Mexican Heritage Plaza

Cultural center · Mayfair North

Mexican Heritage Plaza

Cultural center · Mayfair North
1700 Alum Rock Ave, San Jose, CA 95116

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Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null
Mexican Heritage Plaza by null

Highlights

Cultural center with events, spacious venue, and beautiful patio  

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1700 Alum Rock Ave, San Jose, CA 95116 Get directions

schoolofartsandculture.org
@schoolatmhp

$

Information

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1700 Alum Rock Ave, San Jose, CA 95116 Get directions

+1 408 794 6240
schoolofartsandculture.org
@schoolatmhp

$

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Last updated

Aug 13, 2025

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Tobias McLeod

Google
I love this place! Enruchment lasses for kids are a great price! Another review from your local real estate professional. CADRE#02210723

Umesh M.V

Google
This is a perfect place for functions of about 400-500 people. They have got a pretty good stage and arrangements for functions like drama and all. The lighting arrangements and the curtain arrangements are really amazing. The stage will be big enough for the performance of a big team. They have green rooms toilets and all at the back of stage. The operators of the sound and lights will be sitting on the opposite side of stage and you can interact with them through microphone. So that the director can manage everything by encouraging their team beside the stage. Seating arrangements also impressive. It can easily accommodate around 500 people. The only problem i felt was the chairs are not comfortable to sit for long time. They have a lobby in front of the hall where you can easily arrange a buffet. It has enough parking space also.

Monse Campos

Google
It is and amazing place, nice, big, cozy. Full of tradition, beautiful patio. Love all the events there😍

Kellyanne

Google
We just had our wedding here in November and our guests were so happy. Its beautifully maintained and very clean. We essentially had free liberty in who we chose for all of our vendors and that was a huge aspect in having a cultural wedding. We have been contact with Millie Del Carmen over the last year and she has been so accommodating and helpful. We were able to have access the day before the event to set up as well as the day after to store some of our belongings. This made the cleanup/setup process so much easier. As a city building, this is quite affordable for events and includes chairs, tables, kitchen access etc. If you're serving alcohol, you do need to pay for the San Jose Police to be present. They won't bother you so as long as your guests are not causing damage to the property or other people. The only downside is they only accept personal checks for payment. One side occurrence that we were not aware of initially was that a side area of the building was rented to another group the night of our wedding. Our vendors had to let us know that some people who we did not know were trying to obtain drinks/food/or be near some of our favors or wedding gift box. If we had known this, we could have let the vendors know or changed the location of some of our belongings. All in all, I definitely recommend the MHP for larger scale events, especially since your also supporting the local San Jose community.

Ahmed Banafa

Google
Excellent place alot of space , clean and good service

Michael Shaw

Google
Excellent experience, culturally competent and amazingly enjoyable. Highly recommend

Luckychances

Google
My partner enjoyed " Fiesta Navidad" n Event at St.John on Hyland. Next year going on Farmworkers Caravans.

Conner Treuhaft

Google
We used the Mexican Heritage Plaza as our wedding venue and everything about it was amazing! Huge shoutout to our events specialist Millie Del Carmen who made the entire process so smooth and easy. She helped us every step of the way and kept us organized throughout the whole journey. The venue itself was beautiful for our special day and an awesome space to hold the ceremony and reception all in one place to make it easy for our guests. We had close to 200 people and we had more than enough room!
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Christina T.

