Discover Martinez

When choosing a hotel in Martinez, you can focus on different themes: John Muir’s home and the National Historic Site, the landscape of Mount Wanda, or the city’s historic and maritime sites. The following stops offer concrete ideas for planning your stay around your interests.

John Muir, Mount Wanda, and Trails

The visitor center at John Muir National Historic Site provides access to the park’s main grounds and shows a short film about John Muir. The Strentzel/Muir House is a Victorian Italianate mansion built in 1882. It was Muir’s home for the last 24 years of his life. The building brings together its architectural history and Muir’s biography.

John Muir National Historic Site offers seasonal programs, including campfire talks and guided hikes on Mount Wanda. Since the programs are seasonal, check which activities are available during your travel dates. Mount Wanda covers 326 acres of oak woodlands and grassland. The area is open daily from sunrise to sunset; trail conditions may change.

The Hulet Hornbeck Trail provides another connection between the sites: it links the Ted and Kathy Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline with the home at John Muir National Historic Site. This makes it possible to plan around different priorities: the historic home and the site’s seasonal programs on the one hand, and the landscape and trails at Mount Wanda on the other.

Architecture and History

The Martinez Adobe was built around 1849 by Don Vincente Martinez from adobe bricks and is part of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. For safety reasons, the building is currently closed to the public; visitors can view it from the outside. Since its reopening status may change, check the latest information before visiting.

The Martinez City Library was designed in 1941 by architect E. Geoffrey Bangs. The building is in the Art Deco, or Classic Moderne, style and was deemed locally significant under Criterion C for architecture. The Borland House, dating from the 1890s, has a different historical association: the Martinez Historical Society and the city acquired it as a repository for local papers, documents, photographs, and artifacts.

The Alhambra Pioneer Cemetery is the final resting place of Captain Joseph Rutherford Walker. To enter, you must first pick up a key from the Martinez Police Department. Confirm before your visit whether this procedure is still in effect. Access arrangements are another practical difference among the historic sites.

The Site of the Murder of Dr. John Marsh commemorates a specific event: on September 24, 1856, Dr. John Marsh was murdered by ruffians on his way home from Martinez. Together with the buildings and cemetery, this site offers a glimpse into different aspects of local history.

Water, the Marina, and Martinez

The Martinez Municipal Fishing Pier was renovated in 2025 and reopened at the end of the year. The city describes it as a scenic spot for fishing and recreation by the water. The Martinez Marina has 332 berths, a park, a fishing pier, open spaces, and maritime businesses. For more than 40 years, it has supported boaters and anglers. By comparison, the pier is highlighted mainly for fishing and recreation, while the marina brings together several maritime facilities and uses.

The city’s history also tells another part of its local identity: Martinez calls itself the birthplace and home of the world-famous martini. This local claim complements the historic buildings and waterside sites with a story about the city’s culture.

Discover more destinations: Pacheco, Pleasant Hill, Lafayette, Richmond, Bethel Island, Danville, El Cerrito, Antioch

For the regional travel overview: Contra Costa.