Discover Danville: History, Culture, and Trails

Danville combines historic sites, cultural experiences, and trails for active days. Those planning a trip with varied interests can include a museum visit, a historic walking tour, the Iron Horse Regional Trail, and a Farmers' Market held year-round in their plans. When searching for a vacation rental or vacation home in Danville, it is therefore worthwhile to define your preferred focus: culture and local history, outdoor activity, or a stay featuring regional market offerings.

Historic Sites and Culture in Danville

A good starting point for getting oriented is the Museum of the San Ramon Valley. It is located in a restored Southern Pacific Depot dating from 1891. The Train Depot in the museum also serves as Danville's official visitor information center. This makes it possible to combine initial information about the town with a glimpse into a historic building.

Those who would like to learn about Danville's history on foot can follow the Historic Walking Tour Guide. The guide leads through historic buildings in Old Town Danville and explains the origins of buildings and street names, as well as the history of the people who lived there. The city's list of historic sites includes 21 designated cultural heritage resources: 20 buildings and one tree. A notable example is the Village Theatre. It was built in 1873, recognized as a historic site by the Heritage Resource Commission, and today serves as a performing arts theater.

The history of the Village Theatre also includes a 1,000-square-foot art gallery in the lobby. It was expanded in 2009, opened on November 14, 2009, and hosts art exhibitions and receptions. This gives travelers who want to combine architecture, local history, and art several cultural points of connection in Danville.

Iron Horse Trail and the Landscape Around Tao House

The Iron Horse Regional Trail runs through downtown Danville. It is recommended for cyclists, hikers, joggers, and runners. Depending on the preferred travel day, the trail can therefore be planned as an active excursion or as an additional item alongside the historic offerings, without any specific duration or level of difficulty being implied.

A different experience awaits you at the Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site. The site is located on the western edge of Danville in the Las Trampas Hills at an elevation of about 700 feet. Wooded areas and open fields surround it to the north, south, and west; within the site there are several small orchards and ornamental plants. The National Historic Site includes Tao House, where Eugene O'Neill wrote The Iceman Cometh, Long Day's Journey Into Night, and A Moon for the Misbegotten. Ranger-led tours of Tao House also include time to explore the grounds around the historic house afterward.

Getting there is particularly important for this visit: the Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site is accessible exclusively by a National Park Service shuttle. Travel to the site by private vehicle is not permitted. Anyone including this destination in their trip should take the shuttle rule into account when planning the day.

Market Visits and Regional Products

The Danville Farmers' Market takes place year-round on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the municipal parking lot on Railroad Avenue, at the corner of Railroad Avenue and Prospect Avenue. Associated with the market is a publication by local chefs featuring recipes with regional ingredients and seasonal produce from farmers in Northern California. The market complements the cultural and historic experiences with a regularly schedulable visit offering a regional connection.

If you are looking for a vacation rental in Danville, you can align your choice of accommodation with your preferred activities for the day: the Iron Horse Regional Trail, the museum, the historic walking tour, the Village Theatre, the Farmers' Market, and the Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site each offer their own focus. Danville as a base is particularly well suited to trip planning that combines culture, local history, outdoor activity, and regional impressions. For additional destinations in your travel plans, you can also visit the pages for Alamo, Concord, Walnut Creek, Brentwood, Discovery Bay, Rodeo, Oakley, and Pinole.

For the main travel overview: Contra Costa.