Yelp
Mexican Heritage Plaza I often come here for volunteer workings, classes such as priorly been here for the Fatherhoods Conference which had came here at the time with my boyfriend my children's dad, and of other times coming here with my close friends as we travel here together that had been held here on site. Shows that I have attended here at this location as well. Plaza is easy to located on roadways as I have priorly came here traveling by foot and using my own personal transporation of getting to and from site plaza locations. All in office staff interactions, on site security guard staffing, backstage stagings, and volunteer staff had been primarily communicated in English only. I am a mother of 3 children ages 5,4,3 years old which I have never before or now given up any type of parental rights to any of my children. I enjoy coming here to the Mexican Heritage Plaza as restrooms on site are open and clean, as private conference rooms are available for meeting usages which have boards, tables chairs, and cabinets if needed usages of type of meeting you need held. All prior shows that I have attended have been of online purchase ticket of self "paid" for only.I come here sometimes not attending any shows but to walk the garden around for my therapy sessions sometimes. I Christina have not made any site recommendations of anyone, but on any other occasions I am traveling here just of myself only. As for being in areas of San Jose if traveling out into town of local stores restaurants or any other parts of parks or plaza centers to any in store customer services representatives that I am primarily communicative in English only among others of community areas of surroundings. I am mainly direct in my communications at all times only. -Christina (updated on 6/12/2025)
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Kay O.

Yelp
I've seen two plays well events, at the Mexican heritage theater maybe four years ago I saw San Jose Taiko play for their 50th year anniversary! No acoustic sound needed in that great auditorium especially with Japanese Taiko ("drum" in Japanese) involved! For that show, we were actually sitting in the front middle row, and it really felt as if during the swing performance they were going to swing into our laps! A couple of the numbers I actually jumped back in my seat it seemed like they got too close! But amazing performance by San Jose Taiko!! This particular evening, I saw a friend performing in "shaking the mess out of misery! "They had great acoustics in this particular performance, but not too much singing in the actual show itself so more of a play and a great story for young women to see how things were different from the 1940s or 50s until now! I love how this particular play had the proper lingo and accents of the era and that southern hospitality sound!! I had to look up a couple of the words, but the play, and the overall meaning itself was great!! As we left at the performance, and actually started raining and they're beautiful open area outside/the front of the Mexican heritage. Plaza glistened and gleamed with lights! It looked very pretty and I really enjoyed the theater! Hee
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Michelle V.

Yelp
This is a very nice venue. They host many events as well as rent it out for weddings & special events. I attended Viva Casa Azul on 7.12.24. Again, the venue itself is beautiful. The company that pit it on (not sure of the name) was poorly organized. They had VIP tix at $135 for early access...they opened close to 6pm. The lines for food were crazy long and you got an appetizer size plate. There were no tables & chairs to sit. But, this was really the organizers & nit the venue. I made the best of it.
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Nohemy C.

Yelp
This review is mostly for the theatre productions held here and produced by Teatro Vision. I have seen 3 plays/musical performances here and have always left wanting more. I wish more cities in CA had more of this! You get to see community member involvement and top notch productions in culturally relevant and empowering messages. In addition, they have several programs that promote art and culture to youth. In an area that is often tagged up by gangs, this is a beaming light in a community that deserves it all. MHP also rents rooms that look like classrooms. They offer free parking and it is well organized should you need a meeting space. Once covid is over, check out a play and their large festivals!
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Monica S.

Yelp
The San Jose Metropolitan Band celebrated their 50th anniversary at this venue by giving a latin-themed concert called La Fiesta in the theatre which was the perfect size for this event. The theatre has great acoustics and seats 500 according to the website, but I only counted around high 300s. As other reviewers have mentioned, there isn't enough parking in the lot. In which case, there should be clearly marked signs to indicate where other parking can be had. I heard there was a lot on King, but that was after I found street parking not too far away. On MHP's website, they should indicate nearby lots where people can at least plan ahead on where to park.
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Maleah M.

Yelp
So the "Mexican Heritage Plaza" is what I have always known this place as growing up. I was invited for an invite to "School of Culture and Arts" and when I arrived, found that it was the same place, renamed! From the outside, it doesn't look like much, but once you step inside, it really is a great venue that easily transforms into a magical garden oasis. I can definitely see weddings and other private events happening here. Oh and its a plus that the bathrooms are easily accessible and the parking is plenty here! I was attending an event hosted by Content Magazine and I was really impressed with the place. It's cool to realize that San Jose has this little space you didn't expect to be awesome. There are different areas such as the actual building where classes take place, another building that could be used for a reception, theres an open space in the middle of it all that can be used as a stage/big area for dancing, etc. The area I had the pleasure of being a part of was the garden area with the fountain and it was beautifully decorated with lights to set the mood. It's definitely a place I will look to in the future if I have any events to hold.
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Melanie B.

