Old Courthouse Square

My first marathon was the Santa Rosa marathon, and this was the perfect spot for it! Did it last August and I'm really proud about the fact that I was able to complete it. I strongly recommend other people run it; it's a very forgiving course and this square is definitely so nice!

Old Courthouse Square is the main public park in Santa Rosa, it's also where the start and finish of the Santa Rosa Marathon takes place. The event organizers do a fantastic job with this marathon. There is live music and lots of vendors in the square before and after the race. Santa Rosa, in general, is a fun little vineyard town!

November 1st, 2023. Old courthouse square in Santa Rosa, CA there was the community coming together for Day of the Dead. Day of the Dead is an ancient tradition that dates back to the Aztecs, the 14th century to be exact. Being Aztec is our Mexican peoples ancestral and native roots. It is two days filled of us celebrating our loved ones and remembering the beautiful life they once had. It also believed to that this day the border between the spirit world and the real world dissolves. It is filled with loved ones favorite foods, drinks, and toys. There are candles and gorgeous portraits of each and every deceased soul. It is the two days that the souls of the dead awaken and dance with us. Old courthouse square is the perfect location to have a special celebration such as this. Since it is a public place there are trash cans all around as well as plenty of benches to sit other than the chairs they put out. They installed a couple of porter potty’s for folks to use the restroom. This downtown area is beautiful at night as there is great lighting not only from the lamps, but from the main statue. Great place to have community gatherings. —————————————————————————— Every Tuesday the Santa Rosa bike community gather in downtown Santa Rosa at Old Courthouse Square. Unless it’s raining of course. Then they all take a bike ride to Sebastopol road to enjoy some fresh tacos on taco Tuesday. They decorate their bikes for all the people to enjoy the show and personality of what the Santa Rosa community can be about and how fun it can be to ride bikes. They welcome all friends and family to chat, make friends, and watch lit up bikes! When I witnessed this they even passed out free warm cider. To the beautiful community of Sonoma county and visitors abroad I recommend stopping at Old Courthouse Square at 6pm on Tuesdays!

This is a great place to make Giant bubbles. 🫧🧼😊

I was walking by the Old Courthouse Square Plaza when I noticed they were showing a movie there outdoors. It turns out the city has been showing movies and having music events there all summer. What a great idea for the whole family. There were several families there taking advantage of it. This was apparently the last event of the summer. Since its inception, the Plaza has hosted many events. Movie night seems to be very popular and hopefully will return next summer.

Nice small square with lots of community events. Parking garage. Nice shops and places to eat.

On Tuesday night Taco all the bicyclist make this an essential stop. Please decorate your bike and come on down.Meet us around 6:00 to 7:00pm. From there we head on down to Sebastopol road to Mitote and get tacos! Fun fun fun

It's the center of Santa rosa and what makes santa rosa so unique compared to a lot of other cities.

Lovely focal point in downtown Santa Rosa. Many new trees, lawn is in good condition and it is generally clean and pleasant to be in.] Small park type area that seems to make good use of space. Lawn covers part, pavers other parts. Some places to sit and some art work that comes alive in the nightime with a spotlight shining on it. I liked the art piece. It had many words and it was swoopy and fun to look at from different angles. Looked to be made of metal and it ws rust free. Probably made of a good type of material. Lawn space was pleasantly squishy beneath my feet. I'm sure Sweets would have loved it. Too bad you stay at home and I don't trust my aunt to babysit you - so theres that. Maybe next time. Many new trees. They were all Sycamores - I really don't like these trees at all - they tend to dump seeds all over that spread and clog air filters in my car. Then sap drips and gets on the paint and its hard to get off. I much rather have the ginko trees that I saw in front of and across the street from Barnes and Noble. Those are classy trees not junky ones that lift up concrete with heavy root systems and cause excessive damage when old. The only way I like these Sycamore trees is when they are pruned religiously - cut back to the trunk and only 5 or so major branches. I see them like that in proper neighborhods - I'm sure its expensive and takes a lot of commitment to keep them like that. Old historic hotel is on one end. Some parking around the perimeter and in various lots. Parking didn't seem to be an issue and is free after 6pm. I don't understand why people complain about parking in this city so much. The park is for the most part clean. i did notice some cracks in the concrete and some stains here and there but overall it will be up to most people's standards. Great place to take a walk after you hit up Russian river or numerous other nearby eateries.

I went for the Freda Kalho event. It was nice but I wish the city had planted some trees. There was very little shade and it was hot

When they began the process of building this square I was rather excited for it. I figured it would improve the already beautiful downtown Santa Rosa. Boy, was I wrong. This has to be the most boring, lackluster square I've ever seen. The minimal artwork, and lack of trees/greenery makes you wonder how so much money and time was spent on, essentially, a large slab of concrete. This past week I decided to take my lunch to a bench on the square before my movie started. Within seconds I regretted it. The homeless population surrounding me was extremely off putting. People were yelling and a very ill women with a horrible cough was trying to sleep on a bench nearby. It was quite sad really, it's not a happy place to be. The only reason I give them two stars is because I do enjoy the square as an event space. I've been to multiple events here and they've all been well put on and enjoyable. But as a stand-alone square, it's very disappointing.

