# Martial Cottle Park > Place to go for families in the San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara area (CA). Times are Pacific Time. - When: Open year-round, 8 a.m. until sunset. Visitor center hours depend on volunteer staffing… - Where: Martial Cottle Park, 5283 Snell Avenue, San Jose, CA 95136 - Ages: All ages - Price: $6 daily vehicle entry fee (hourly parking also available at the pay machine) - Schedule: Open year-round, 8 a.m. until sunset. Visitor center hours depend on volunteer staffing (call ahead). - Organizer: Santa Clara County Parks - Official page: https://parks.santaclaracounty.gov/ - Last checked: Sat, Oct 24 Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Oct 24, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-10-24), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/san-jose/activities/martial-cottle-park--listing-be34fdfdf108de2405739099 ## About Martial Cottle Park in south San José is a 287-acre working ranch turned park, farmed by the Cottle family from 1856 until 2014 and now run by Santa Clara County Parks to teach the valley's farming history. More than 3 miles of flat paved trails wind past organic fields, good for walking, bikes, scooters and skates (dogs on 6-foot leashes welcome); the lawns are not for organized sports. Park partners run their own plots: 4-H families raise livestock that visitors can see, UC Master Gardeners offer garden tours and workshops, Our City Forest has an urban-tree education center, and UC composting educators teach backyard composting. The Walter Cottle Lester Visitor Center shows the family's clothing, letters, toys, bakeware, butter-making supplies and farm tools; call ahead, since it opens when volunteers are available. Kids with a phone or tablet can play Agents of Discovery, a free 30–45 minute educational mobile game along the paved paths that starts outside the visitor center. The historic ranch-building area is slated to open to the public in summer 2026. California State Parks passes are not valid here. ## Similar picks in San Jose - [Cottle and Lester Historic Ranch and Perimeter Trail Dedication at Martial Cottle Park](https://grassyknees.com/san-jose/activities/cottle-and-lester-historic-ranch-and-perimeter-trail-dedication-at-mar--listing-48d176e46370536eaba531ec) — Sat, Nov 7 · 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM · Martial Cottle Park · All ages · checked Oct 24. Martial Cottle Park celebrates finishing the first phase of its historic ranch project and a new section of perimeter trail. Families can walk the accessible paths around the… - [A Mystery of Skulls Nature Pop-up at Metcalf Motorcycle County Park](https://grassyknees.com/san-jose/activities/a-mystery-of-skulls-nature-pop-up-at-metcalf-motorcycle-county-park--listing-14498187b654885ea9c20727) — Sun, Oct 25 · 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM · Metcalf Motorcycle County Park · All ages · Free · checked Oct 24. 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