It would take a great many visits to explore San Jose’s History Park in Northern California. Managed by History San Jose—a regional museum—the 14-acre park is actually a re-created town covering the historical period from the 1880s to the 1930s.
History Park includes more than 30 landmark buildings, both original and reconstructed, plus countless artifacts from the city of San Jose. Parking costs $6, but the park itself is free.
Unfortunately, due to a shortage of volunteers, History Park buildings are not open on a regular basis. This makes visiting the park an adventure, because it is a mystery as to which buildings will be open on any particular weekend. The website does not say.
However, one building that is always open on the weekends is the Trolley Barn.
The Trolley Barn
The Trolley Barn at History Park was built in 1984 for the purpose of housing and restoring old trolleys.
Trolleys, also known as streetcars, travel on steel rails and are powered by electricity drawn from an overhead wire. The streetcars have a trolley pole that connects the overhead wire to the trolley and its onboard electric motor. Trolleys were operated by two people: a conductor at the back and a motorman piloting the front.
Streetcars used to be the main means of public transportation in San Jose. According to the History Park website, nearly 130 miles of track traversed Santa Clara Valley between the years 1880 and 1938. However, by the 1940s, most streetcars had been sold for scrap metal, repurposed for housing, or junked. This included the trolleys of Santa Clara Valley.
In 1982, a nonprofit organization called the California Trolley and Railroad Corporation (CTRC) began a project to restore some of these historic streetcars. It partnered with San Jose’s History Park to build the Trolley Barn. The streetcars currently operating in downtown San Jose were restored at the barn.
During one visit I made to the Trolley Barn, docent Bob Schneider said Trolley No. 7 was built “virtually from scratch.”
The original Trolley No. 7 was a horse-drawn streetcar that was built in 1863 to work in San Francisco. It served in various capacities for 25 years, finally ending up on display at the Hyde Street Pier. In the early 1990s, its remains were purchased by the CTRC and transferred to the Trolley Barn.
To reconstruct it, volunteers referenced original photos of Trolley No. 7 and created designs from there. Schneider said the work crew had to build a pipe frame for the trolley to figure out its dimensions—how deep it was, how long, and how tall it should be.
“It was quite a challenge,” he said.
They even had to source an undercarriage all the way from Melbourne, Australia, which still operates streetcars (known there as trams) to this day.
Schneider has been volunteering and helping to rebuild trolleys since the late 1990s. He’s done a bit of everything, including making components like exterior brass handles.
The Trolley Barn is used to house and restore vintage streetcars. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)
Trolley No. 7 used to run as a horse-drawn streetcar in San Francisco. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)
He spoke about how he and other builders made molds for brass parts using a technique called sand casting pattern making. In one of the last steps, molten metal is poured into a mold in the sand.
“At the end,” Schneider said, “you’ve got yourself a nice part. It’s all rough—you file it, sand it, polish it. It’s a very slow process, but that’s how those parts were made, and they are beautiful parts.”
Docent Bob Schneider places his hand on a reconstructed brass handle. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)
A Ride on Trolley Car No. 143
Birney Safety Car No. 68—later renamed Car No. 143—was originally manufactured in 1922 in St. Louis. Owned by the Southern Pacific Railroad, it was sent to work in Fresno, California. Unlike most trolleys, which required two people to safely run them, the smaller Birney Safety Car required only one conductor.
Trolley No. 68 ran until 1938 and was then decommissioned. It was stripped of its undercarriage, wheels, and components and left abandoned in a field. In the 1980s, the trolley was rescued and sent to the Trolley Barn.
Over a period of four years and with the investment of 25,000 volunteer hours, the trolley was rebuilt. Nearly all the wood had to be replaced. When the trolley was complete, it was renamed Car No. 143. It has been taking visitors on rides inside History Park since 1998.
Trolley Car No. 143 was rebuilt after lying abandoned in a field. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)
During one Saturday visit, I took a ride on Trolley No. 143. Knowing this would be a short ride, I paid close attention to the experience. The car gently swayed as it ran, wheels singing as they navigated the steel rails. The conductor operated levers and occasionally sounded the horn. Throughout, a refreshing breeze blew through the open windows.
Instead of turning the car around at the end of the line, the conductor ran it backward. There are controls at both ends of the car just for this purpose.
Before returning, we passengers had a chance to pull up on the steel handle at the top of our rattan bench. This allowed us to flip the bench up and over so that it faced the opposite end of the car. Now we were in position to face forward as the car ran back over the tracks the way it had come.
The conductor introduces Trolley Car No. 143 to visitors at History Park, San Jose. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)
Before or after riding the trolley, visitors should take the time to visit the Trolley Barn and speak with one of the docents. They can tell you about the history of streetcars in San Jose or the intricacies of rebuilding a trolley.
There are other things to see in the barn as well, such as vintage electric automobiles and a historic train engine. The Trolley Barn alone makes a visit to History Park worthwhile.
When to Visit History Park
Event Days
Event days are perhaps the best days to visit History Park. For example, on Sept. 14, the Santa Clara chapter of the Model T Ford Club of America hosted its annual “Cars in the Park” event at San Jose’s History Park. Classic cars up until 1949 were on display, along with fire equipment, a working blacksmith, music, crafts, and more. It was a great day to learn about historic cars by talking to their current owners.
The September 2024 “Cars in the Park” event at History Park, San Jose. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)
From the driver’s seat, a view of the reconstructed Pacific Hotel at History Park. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)
Weekends
Free rides on the park trolleys are offered on weekends between 12 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. Some historic buildings and affiliated museums are open during this time, until 4 p.m.
Weekdays
A docent-led tour of the grounds of History Park is offered on Wednesdays and Fridays at 1 p.m. Tickets for the 1 1/2-hour tour cost from $8 to $10. Speaking from experience, this is an interesting and informative tour, though none of the buildings are open during the week. Bring a sun hat or umbrella, as there is no shade.
Location
History Park is located south of Kelley Park at 635 Phelan Avenue, San Jose, California.
For more information, call (408) 287-2290 or see its website at historysanjose.org.
