Libby's Water Tower

Historical landmark · Sunnyvale

Libby's Water Tower

Historical landmark · Sunnyvale

1

490 W California Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Photos

Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by Don DeBold/CC BY 2.0
Libby's Water Tower by Sorrel (Atlas Obscura User)
Libby's Water Tower by rancoratemybaby
Libby's Water Tower by Sorrel (Atlas Obscura User)
Libby's Water Tower by ejtttje (Atlas Obscura User)
Libby's Water Tower by mslava014 (Atlas Obscura User)
Libby's Water Tower by rancoratemybaby
Libby's Water Tower by LPS.1/Public Domain
Libby's Water Tower by rancoratemybaby
Libby's Water Tower by ejtttje (Atlas Obscura User)
Libby's Water Tower by James Ricci (Atlas Obscura User)
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null
Libby's Water Tower by null

Highlights

Nestled in a business park, this whimsical water tower stands as a sweet tribute to Sunnyvale's canning past, surrounded by lush greenery and modern office charm.  

Placeholder
Placeholder

490 W California Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 Get directions

atlasobscura.com

Information

Static Map

490 W California Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 Get directions

atlasobscura.com

Features

wheelchair accessible parking lot
wheelchair accessible entrance

Last updated

Jul 3, 2025

Powered By

You might also like

Terms of Use • Privacy Policy • Cookie Policy
 © 2025 Postcard Technologies, Inc.
@atlasobscura

"In 1906, Libby, McNeil, & Libby, a Chicago-based meat-packing company, opened its first fruit-packing factory in Sunnyvale, California, shortly after the city’s incorporation. With bountiful peach, cherry, and apricot orchards nearby, as well as immediate access to the railroad, Libby’s boomed, quickly becoming the largest employer in Sunnyvale and, by 1922, the largest cannery in the world. The factory closed in 1985 and the property was razed and turned into an office park, sparing only the water tower. During the facility’s heyday, the water tower was the primary source of water for the old cannery and had been painted to resemble a can of Libby’s fruit cocktail, updated every so often to reflect the changes in Libby’s labeling. The can is approximately 25 feet tall and 15 feet across. It stands about 150 feet in the air and is visible from several areas of the city. However when the factory was torn down, the tower was painted over, removing the distinctive Libby’s label. Incensed, the residents of Sunnyvale protested the change, and the top of the tower was repainted to look like the first Libby’s fruit cocktail label from the early 1900s. Today, the tower still stands in the midst of a generic office park, identifying the former site of the factory that once employed nearly the entire city." - ATLAS_OBSCURA

10 Massively Inedible Roadside Attractions
View Postcard for Libby's Water Tower

Tom McMahon

Google
Now in a courtyard of an office campus that replaced the factory, the water tower has a walk way and benches around it. Going both the week and the weekend was not busy and was come and relaxing thanks to some neighboring birds as well.

J Dennis

Google
Went there because of the history of the old cannery there. Good thing they left the old water tower. Kinda surreal to see tech firms surrounding low tech cannery water tower celebrating 'fancy fruits.'. Worth the visit to take in the history and the reminder that the valley here was not always about tech.

Pavan Sharma

Google
Calm place to spend time. While the tank is not visible from the road, it is right adjacent to the Fire station. Caution: at times you would see dogs without leash.

Ivan Antonov

Google
It's a nice landmark. Kinda cute consider modern offices around.

Nikhil

Google
It has lot of history to it. The tower is a sugary-sweet reminder of Libby’s, which in the early 1920s was the city’s largest employer in Sunnyvale. This iconic 150,000-gallon water tower has been selected as one of the top 12 finalists for the 2017 Tank of the Year competition sponsored by Tnemec Company. It's great work from the city to keep this historic heritage intact and painting it like Libby’s fruit cocktail can from 1930s. Definitely grab a picture and hang around if you're close-by. It's proudly located inside corporate campus of Walmart & Ratheon. Good location for meet-ups, walks as there are trails built around.

Shinika Lattin

Google
Great place to walk and have a picnic

JH nosee (Jhnosee)

Google
Interesting place, worth to go!

Gavin Sparby

Google
This drink can a fruit/water tower it's on Atlas obscura. Which is why I took a detour to find this. Super cool if we're into giant fake things of other things. Disclaimer there is no giant fruit inside.

Annabelle R.

Yelp
This giant fruit cocktail can is certainly unique, and a little weird to have in the middle of a business park. But hey, that's what replaced the former site of the factory that was once the world's largest cannery... can't change history. There are lovely trees and vegetation and some grass surrounding the water tower, as well as several benches and picnic tables around the border of the monument and along random pathways between the office buildings. Google maps leads you to a small parking lot right in from of Libby's Water Tower, but there are several larger parking lots around the entire business park. Signs say the parking is restricted, but the lots are so large and so empty, with just a handful of cars altogether (at least after 7pm on a weekday), that I don't think it's a problem to park here. Besides, it only takes like 10 minutes to check the place out (too quick to get towed), and if you choose to have lunch here, probably an hour at most. There's also free unrestricted parking on California Ave. I went for a run in the area, taking laps around the business park, and found a good number of couples, individuals, and families taking laps as well... jogging, skating, going for a stroll, walking their dogs, some just making use of the wide open space in the lots. I saw families with the parents on skates and skateboards and their kids on little toddler bikes (even though there's a sign that says skateboarding is prohibited)... So apparently, this business park is really used as a "park"!!?! Though there's nothing too fancy or exciting about this historical landmark, the area is clean and inviting and not run down. It's peaceful and not crowded. It's certainly something out of the ordinary to see and learn about. Most of all, it made me hungry for sliced peaches! :D

Henry M.

Yelp
Sing it with me!! This is Libby's, Libby's, Libby's I the label, label, label you will like it, like it, like it on the Tower,Tower,Tower! The original tower supplied water to the Cannery, it was replaced in 1965 by this present structure. Around the structure are benches and a couple tables as well as a lawn to sit on and have a picnic there is also beautiful "and I mean beautiful" landscaping all around it. Wifey and I visited on a Saturday and it was so peaceful here as there was nobody else around.