Shinn Historical Park and Arboretum

This is the most beautiful spring garden I’ve seen in the Bay Area. I was truly amazed by the variety of flowers and the thoughtful planning that went into it. We loved our visit, and we’re so glad we discovered this gem through Google reviews while we were in the Fremont area. There’s ample parking, and the garden features trees dating back to the 1800s. The entire area is clean, peaceful, and perfect for taking photos, soaking in the beauty, and enjoying a serene escape.

Underrated little garden! Fremont may be a small town without many attractions but this little garden taken care of by volunteers deserves a quick little visit! They even have a little Japanese garden inside as well.

Visiting Shinn Historical Park in early August was quite boring; there was nothing to see. No flowers, just a quiet and small park.

Lovely botanical & rose garden. Shinn house tours 1st Wednesday, 3rd Sunday by docents in period attire, unexpected history lesson!

Little, nice, quiet, quaint place! I saw a family having their photoshoot here. There’s also a Japanese garden at the side. Free parking and no entrance fee.

I had not realized that there was an event going on the day we visited. I need to visit again when no event is going on. It is hard to park, and I had to drop off a relative in a wheelchair and find in street parking. There really wasn't a good spot to do that. Somewhat accessible but given the historic nature of the buildings, they are not accessible and the path through the gardens is pebbles and narrow which can be navigated with some difficulty and spinning wheels.

I love this little garden and come here every few days. My main interest is in the rose garden in the front. Fortunately, there are several types of roses, and they have a long blooming period of several weeks. Even when they stop blooming, it does not seem long before another blooming cycle begins. Beyond the rose garden is a large yard divided into natural sections. One area is a fenced in area with a variety of trees (such as Japanese Maple) and other shrubs set around little walking paths, and stone creek beds and a waterfall (no water) and seating areas. Another is simply an open lawn area to enjoy. And other little pockets of gardens are scattered around the property. The park is *mostly* accessible, depending on what mobility issues one might have. It's worth giving it a try, because I'm sure regardless of the kind of mobility issue you have, you will still be able to access certain areas easily. Plenty of parking is available and handicapped parking is there too. I'm pretty sure there are not any open public restrooms available because the ones they have always seem to be locked whenever I'm there. This is a peaceful place and used to have very few visitors, but I've noticed there seem to be more visitors in recent months. Is it because this review has attracted so much attention, or because COVID seems to be relatively long in the past and people are just done feeling cooped up, or something else? Regardless of more people coming, there always seems to be a little corner to sit down and be undisturbed.

We visited this park on a Sunday morning. It was not crowded at all, but we were not the only visitors. We came by car, parked just outside the entrance. The entrance is free and open to everyone. The place is rather small but truly beautiful- stunning old trees (some are more than 150 years old), lovely flowers of all kinds, charming Japanese garden, plenty of benches, even a public toilet, a parking space outside. Very cozy space, great for spending time on your own or in a company. If you are in a hurry, 10 minutes is enough to run around the park, but to truly enjoy it I would recommend staying for an hour or two.

This is a hidden gem in the area. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy the grounds. Tuesday has the garden volunteers. They can sell you plants for their no profit. And there's a Chinese Bunkhouse in the back. Roses and the grounds are beautiful. There are tours of the house but not when I was there

What a peaceful little alcove in Fremont! Just off of Mission Boulevard, this historic park brings in locals for their morning strolls and social gatherings. Hosting its own private lot, Shinn Historic Park can accommodate about 10 cars and is big enough for multiple parties to walk or relax in the rest areas. There is plenty of shade under the canopies and openings for air to flow through. Despite the proximity of the different resting areas, it's pretty quiet. Definitely a great place to appreciate nature and bask in the sounds and smells of Mother Earth. Within the park, you'll find rose bushes, a nature-laden Japanese tea garden, a grassy yard accented with a fountain, and a large clearing near a huge red barn house. Nearby, you'll also find a small children's playground. All of these areas are easily accessible with rocky paths leading you there from the parking lot. They also have a learning center where they use it for camps during the summer. The facilities are a bit worn but they do have a bathroom and kitchen inside. They've hosted cooking related camps here including the one for tea time. It's great that the city of Fremont is using these facilities and enabling us to discover these little gems! Overall, Shinn historic park is a great rest stop and meeting place for those looking for a nice getaway into nature. It's centrally located and easily accessible to and from many popular spots in Fremont. I highly recommend making a visit if you're in the area to experience what Shinn has to offer.

It's not well kept up and provides no history for visitors to read about when the house is not open.

Despite living in the past east bay for many years, I only recently discovered this park. It's tucked inside Fremont. There's a small parking lot for visitors. It's the perfect place for a quiet stroll or a lazy afternoon reading a book on the lawn. There were many flowers blooming. I especially loved smelling the roses. There was even a Japanese garden within the park. This is a lovely park to check out if you're in the area.

For photoshoots this is the best place... very nice. Beautiful location.......best for pics

Such a beautiful location! We came here to take wedding photos. The flowers are so perfect. I see lots of people come to take photos and I believe in the summer they have classes for young kids

I had a lovely time at this adorable park in Fremont this past weekend, with a magnificent array of trees and colorful flowers to appreciate, and some cool history to be learned. The smaller building, Shinn's Cottage (formerly known as Sim's Cottage), was built by "Captain" William Sim with the wood of ships abandoned during the Gold Rush. One of the oldest buildings in the area (former location Alameda Creek), it was sold to the brother-in-law of pioneer James Shinn. Shinn lived with his family in the little cottage for 20 years, taking care of the ranch, until he built the bigger redwood Victorian house in 1876 (now a museum which contains several generations of Shinn family artifacts). During that time, Shinn purchased the ranch and started one of the first nurseries in California, which contained rare trees and plants collected from around the world. His son and daughter-in-law created the Shinn Bungalow in 1910 (the third building on site, near the park entrance). The Historic Shinn Ranch was gifted to the City of Fremont in 1962, and essentially became the Shinn Historical Park and Arboretum. The Kato Memorial Garden was created in the early 1980's, with plants imported from Japan. This beautiful Japanese garden (which includes seating), along with the historical buildings and monuments, charming gazebo, endless greenery, and various pathways to explore, make up this extraordinary park which is a common setting and backdrop for prom photos, wedding shoots (and actual wedding ceremonies), as well as families and couples just looking for a peaceful getaway. Free to visit, with a couple small parking lots, plus a bit of street parking, and a tiny playground near the parking area... there are plenty of amenities and conveniences that make this an awesome place to go.

Beautiful Japanese garden. Lots of green, manicured landscape and very friendly staff. This is the best kept secret in the tri-city area. Once a year taiko performance is such an exciting event

Quaint and small park in a Fremont neighborhood. Older historical building often rented for small weddings. There are pockets within different areas of the park that I can see being used for photo backdrops. There's a little cute Japanese garden, a rose garden, and interesting plants throughout the grounds. I imagine this place is most beautiful in the springtime when the flowers are in bloom. Lots of squirrels running around and the occasional mourning dove perched nearby. I haven't been here in years and was feeling a little nostalgic so I decided to pay this place a visit.

I attended Madhubani Folk Art class for Adults #16525 on the 7th of February @ 5pm. It would be very nice if we had an introduction. I saw a book on the table in front as I entered I figured it was a signing book. So I put my name and was standing waiting for direction. So I asked the lady who was standing in front, I figured she was the teacher asked her if I could sit down. Finally I found a place and sat down. Had to figure out the drawing paper, the ruler had chips on the edges. IT WOULD BE NICE IF THEY WERE MORE ORGANIZED. Very Disappointing. Thanks

Lovely hidden gem with a variety of plants, trees, flowers. Rose garden was in bloom and the Japanese garden is well-maintained. I can imagine that this place gets popular on weekends for photo-shoots. Go on a weekday for peace and quiet.

Cute little spot to walk the dog and take photos. We went today nx there was a wedding getting setup too.

Checked out the Holiday home tour at Shinn House Sun 12/5/21. Nobody was at the door to greet us, the doorbell that works is under the wreath on the center of the door, the one on the left doesn't work! Tour cost $5 adult, cash or check. Docent was wearing period dress, she said it takes over an hr to dress yourself in the corset and many layers, about 6lbs worth of clothes. She said it's hard to breathe climbing the stairs in it. We say many rooms, you can take pics. No tours of the attic or basement. After tour we got to try some homemade cookies and got some Fuyu persimmons (volunteers brought them). Worth going if interested in historical homes or live in Fremont.

Although I grew up in the area, I didn't know this place existed until today. Saw it on GMaps and biked there via Alameda Creek Trail. Beautiful gardens and large 150+ yr old trees. Small Japanese garden (was dry). Great for enjoying sunshine, picnic, or photos.

Nice very small park. Many roses, smells great. Small Japanese garden too. Some parking in front.

Shinn is a quaint little park with a Japanese garden, several old buildings and a bit of old farming equipment. They have periodic tours of inside the main house, and I would like to see it sometime. We came for a short, scenic walk with the dog, who had a great time here! I took a couple of flower photos.

Lovely park in Fremont - full of large old growth trees. Ideal for a family picnic, a stroll, or just to get away from it all. We visited a few days ago with family, and were impressed by the sheer variety of trees: Magnolia, Bald Cypress, Chilean Bellota, Gingko Biloba, Moreton Bay Fig, Eucalyptus, Spanish Chestnut and many more! There are several picnic tables, a Japanese garden, and for local history buffs - the Shinn House and Research Library is open for tours twice a month (first Wednesday 11-4, third Sunday 1-3). Strolling through the garden, we stumbled upon flowering bushes, exotic fruiting trees, and a tiny gazebo tucked away in the foliage. Delightful! There is a small parking lot, and there is no entrance fee to visit the grounds. We will certainly be back!

Pretty, old farmhouse from back in the beginning of Fremont! If you get a chance, take the guided tour so you can see the kitchen & the furnishings from back when the Shinn's lived there!

the Shinn Historical Park & Arboretum didn't look open, no cars in front of building. across the street is a children's playground. plenty of parking.....

This is a very small park without too much to see. The houses are Asian style. The plants are nice and there are several extremely old ancient big trees.

Visited this park 3 weeks ago. We were not able to tour the historical house at the time since it was closed so we just enjoyed walking around and seeing the Japanese garden. A nice place for a picnics , photography and weddings. Love the scenery and the plants.

We were looking for a small park with some greenery to take some pictures. Wanted to try out a new background for our family picture this year. It's quite hard to spot unless you are familiar with the area or this park. We stopped by this place. There was absolutely no one around. The grass field was open. We spent some time there taking pictures and relaxing. There was a small play area near by where toddlers can play. I researched about this place only after returning from there. As far as I have read this place has some historic importance. It didn't look like open when I was there. So I am planning to visit there again to know more about this place. Another aspect I liked about this place is the quietness I have experience. It may be an ideal place for some meditation. It's away from the hustles of the Fremont city and was very relaxing to spend time with family and friends. Will be back again to experience it more.

Just found this park today! I grew up in the bay but never knew this gem existed until now! It is quiet and very lovely. A great spot for photography and wonderful for viewing beautiful foliage.

37 years today (June 1), I was married at this place. I think it was just called Shinn Park then. Will always have fond memories of this place and the day. Told her the park is still here, just like our marriage.

We had a fun time seeing the house and garden area. This is a Victorian house from the 1850s which was owned by a nursery man (the Shinn Family). There are beautiful roses, unique plants from the Pacific Rim, and a Japanese garden area. Its a delight to visit.

Beautiful little gem tucked away from the chaos of Fremont. Went there to do some headshots for a client and I was thrilled to see the barn in the rear end of the house. The main house was closed but shaded area and Japanese garden offered an oasis hot summer day. Plenty of parking but I guess weekends would be busy. Will be back to do some more pictures fore sure.

not a lot of parking but took prom pictures with my friends. the easiest nice place to take pictures

A little hidden gem in Fremont! :D I've been living in Newark for almost 5yrs now & I'm just now discovering this place?!?! How can it be??? Hahaha this never popped up before whenever I searched for parks near me. but anywho. My client picked this place for her photosession & that's how I discover Shinn. It's quaint & lovely. There's a small Japanese garden, but no water for like a pond. Instead, it's filled with rocks which still works. Looks nice. There's also a barn with some tractors that are fenced off. There's also two houses that are pretty cute looking & vintage-y. Oh, and there's an interesting looking tree that the roots spreads out. Makes me think of the "Tree of Life" or something like that. Hehe.. Yay for discovering new places & meeting new faces! :)

Had to give atleast 2 stars for the beautiful scenery!! Way too many restrictions.., no Dj, No dance floors, no loud music, no games involving hard balls, ( please review all the numerous restrictions on their applications prior to signing a contract) alcohol needs license( even if beer only) only limited no of guests after which you have to get special license blah blah blah , fountain cant be turned on ( not mentioned in contract, weird as you're renting for EVERYTHING outdoor) fountain was filthy and being in center of the lawn caught everyones eye, although we requested cleanup prior to the event. Bathroom doorknob was broken?? Bathroom bulb wasn't working?? No cold water in women's bathroom . I was mortally embarrassed as some of the guests started complaining. After all this, the walkthrough person was like you're 10 min over time( i kept silent for my sanity sake) This place is just for photos NOT for events. Save your money and go elsewhere!!

This is a really cool park in a nice neighborhood. Although it is kinda near a busy road it seems to quiet where you can hear the rustling of the leaves as the wind blows by. With a few buildings on the property it seems like there's a keeper on premise that probably lives there. I was here for my sisters wedding and it was large enough for a party of 100. There's a really big tree in the middle and few others that will give you some cover if the sun is too much. As far as the historical building goes, I wasn't able to go inside so I couldn't say how that was. Seems to be a iconic place due to the fact that I saw many people going there to take pictures or using it as a venue for whatever their reason be. Any who, if you're in the area it's a nice place to stop for a quick visit but don't go out of your way.

This is an interesting place that holds a lot of historical value for the city of Fremont and the San Francisco Bay Area. I'm always happy to see a bit of history that was preserved for us to see in the present. The Shin house was completed in 1876. I believe at one time the Shinn family property spanned 250 acres. Even though the property where the house and gardens are located is only a fraction of the property size in the past, it is still possible to imagine how magnificent the 250 acre property must have been because the house still stands. If you're a person who enjoys a little bit history and plant life/ flowers, you will definitely enjoy strolling around the Shinn family grounds. I was lucky enough to be strolling around the perimeter of the house when a docent asked us if we would be interested in taking a tour inside of the house. The fee was $4.00 per person. The docent was very detail oriented and well versed in the Shinn family history. It was amazing to see that the interior of the house was well preserved, and most of the furnishings were original to the house. My fiancé loves to stroll around the garden taking pictures of the many different flowers around the house. I'm more into taking pictures of the house and macro shots of the insects hanging in or around the various plants. I don't want anyone to get the impression that this is a big piece of property like Ardenwood. Shinn Historical Park is a nice small place without the crowds. My fiancé and I have been there at times when we were the only two people walking around the property. I highly recommend checking out this place if you are in or close to the city of Fremont.

Very nice place for photography, the greenery is awesome while the main attraction is The Banyan Tree... since 1880! Awesome!

AMAZING PROPERTY! BRIDES and PHOTOGs read the caution at bottom! I have shot several portraits here and recently had an amazing time photographing a wedding here. Stunning! I love this house. Yes, its small, but its the size that makes this super cute! Really well maintained. BRIDES AND PHOTOGS: the Banyan tree has a TON of bird poop on it! Its taken me 5 hours so far editing about 30 images to rid it of the bird poop. Ive uploaded a picture of the Groom and Bride with the poop infested tree in the background. Maybe ask the groundskeepers to see if you can show up a day or two before to wash it off a little or if there is anything you can do to help ease the post processing pain... but good luck!!!! BUT overall I LOVE this location!!

I've driven by this place at least a few hundred times! My wife's company picnic was held here. Very nice cool, shaded area to put out table and chairs underneath more than 100 years old imported trees! The Shinn house tours are normally $5/person, but for the event we had free tours. The tour was about 40 minutes long, more family history than anything. The are many interesting things to see during the tour. There were some younger children and they seemed to get bored after about 10-15 minutes. There are table and chairs available for rent. There's a small kitchen on site, but for our crowd of 100+ we had a caterer. It was really interesting hearing about the historic significance of the family that lived here!

I've coordinated and planned many weddings here. It's a great space for an outdoor wedding that is very budget friendly and doesn't break the bank. They have tables and chairs that come with the rental but aren't in the greatest shape, and you do have to set those up yourself. I prefer to bring in a rental company for tables and chairs as they deliver, set up and breakdown easily. This venue comes highly recommended by me not just for weddings but for any type of social events.

What a hidden gem in the neighborhood! I always love to explore historic garden and have never did notice that there is one so close to home. It first greets you with a japanese garden. As I wonder deeper into the garden, there is also a native plants area with the humongous magnolia tree that must have been there for years! It's a great place to have a relaxing stroll, and photo shooting. I still would love to go back there for the historic house tour sometimes soon.

I had no idea that this place existed though I have driven past it dozens of time until I yelped for places to visit in the Fremont area. Beautiful vintage house with a nice big garden. Great place to zen and look around. It has a nice little Japanese garden and other trees and plants. And... it is free to visit.

Who knew this existed? I certainly had heard of Ardenwood, but this place was a complete surprise. We were visiting our friends who live a short walk away and they took us. It is similar to Ardenwood, but on a much smaller scale. Beautiful historic house that is open to tours at certain times, including Christmas tours. Apparently, you can also call for appointments. We weren't there at a tour time so just explored the grounds, which had amazing gardens and even more amazing trees. Some of the trees had been planted in 1876 and were massive. There was one old fig tree. Couldn't believe the size and root system on this monster. Beautiful. The grounds are well kept and include some quite exotic plants including what I think was a whole row of lychee bushes. At least that's what the round objects on them smelled like. Free to visit. So why not go?

Shinn Park has great old trees and really wonderful shady places to keep cool. There is a Japanese garden that was built in 1983 and was designed by someone pretty famous to us Californians - Mai Kitazawa Arbegast. The garden is dedicated to George Kato who used to have a produce stand and grew strawberries. Many of the trees are huge and will knock your socks off. No facilities, so you have to plan.

A quiet hidden local gem. The large tree on left side is gorgeous & the other gardens still lovely despite the drought. Once a month on Sundays docents offer tours of the old home w tons of great local history. Beautiful place for a picnic or walk!

This place is amazing. Truly a hidden gem that literally no one has ever heard about. Last weekend I had my wedding there. And let me tell you, this is the cheapest most awesome place you could have your wedding. For $1000, we had this site for the entire day. Now, it doesn't come with much so you have to do everything a la carte, but well worth it. The site does provide tables and chairs. Although you will want to get chair covers for the chairs since they are like plastic school bucket chairs. I bought banquet chair covers and they fit perfectly. The site is truly magnificent. About 4 acres of land and lots of shade for your guests. We had the ceremony in front of the victorian house, the cocktail our in the japanese gardens, and the reception in front of the house. They even come and open up the house for an extra $120 or so and let you take photos in there and let your guests do a tour. An added bonus is that they let you do the bouquet toss from the balcony which is really cool. There are so many unique places to take photos at this place and everyone was raving about how awesome it was. My wedding was a rustic antique chic theme and this venue fit it perfectly. No one has ever heard of this place, but it is amazing, especially for the gal on a budget!

We got married here a few weekends ago. The gardens and historical house are beautiful. The team who worked with us, in terms of payment and unlocking all of the rooms on the day of, were very helpful and on time. They really helped the event go smoothly. Brides and grooms should be aware that the chairs provided are nave blue, plastic chairs. My guests didn't seem to mind them, and they showed up fine in photos. However, that's something to be aware of. Also, the room for the bride to get ready is VERY small. There is really no lighting inside the room. There is a table, chair, and mirrors, that's about it. The storage room for the chairs doubles as the groom's room. It's do able, but again something to be prepared for. They do open up restrooms for guests. Overall, I love this place. Everything for our ceremony went smoothly. All of our guests thought it was very pretty. You don't need to decorate too much since the house and gardens are already so beautiful. A great price for such a great place!

A small and cute aboretum. I always down for a aboretum and the fact that this is free makes this even more awesome. This garden also have some Japanese Garden element to it and I think it would be prettier here during the spring. When I went during the winter, it was mostly bare. The area in general have cute plants and lots of beatiful trees with roots that protrude from the ground. There are paved walkways and lots of great backdrops for pictures (including a red barn in the back!). There is also a historic home that is available for events and from the looks of it, a lot of weddings took place at this garden. I would recommend bringing your grandparent here for a leisure walk and talk. Depending on how long you want to stay to take pictures, I would say a good 30 min would get you through the whole area!

After my find yesterday...the Ardenwood Historical Farm this was a huge disappointment. It was small. Everything was locked up and it needs a lot of maintenance. I would've much rather gone on the farm again. Even though everything there at the Ardenwood historical farm was closed it's a beautiful area I walk around and take pictures and read boards of the history of the area. Skip Shinn it's stinks.

Great place to visit. It's been a while. Such history!I was the only one here today. Weather was perfect. Grounds look very nice. Will come back again. Yours truly Mike Ornelas aka Mr. Fremont.

I came to the Shinn HIstoric park and arboretum this past weekend for an event I was www.Grillaxin.com for. This park is ideal for small to medium events if you want an out door venue that is intimate, quaint and charming. Theres PLENTY of shade and lots of exotic trees and plants to look at. The only thing I would suggest if you are having an event here is to rent tables and chairs. Their chairs and tables look like office/class room furniture. Otherwise, this is a great venue.

Large park, needs some maintenance. Almost got attacked by wasps eating a dead baby bird.

It's a hidden treasure in Fremont. We got married here last weekend and we received so many compliments from our guests for this place! It's a perfect place to get married if you are planning to have a small wedding.

The awe inspiring old fig tree is worth a visit, and the various flowers coming into bloom through out the year keep us coming back. It's nice to lay under the trees in the front of the house as the sun gets low in the sky.