orme Street, shares the namesake and sits a few blocks away.
• Ellen Fletcher Middle School and Terman Park, 655 Arastradero Road, are just across Arastradero.
• Gunn High School is farther west at 780 Arastradero Road.

That means school commute traffic on Arastradero Road at drop-off and pickup times, with many students on bikes. If you drive, go slowly and watch for riders. If you can, come by bike yourself.

How it fits with nearby parks

Juana Briones Park is one stop in a chain of green space across the southwest of the city:

1. Bol Park and its car-free path run north through Barron Park. The path ends at Arastradero Road near Gunn. See our Bol Park guide.
2. Terman Park has the sports: fields and tennis courts beside Fletcher.
3. Pearson-Arastradero Preserve starts a short ride west up Arastradero Road, with oak woodland and grassland trails.

A good loop for a family on bikes: start at Juana Briones for the playground, ride the Bol Park path north to the donkey pasture, then return along the neighborhood streets. Our Barron Park walking tour ends at this park and covers the stops in between. For coffee or lunch afterward, the cafes on El Camino Real are a few minutes' ride east.

Frequently asked questions