Yelp
Mexican Heritage Plaza is a popular venue for weddings! But my review goes out to their main stage as I've participated in one production at this location and have watched 2. The stage is deep, making it easy for many performers to be on stage at one time. The "behind the scenes" area has ample dressing rooms and enough space to fit a cast of close to 200. The only issue I might have with MHP is there is never enough parking! For cast members and audience members. Performances will be going on at the same time the banquet room is being rented out for a party. So good luck!
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Priscilla J.

Yelp
The Mexican Heritage Plaza is such a great location for our non-profit's events. They have a variety of room sizes, which makes it very convenient for us as we have different requirements depending on the program. There's plenty of free parking, which is so important for attendees at any event. Thank you to the MHP staff for helping to make our programs such positive experiences.

V G.

Yelp
Very nice theater. Seating is good. The place is neat and the plants and trees within the plaza are beautiful.
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Danreb V.

Yelp
I've lived in the Alum Rock area since 1993, so I've pretty much overseen the evolution of what is now the Mexican Heritage Plaza. Construction began when I was in 2nd grade, and the venue was finished when I reached about 4th grade. Why am I talking about grade school? Because the venue was right behind it. During the mixing periods, my teacher Mr. Lynn would take us to the Plaza's Computer Labs, and teach us some very basic computer skills. He was more of a Mac user, so he didn't know about Windows 95 (which was the killer app at the time). But let's fast-forward to 2008. Never did I know that the place was much more than a computer lab. It had a nice garden, some wonderful Mexican-American murals, and best of all--an incredible theatrical space. My Fil-Am group, Akbayan, used this the theatre for its annual Pilipino Cultural Night this year and last year, and now I imagine it being a mainstay with Akbayan for quite a while. With a huge stage, an impressive repertoire of more than 500 seats, and professional lighting, curtains, and other stage equipment, the Mexican Heritage Plaza remains a grand venue, and it's definitely a diamond in the rough when you compare the interior to the greater area around the Plaza. Whether you're Mexican or not, this is a place worth taking a child to. I only wish San Jose had something like this for Filipinos.
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Vanessa C.

Yelp
I go here whenever Akbayann holds their Pilipino Cultural Night (PCN here. I definitely recommend bringing a sweater or cardigan when you watch a show. Even though it's hot outside, the air conditioning, depending on where you are sitting can make you cold and uncomfortable. I give this place a 3 because of the location. There is a crosswalk that definitely needs a stoplight. This street has been notorious for pedestrian accidents. Pedestrians have the right of way ALWAYS, especially at a crosswalk. My big brother was crossing the street and a car sped up and hit him making him fly more than 3 yards. I think the city needs to do something about this crosswalk. Drivers are always honking at people for crossing the street. ITS A CROSSWALK!
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Sunil R.

Yelp
This is a nice little auditorium. We went there to watch a world dance event which was great and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The area is a little iffy but this place is great.
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Steve N.

Yelp
The facility has limited parking and is not well run. I attended a school activity with over 500 parents and a few hundred students. The theater filled up and they put a lot of parents in a side room with a badly setup camera and projector.
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Shirley N.

Yelp
We were invited to attend a preview of Antique Roadshow filmed in Santa Clara and to be telecast on KQED next week. Forewarned that there's limited premise parking, we arrived around 6pm for the event which began at 6:30pm. It was still daylight so no problem. At the conclusion of the event at 9pm, we followed people out to the lot. Oops, wrong lot. Apparently there's a major lot and a smaller lot. Lesson here - look around while it's still daylight to avoid mistakes. As for the venue, we were led upstairs to the second floor for a reception. There's an outdoor patio overlooking the plaza. Later we were led into the theater from the second floor. Nice comfy seats. We viewed the show and later Q&A session with the producer of Antique Roadshow. At the conclusion of the event, we exited from ground level back to our car. Easy access back to Hwy 101.
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Lynda L.

