Self-Guided Walking Tour

Explore Sunnyvale's founding family sites and early landmarks at your own pace.

Your Heritage Journey

Follow this curated tour to discover the places that shaped Sunnyvale.

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Stop 1: Murphy Park
Start your tour at Murphy Park, named after Sunnyvale founder Martin Murphy Jr. This green space was once part of the vast Murphy ranch lands.
Murphy Park entrance sign showing Martin Murphy Jr. Historical Park with landscaping and mature trees

The Murphy family donated this land for public use in the early 20th century, establishing a key recreational area.

Stop 2: Old Murphy Station
Visit the historic site of Murphy Station, the first major transit point established in 1864 that catalyzed Sunnyvale's development.
Historic black and white photograph of Old Murphy Station with steam locomotive

Built in 1864 as a stop on the San Francisco and San Jose Railroad, Murphy Station was pivotal in transforming Santa Clara Valley from isolated farmland into a networked agricultural region. Martin Murphy Jr. granted railroad right-of-way through his property on the condition that this passenger stop be constructed.

Stop 3: Hendy Ironworks Lamppost and Stamp Mill
Visit this memorial commemorating the Joshua Hendy Iron Works, the massive foundry that transformed Sunnyvale from orchards to industry.
Hendy Ironworks memorial monument with industrial design

This monument honors the Joshua Hendy Iron Works, which relocated to Sunnyvale in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake and became the largest foundry west of the Mississippi, producing mining equipment and later naval engines during WWII.

Stop 4: Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum
Visit the museum, a replica of the original Murphy family home, to delve deeper into Sunnyvale's past.
Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum - a beautiful two-story white colonial-style replica of the Martin Murphy Jr. home with wraparound porches and lush landscaping

Opened in 2008, the museum preserves artifacts and stories from Sunnyvale's agricultural and industrial eras.

Stop 5: Del Monte Building
Explore this preserved industrial structure that served Del Monte's canning operations during Sunnyvale's fruit-processing heyday.
Del Monte Building entrance with historic archway

Built in the early 20th century, this building was part of the vast infrastructure that supported fruit cannery operations, employing hundreds of workers and connecting Sunnyvale to national markets via the nearby railroad.

Stop 6: Libby Water Tower
Marvel at this iconic water tower that once served one of Sunnyvale's largest employers—Libby, McNeill & Libby—supporting the massive fruit cannery operations.
Aerial view of the historic Libby Water Tower with classic Libby's logo

Constructed in the early 20th century, this water tower provided essential pressure for fire suppression and cleaning operations at the Libby cannery, which was crucial for maintaining health standards and worker safety during the height of Sunnyvale's fruit processing industry.

Stop 7: Historic Murphy Avenue
Stroll down the historic downtown street, platted by Martin Murphy Jr. himself.
Historic black and white postcard showing Murphy Avenue in early Sunnyvale with period buildings, utility poles, and unpaved street

Since 1870, this avenue has been the commercial and social heart of Sunnyvale, retaining much of its early 20th-century charm.

Stop 8: Orchard Heritage Park
Conclude your tour at this park preserving a piece of Sunnyvale's agricultural past.
Historic black and white photograph of bare fruit trees in an orchard, representing Sunnyvale's agricultural heritage when the area was known as the Valley of Heart's Delight

This park represents a small portion of the vast orchards that once covered the region.