John Muir National Historic Site

John Muir lived right here in Martinez! I have been here too many times to count.It is open every day, and free to visit!!John Muir was a very interesting man. His life story better told here and online than by me. I definitely recommend a visit! 5 stars for sure

A great place to visit. Lots of local history of the area. A person can spend several hours doing a self guided tour of the mansion and property. A total step back in time.

Such an amazing park! Who knew that in this refinery town, lived the father of the National Park system. We love coming here to check out the lovely home, explore the orchards, attend the story time events that they hold, go to the earth day event, and sometimes just have my toddler run laps. It is seldom busy and always heaps of fun.

Such a well-planned tour! The intro video taught me more about John Muir in 20 minutes than I learned going to a school named after him for 2 years. The park rangers were great too.

What a treat to see the life and home of someone so dear and influential to nature and wildlife preservation. I surely learned a lot about John Muirs life and feel like I got a glimpse of what his life was like and why.I was very intrigued when watching the 20-minute video before touring his home. There was definitely some great information! It really put you in the mindset and life of John Muir. The home was absolutely gorgeous and what a life he must've had. This is absolutely worth a stop if you love our nature and our national parks!

Let me start off by saying that everyone should visit this historic gem of a place! As a lover of nature, I have read about John Muir for years. It was a treasure to be able to see the place he called home. To top it off, the entire experience is completely free! We visited in October 2023 and were promptly greeted at the visitor center. We watched a well-made 20 minute video about his life. Very enjoyable way to start off the experience, don't skip it! Then we made our way through the historic property. They have several stops along the way. Each one has a phone number you can dial. You then enter the stop number and make your way slowly to the next stop. This lets you learn about the history of John Muir's life. My favorite part was in the middle when we got to tour the beautiful house. You start off in the house and are promptly greeted by a volunteer, who is willing to answer any and all questions you have! We made our way through all three floors, each one as impressive as the next. I even got to ring the bell in the bell tower! You can truly feel the history here. Very impressed with the tour and with the property. The staff is extremely attentive. I hope this place is preserved for years to come!

An Excellent, Excellent Visit to the NPS John Muir National Historical Site; and what a surprise that it is also free of charge! John Muir is often called the Father of Our National Park System, he was an early advocate for the preservation of wilderness in the United States and was directly involved in establishing & saving the Yosemite, Sequoia, Mount Rainier, and Grand Canyon National Parks.Our visit was so much more than what I had expected... and to our surprise, there is no entrance fee! We were also able to join the 2pm tour, to which the NPS guide gave a very fun and thorough introduction to Muir's home. By the way, everyone was really friendly, happy, and helpful here which made our visit that much more fun and memorable. We learned so much more about Muir - and was able to see first hand his place of residence for 24 years until his death in 1914. Come to take a look for yourself... his 'Scribble Room', his kitchen, and how magnificent and high-tech his home was. A 10/10 and a Very Highly recommended Visit!

This is a must see for anyone who loves National Parks. Parking was easy and accessible. To get to John Muir's house, you pass through the gift shop first, and then you take the leisurely walk to the gorgeous home he lived in. The upkeep on this house is incredible. One of the park rangers was kind enough to give us an explanation about the history of the house. There is so much history to see here: they have recipes from the family members, you can go to the attic to see all the land from above. My only regret is that we did not stay for longer. We bought some souvenirs at the gift shop. What a treasure

Great history and it's free. I learned a lot about John and his family. The attic was huge and the cross ventilation made it cool up there.

I initially went up Mt Wanda, thinking that the house would be there. It made me appreciate the exhibits here more. Would recommend the short jaunt up to Mt Wanda after your visit to the main exhibits.The grounds are nicely manicured with some of the original fruit trees. The house itself is very well maintained with many cool exhibits. Did you know that he was a prankster in college? I especially loved the room set aside specifically for the accomplishments of the women in his life. Yes, we owe this man plenty for his works to preserve nature. And of course, he was a complicated man, but I'm still having difficulty reconciling all of his good with the bad. Not one mention of his racist side on the whole exhibit. I guess the powers that be get to tell the story they want told.