Thank you to our guide, Erica for sharing your knowledge about the Pio Pico Mansion and Pio Pico. The information, the grounds, and mansion itself show the rich California history. So glad we came. read more

Beautiful historic land with an untold story! Corin was a great guide. Great insight for out Girl Scouts troop read more

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Girl Scout outing here. Super fun, great experience for out troop. Would recommend for anyone to come and visit

I can't believe I have lived a few minutes from here and had never stopped by. The place is beautifully preserved and so calming. I brought my kids because I thought a walk outside would be nice, but I was pleasantly surprised with the overall feel of the place. There was a staff member available and offered to be of assistance if we needed any. There are so many places outside, walking by the nopales and flowers was a little nostalgic for me, taking me back to my grandfathers backyard. If you live close by you should make a little time to stop by. Also, if you work nearby, this is a great place to bring your lunch and eat outside because it's so peaceful! read more

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Well worth the effort to visit this well maintained park and museum. It is very unique in that it is the former home of the last Govenor of Alta California. Admission to the park and museum are free. Parking is available outside the park just beyond the gravel driveway. The large grounds include a grape vineyard and include park benches which are perfect for picnics. The only drawback here is that the park has limited hours. It is admirable to see how this park was preserved and protected after being in disrepair in previous years. The museum has much information on and before and after photos on how the home looked. There is also a short film that is available in the museum that details the life of Pio Pico. Enjoy your visit! read more

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Before my Yelp friend Elizabeth L. had posted her review back in March 2022 for Pío Pico State Historic Park, I went here to check the place out. On the weekend of 4/23/22 I brought my daughters here with me only to see that they were closed yet again. The first time was my fault for not checking their schedule. They are closed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I never found out why they were closed that weekend in April. I did not grow up in California, so I had much reading to do about former Governor Pío de Jesus Pico who built his home here nearly 200 years ago. He was once one of the wealthiest figures in the state. Out-of-town guests and distinguished guests remembered him for his kindness and generosity. It's hard to believe that his adobe was once part of a nearly 9,000 acre ranch as it now resides on a small parcel of land near the 605 Freeway in Whittier. "Guided tours of the adobe are offered by appointment only except on weekends." On 5/1/22 my girls and I once again visited. After strolling the perimeter, we were met by Park Ranger, Cathy, who explained that pre-COVID-19 pandemic events will return, but she was unsure of a timeframe. Also, she stated that Zoom tours continue for schools. Cathy happily answered a few our questions, gave my girls some State Park stickers, gave me a stamp sticker for my parks book and a brochure about the former and last California governor under Mexican rule, Don Pío de Jesús Pico. It has thrice been renovated over time including "seismically stabilized" between 2000 and 2003. My favorite part was seeing the unrestored "hand-made adobe bricks whitewashed with limestone plaster." The area seems well-kept with minimal trash laying around. There are picnic tables and BBQs. TIP Entrance and self-guided tours are free. SOURCE: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=621 read more

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Pio Pico State Park is beautiful. There are five acres with lovely gardens and the beautiful restored adobe home of Pío Pico. It is registered as California Historic Landmark. it is open most days but never in the evening. You can enjoy the park with picnics, bird watching, walks, and exploring the parks wonderful fifteen room adobe. I do not think they are doing guided tours right now, but that might change soon. You really don't need a guide anyway, the place is beautiful and the house/adobe is very interesting. Pío de Jesus Pico once owned all this land. Pío Pico was the governor of California in 1832. His adobe home at "El Ranchito" has been completely restored to how it appeared in the 1880's. Former Governor Pico began to build his home here in about 1848, and it has seen several changes over the last 150 years. If you are interested in early California history, this is the place for you. It is also just a wonderful park that your whole family will enjoy. Have a great time and please don't litter. read more

Pio Pico State Historic Park - The house - Parks Near Me - Whittier, California

Very disappointed. Verified location would be open & available to view Pio Pico's former residence. Alas park is open, only one on-site was gardener watering the plants.. House was locked up tight. No other staff around. This could be something very special. read more