The Old Courthouse Square has been "revitalized",if by "revitalized" it means that it's become sterile, without character, and is more of a homeless hangout than before. Before the renovation, Old Courthouse Square had its issues. Unfortunately, the fix only exacerbated problems. The beautiful, majestic redwoods are gone, as is the Ruth Ozawa Fountain. Unifying the square could've been a great thing. Instead, it was done without attention to the character of the area. Santa Rosa has suffered through several natural disasters (the 1906 quake hit them worse than San Francisco), but this is, in a sense, a manmade one. It's aggravated pre-existing problems, along with making new ones. To make matters worse, not only have parking fees been hiked, but extended to 8 pm. Back in the day, I enjoyed spending time in Old Courthouse Square, especially at Wednesday Night Markets. Now I avoid it.

I can't believe how much money they spent on this new square. It's so hideous. It was much better before. There's many homeless people sleeping on benches, the grass, and the ground. We could of used the money to help with the homeless problem in Sonoma County. What a shame. California loves to waste money on useless shit. Old Courthouse Square, more like Hobohouse Square

I wasn't fond of the plan initially when the city of Santa Rosa decided to destroy many of the beautiful old trees downtown in order to block off Santa Rosa Avenue and pave a concrete square. However, I understood what they were attempting to do in creating a centralized gathering place, and decided to give it a chance. Our family has been to several events in the "new" Old Courthouse Square and I must say that my initial distaste for the project has had repeated confirmation of just how poor a choice it was turning the downtown area into the current concrete travesty! It's unrelenting sun and heat with no respite is so unpleasant and uncomfortable. People cram together inside the planters of the remaining trees just for a bit of shade. Maybe it will be nice again in 5 to 10 years, when the saplings that were planted mature, but now, it's like torture! Please City of Santa Rosa, consider getting some sun sails or shade tarps or SOMETHING to break up the relentless assault of heat and sun for your next event!!

This is a review for the NEW Courthouse Square. Who got paid off to do this? This is a great contribution to the uglification of santa rosa. How many establishments went out of business during the construction? Does anyone really care? Now there's no direct thoroughfare through the middle of downtown. You have to go down slow side streets instead. Is this an improvement? Over what? It was just fine the way it was, before they chopped down all the trees & removed all the fountains. Now it's just another big, ugly parking lot. Is this city planning? For whom? Now they've even raised the parking fees from $1 per hour to $1.50 downtown, & extended the meters from 6 to 8 pm. It just keeps getting better, doesn't it?

It's well kept and pretty. Nice businesses surround it. It's full of homeless and mentally ill people who yelled at me, at my 2 year old, followed us. I'm not freaked out by it but I think other people, less used to this behavior, could feel very threatened. I'm glad people have a place to rest and hang out but it makes the area uninviting for people, especially those with small kids.

Okay it is a pain not having Santa Rosa have go straight threw anymore. BUT the park itself and the event possibilities here are really great. There is far less of the riff raff hanging around since the up grade. Do I think it was money well spent?......... Doesn't really matter since it's done so we should enjoy it rather than complain about the cost.

it is great to come here at night and during the day sometimes there will be skaters skateboarding and they are really cool to watch!!.

This poor park has no charm, no character sadly the city really missed the mark in a very expensive way. It's hard to believe they did away with two beautiful water features, grassy mounds and nice shady trees and art features for a park that has all the charm of a parking lot. They should rename it hobo square

They have ripped the charming little heart out of Santa Rosa with this concrete heavy abomination. This city has a long history of ugly architectural and urban renewal blunders, from the rape of a freeway that should have been placed farther west, to this latest assault on its diminishing charms. Having grown up in Santa Rosa, I have thought of moving back, but how could I live there, having to face that nightmare where once a lovely little public space greeted my footsteps -- where now a virtual freeway called Third Street roars by its southern border, making it even more difficult to enter and access. I stood in the old courthouse square at midnight, December 31, 1999. And now I avoid it like a plague when I dare try revisiting the town, and curse the brain-dead powers at city hall who produced or passed on it. Not the spirit of Luther Burbank, who must be weeping in his grave.

I used to live in Santa Rosa but am now just visiting friends here for Christmas. I used to work downtown and took delight each noontime eating my sack lunch in the square, people watching, and listening to the gentle swishing sound of the Ruth Ozawa designed fountain. The new Courthouse Square is atricious! It is stark, sterile, and totally uninviting. And cutting down redwood trees?? What has gone on in this town to turn such a community asset into such featureless expanse of pavement and gravel. Yes, I understand that now you can have festivals. Big deal. What about the other 360 days a year when there are no festivals? I'm not so sure how conducive it is for festivals either. It certainly does not present an aeshetic draw for anyone wanting to linger after a festival. I'd want to come and go as quickly as possible from a forbidding space like that. I'd say the people of Santa Rosa were handed a big, and expensive, con job to fix something that wasn't broke in the first place.

Had the best Easter ever here today... FREE hot meal with dessert and a drink, water or lemonaide. FREE haircuts. FREE manicures. FREE feet washing/massage. FREE Easter egg hunt. FREE men/women bags filled with hygiene needs. FREE entertainment, The Amazing Caine & his amazing magic. Thank You Rescue Mission for putting this together each year in a great location.