Yelp
We love working with MHP for our Building Peaceful Families events. We recently hosted our Phenomenal Women Awards Luncheon at their facility and the onsite gentleman who helped us get the event ready was AWESOME! Highly recommend!
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Teresa E.

Yelp
I love this location for my events. It is in the area I need to be in. Always so helpful and gets us the things we need to have a very successful event. They have different rooms for different group sizes and the staff I have worked with have been outstanding. Thank you
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Cristal C.

Yelp
Whether it's a wedding or a Quince then you know you have experienced the awesomeness of the Mexican Heritage Plaza. Most recently, I went for a beer festival event which was really cool. I love the versatility of the venue. It can transform from a community event to attend wedding with the help of the events coordinator. The scenery itself is really pretty too.This is definitely a staple in the ESSJ community that displays beautiful influences of the Mexican-American culture.
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petra g.

Yelp
Dont tell, I have been steppin out on Santa Cruz. If I keep it on the DL and only do it sometimes she wont need to find out. MHP From the moment you step through the beautiful art they call a gate, to the swishing of the grasses in the plaza, and the bumpin venue....aye que rico! Shows from Ozomatli to upcoming stuff like dancers from India and important social events...gotta chek it!
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Gina L.

Yelp
My daughter attended classes here for many years.The teachers are great and the prices are very reasonable.
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Erica C.

Yelp
This was my first time at the Mexican heritage plaza for a play. Love that they have a big parking lot. The inside courtyard area is very big and beautiful! As we entered the theatre they had booth set up in the lobby selling stuff which was really neat. I can't wait to come back here for other events (hopefully outside so I can enjoy the environment more). We sat in the first row on the left side(if looking at the stage) of the theatre. Great view of everything! But unfortunately the seating/stairs was very bad designed and the middle of the stair did not line up with the row walkway. I ended up falling while trying to exit the row, I luckily didn't hurt myself badly but I did end up with many big bruises on my backside and legs. Be careful and watch your step as someone could get hurt worse than I did.
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Jenny B.

Yelp
This would be a perfect wedding venue for the couple who wants and indoor wedding, but would like to see a little bit of the outdoors. However when I say outdoors, I mean views of a few little gardens and the rest of the Mexican Heritage Plaza. While the reception area I was interested in looks like a big glass box, they do have other large options onsite. The glass box seems too small to accomodate a larger wedding but perfect for a more intimate affair. The floor is very decent and you are allowed to have a cocktail hour inside the lobby of the movie theatre there - for an additional charge. So while this place isn't for me, I do agree with Hello T how the outdoor area is pretty nice and has water-filled mosaics for some pretty unique photos. It seems a little overpriced for what you get but since they're a true non-profit, it's going to a great cause.
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Mara C.

Yelp
I held an event here in Fall 2010, it's a lovely, private venue and very conveniently located. Due to the change in management, we found it a bit difficult in the beginning to figure out policies, etc. but Melina was extremely helpful and it wasn't long before we had everything squared away. I recommend visiting the facility and speaking with Melina in person, to ensure you're on the same page. Melina is very friendly, can help answer questions, and if not- will direct you to the right person. I highly recommend this facility, it's definitely a "home away from home" and/or "urban oasis" feel - our guests were very complimentary. The pricing seems reasonable. Thanks Melina and MHP!

David C.