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Kathy was a fantastic tour guide. She was very knowledgeable and very friendly. It is wonderful that the house and grounds have been preserved! read more

Had my wedding here in July 2022. Very, very spacious venue. The people helping me organize were very kind. I was in direct contact with Larry who is very helpful, and I went to the venue before hand and the rangers were very helpful as well. In the reception space there are a lot of tall trees, my event started at 4 and only a few tables were hit by the sun, which soon set so it wasn't a huge problem. The one thing I wish was better, is parking. The Park has parking spaces outside but the neighbors park on those spaces so only a few were available for my guests. Also there is no power so you need to bring your own generators to light up the space, otherwise it is pitch black. All vendors need to be licensed. Alcohol is allowed but must be served by a bartender. read more

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Went out of our way and drove here 2 hours to come see it with the family and they have a sign put up. The least they could've done was update hours online... BS read more

Pio Pico State Historic Park - Drove here 2 hours to come see it and they have a sign out up, the least they could've done was update the hours online very unprofessional - Parks Near Me - Whittier, California

I learned this place existed yesterday when my brother mentioned pio pico in San Diego that he recommend and i mistakes it with this spot , enjoyed walking inside the museum and reading about Pio Pico. The walk was really nice too. read more

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The Pio Pico Adobe built in 1853 sits on three acres of land just west of the San Gabriel River. The adobe is open Friday - Sunday from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm. The park itself is open to the public Tuesday - Sunday from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. Both the adobe and the park are a great visit with tons of history. Reservations for the tour are suggested, however I got lucky and was given a tour without one. The docent was very knowledgeable on the history of the Adobe and the life of Pio Pico. Once the tour was done, I was able to roam the beautiful grounds and take photos. The tour was free, donations are accepted. read more

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Lovely hidden gem located between Pico Rivera and Whittier. Although it's next to the freeway, the place is peaceful and moderately quiet. Perfect place to learn about the history of the area & Pio Pico. Great place to have a picnic too. read more

Today, November 13th, we went to Pio Pico not sure if it would be open since it's Sunday. Not only was it open, there was the kindest women named Kathy waiting for visitors on the porch. We were the only people there and she gave us a wonderful tour of the home, sharing interesting information about the history of the place. It was very interesting! She was so knowledgable and kind. Hope if you visit, Kathy will be there to give you the tour. read more

Their park hours leave something to be desired. It is a gated park, so when it's closed, it's locked up. But when it is open, Pio Pico State Historic Park (a.k.a. El Ranchito de Pio Pico, Pio Pico Mansion) provides a pleasant stroll with a free tour of the interior house. I've never come here on a weekend though, so don't know if it's crowded then. Seems like a place for families to gather, as they have a spacious lawn around the historic structure. Street parking with a few parking spots in front of the park. Restrooms inside. read more

Pio Pico State Historic Park - Parks Near Me - Whittier, California

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Beautiful historic grounds, I like to bring my kids here often. This place is very serene and relaxing, makes you feel like traveled back in time. Plenty of picnic tables and clean restrooms. :) I agree with other helpers that they should charge a fee to maintain the property, maybe a $2 fee for adults? read more

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Great old Adobe house,it was the home of the last Mexican governor of California. It has been restored,and is a great place for picnics or even a wedding. If you want to learn history of early California this is a good place to start. read more

This a really important historic landmark in California's rich history as it is a portion of the original rancho of Pio Pico who was the last Governor of California when it was still part of Mexico. The adobe home and the grounds were recently renovated and are much more inviting than its past look. There is a very nice garden in the back of the house near the San Gabriel River. There are many informative displays in and around the house and you can tour it on your own or as part of a guided tour. There is no admission fee as of the time of this writing (November 6, 2011). The park is open only now on Saturday and Sunday because of limited funds. In fact the park is slated to close on July 1, 2012, unless enough funding can be found to save it so please visit it while you can! The park hours are from 9:30-4 p.m. and the adobe is open from 10-3:30 p.m. The parking, while limited, is almost always available except when the park hosts special events when you can get shuttles from nearby locations to the park. You can find out more about any scheduled events and the park itself at the website http://www.piopico.org There is public transit to the park as well on Montebello Bus line 10 from the Atlantic Gold Line Station which runs seven days a week. [Note: to get to the park bus stop on bus 10, make sure you take the bus saying Whittwood Mall rather than Pico Rivera--otherwise you will you have to walk about a half a mile further east. There is no food available at the park (except during some events). However there is a nice restaurant on the other side of the San Gabriel River and on the opposite side of Whittier Blvd. called A Mi Hacienda. There are a number of other restaurants a couple of blocks or so further West on Whittier Blvd. including Presidente Thai, Shakey's, In & Out, a Tommy's, a Taco Bell, among others. read more

Coming to Pio Pico was a nice way to spend the day. The park itself is very nice. They've done a good job maintaining the grounds. The house itself is interesting. No docent led your for us, not sure if they offer them. The upstairs of the house is off limits but that's probably because the floor may cave should a group be up there. I also loved the Camino Real bell they had on the property. I've heard the state has been wanting to shut this place down but I don't understand why. It's such a wonderful place. read more

Pio Pico State Historic Park - Parks Near Me - Whittier, California

I loved the history in this place. I believe it should be in every Californian "must visit" list. I followed the advice from other reviews on yelp and called before heading to the park. It's free and the staff it's so super kind. read more

There are very few museums in the Pico Rivera/Whittier area that are still open. This museum is very beautiful and it offers a great way to learn a little bit about history. The surrounding rich-green lawn makes this museum stand out from the I-605 South Freeway and Whittier Blvd. Parking lot is pretty small but one could still find a parking spot nearby. The atmospehere here is pretty relaxing and impressive. Its a good place to come to learn more about the origins of this mansion or to have a nice stroll around this historic park. read more

It's a great place to take kids. If you suffer from dust allergies you will want to come prepared. Other than that it's a fun place to explore maybe even have a picnic. read more

I recently visited "Pio Pico State Historic Park". This was the 2nd time that I had been there. The first time was over a decade ago. What an improvenent. Much time and money has been spent making this an enjoyable place to visit. You can see both the interior as well the exterior of his mansion. The grounds all by themselves are worth seeing. Don't miss it if you are in the area. read more

This park is amazing and so is the staff this park obviously has hours and the adobe closes at 3:30 which explains why the employees leave at that time and others leave at 4 this park is beautiful and great for events. Don't let other people's negative opinion stop you from visiting the park. read more

I visited El Ranchito this weekend (Saturday, April 27, 2013) with my grandchildren. The history provided here is rich and so important during these times. Its important that we do not forget that California and other states were once Mexico. It was difficult anwswering my grandchildrens questions about immigration and pathway to citizenship when we were sitting in a museum reminding us that this land once belonged to Mexico. The most difficult question was why, if due to the State budget this museum is in danger of closing, is there no entrance fee? On Sunday we visited the LA County Arboretum, where the home of Lucky Baldwin is proudly exhibited and we had to pay to enter. Why is the home of the Mexican Governor not valued as highly as a gold digger who got lucky? Can anyone tell me? I would appreciate being able to explain this to my grandkids. (Pio Pico not only represents Mexicans but he was also of African descent). read more

Who is Pio Pico? The last governor of California while it was still under Mexican rule, and one of the most important figures in California history. This historic park contains the adobe house that he lived in in the late 19th century. The inside of the house looks kind of rundown. I guess the state doesn't have the money to refurbish it. The exterior looks nice though. Check out the before and after photos they have of the site, and you can see how much work has already been done to improve the site. There are lots of historical displays and artifacts on view. Plus, they have volunteer docents on site to answer questions (they know everything). Best of all it's free. read more