Alfresco art accompanies your meal at Montalvo
Sure, the Bay Area is full of lovely public parks for picnicking. But how many of them offer you 175 acres of lawns, trails and gardens and double as an outdoor art gallery? That’s Montalvo in Saratoga, where nature lovers and culture vultures converge.
This public gem started out, like so many treasured properties, as the country estate of a wealthy individual — in this case, banker James D. Phelan, mayor of San Francisco from 1897 to 1902 and U.S. senator from 1915 to 1921. He was a progressive Democrat, although he was as widely known for his staunch — and now troubling — anti-Asian immigration views as he was for his support of public works and health projects, women’s suffrage and the arts.
Construction on his Villa Montalvo, a Mediterranean Revival building, began in 1912. From the estate’s completion until his death in 1930, Phelan hosted many literary luminaries, including novelist
Jack London and poet Edwin Markham, as well as Hollywood’s acting elite. It’s fun to know you’re traipsing around the grounds where Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Ethel Barrymore set foot a century ago.
After his death, the property became a public park, at his request, with an emphasis on
“the development of art, literature, music and architecture by promising students.” And that it has become. Rotating displays of outdoor artwork make every visit a different experience.
Visitors are welcome to bring a basket and a blanket and plant themselves on the Great Lawn for a picnic. You’ll have a magnificent view of the villa and the wooded hills beyond. Then, head out to stroll the grounds and gardens, which were designed by John McLaren, the landscape designer of Golden Gate Park. Check Montalvo’s Art on the Grounds guide so you don’t miss any of the intriguing or whimsical pieces (selfie alert!). And the classic Italianate Garden is lovely.