Yelp
To begin with, my wedding was great, the venue looked great and was beautiful , we had a splendid time there, but this isn't to be credited to the staff working at the Plaza. The staff is extremely unreliable, they never answer their phones, they don't make time to answer your questions, and they don't tell you every detail you need to know upfront at the beginning of contract. I'm extremely dissapointed in the ettiquette the staff chooses to operate upon. They talk back, they don't work with you, they charge you for the smallest of details, and don't notify you on any "changes" to your contract. Before even considering getting this venue for your wedding ceremony/reception, if I had to do the wedding again I wouldn't do it here. Multiple times I called their office to confirm details about the contract over and over again, and everytime They would change the contract details. When you notify them of such things , it's just as if all of them know and back each other up and say "no you didn't I was right here when you spoke to....." Remember this , they work for YOU not you for THEM. You would think you being the customer renting out the space they would do everything to make sure you are a satisfied customer but they don't Again the venue looked beautiful but thats thanks to the other vendors not any support from the staff. I know they'll probably deny their responsability because that seems to be their custom. I just know that as a bride/groom you need all the support you can get, these people should be your last resort.
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LoveMeTender t.

Yelp
Was here saturday for a beautiful wedding.It has plenty of parking,The landscape and ponds are clean and very pretty. Restrooms were BIG and clean. and plenty of room for reception.I AM A FAN :)
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C B.

Yelp
My daughter dance here with Los Lupenos, a Mexican folk dancing group. And my son dances with Spidey, hip-hop/break dancing. It's a bit of a drive from my place, only because classes are around traffic time, so it takes about 30 minutes to get there in lame traffic. But my kids enjoy it and in the end that's all that matters. My daughter danced for another group before, and felt completely lost (she looked very lost during the shows) Maestro Rudy is great with the kids. He teaches them about sounds and rhythms and where the dance originated from before he even teaches the dance. He gives the children drum sticks and they bang the sound they're shoes should make during that particular dance on the floor. He makes the classes fun and educational, and the kids always laugh at his jokes :) My son dances with teacher Spidey, and he thinks he's the coolest. He also likes that Spideys friends go to class sometimes and show them different breakdancing moves. Spidey works well with the kids and they all seem to have a great time. He also makes his classes educational by discussing the different sounds, instruments, beats, and rhythms. My son can't wait for the next session to begin! The classes here are affordable and the kids get to have a recital at the end of each session in the theatre.
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Jerry Y.

Yelp
This venue is awesome to work with. It's very spacious with a great loading area and company power conveniently located right next to the stage. Lots of seating and great access all around the theater. The booth is nice and tidy with updated equipment. Rob, the TD, does a great job to keep this place pristine. Would love to work with again.
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Denise B.

Yelp
A very nice historic area chock-full of interesting Latino culture in East San Jose. If you are interested in Mexican-American culture, this is a place you must visit while in San Jose. They also have a lot of cultural events, such as an annual mariachi festival. The outdoor area is absolutely stunning, with greenery and water-filled mosaics around every corner. The inside is full of preserved artifacts and educational materials. The staff I've dealt with have always been enthusiastic and even managed to herd around a group of 30 or so unruly 1st and 2nd graders on a tour of the place. Well done!
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Lalu B.

Yelp
I was amazed at the design of this place. Fairly non-descript from the outside, but you walk in and wham! there's an enormous open plaza in the center! Very nice theater and beautiful furniture and antiques displayed inside. There's a side parking lot which is attended by a security guard.
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Wil G.

Yelp
I was here for dance event, Parking was difficult, the place inside was clean, not too much to say about this square shaped building wiith a very large coutyard in the middle. sorry for the short review.. just when you come here for an event, the parking is free but come early!!
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Eva B.

Yelp
Great place for Latino cultural events. Watch their calendar. Many worthy cultural gems make MHP their Bay Area stop.

Rocio C.

Yelp
I am planning a wedding and I have been trying to get in contact with someone over 2 weeks already!! I tried emailing them but the email they have on their website in incorrect so I called and left 2 voicemails, and then I called 2 other times and they said I would get a call back from Arturo and never did! I figured if they don't have time to return my call then they don't deserve my business. VERY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE!