Los Gatos Murals Walk

Los Gatos is a wonderful town for hiking and exploring. It is full of hidden treasures. If you enjoy murals, then you should find this short walk interesting. Less than half a mile round trip, this walk begins in the Los Gatos Old Town shopping area, crosses the Forbes Mill bridge and it’s murals, strolls past the Forbes Mill Museum and continues to a point underneath the Main Street bridge, site of mural depicting an Ohlone village. Old Town Shopping area is off University Avenue near elm street. [GP:lg_old_town]. Walk towards the California Cafe in the center of Old Town, and down the stairs to Lower Old Town.

Turn right when you exit the enclosed area and then turn left in about 50 feet onto the Forbes Mill Bridge.

The murals on the Forbes Mill Bridge were painted by local school children and depict events and scenes from both historic and current day Los Gatos. Below are several examples of this art work.

Once you’ve crossed the Forbes Mill Bridge, turn right and you will see what remains of Forbes Mill Museum. This converted annex is what remains of the original flour mill that was built by James Alexander Forbes in 1854. Forbes flour mill was an unsuccessful business venture, but it did serve as the nucleus around which the town of Los Gatos was built.

Forbes Mill Museum Today

Forbes Mill, Los Gatos, ca 1910, courtesy California Room San Jose Public Library, obtained from www.siliconvalleyhistory.org

Continue down the trail to the left side of the Forbes Mill Museum for approximately 170 yards until you come to the Main Street Overcrossing. Here you will find the Main Street Bridge Mural. This mural depicts life in an Ohlone Village. The Ohlone Indians were the first settlers in the Los Gatos area, and are believed to have lived along the Los Gatos Creek near what is now Vasona Park.

For more information on this area or Los Gatos history, please visit the following links:

• Town of Los Gatos – General History
• Bay Area Biking: Los Gatos Creek Trail
• Silicon Valley History Online – Forbes Mill
• Ohlone Village Mural Project