Montalvo Arts Center

My review is only of the hike keeping in mind we had a three year old with us.
This joke is not toddler friendly as it’s rather steep for them.
However, the grounds are gorgeous and a great place for a picnic.
Looking forward to hiking here when my kid is older!
The toilets are near the main building and are clean!

I love this place. It’s beautiful, open to the public most days, and they put on lots of great musical events for the community. I’ve gone to concerts there both indoor and outdoor, both wonderful experiences. Not usually the types of shows where people will get up and dance, especially the indoor shows as it’s set up like a theater, but very intimate settings.
I also recommend going there just to have a picnic on the lawn and walk around in the woods.

One of the best venues I have seen so far in the South Bay. Magnificent in all senses. Many artists live here and you can see in the abundant sculptures, from very conceptual to more classical styles. Hikes, weddings, strolling and frolicking… all that you can do here. Lovely for summer night concerts, for meditation or to declare someone unconditional love at the Love temple. You will find so many hidden corners with surprises, everything in these grounds is made to make you feel the character of a happy ending fairy tale.

Been here a couple of times. It’s a beautiful place to stroll around or have a picnic. We really wanted to have our kids photo done here but we were told we need to have a permit. A permit here is $ 200 for 3 hours. For wedding pictures, I think the price is reasonable. But for just an hour of family photo during off season, I think it’s too steep. Wished they had different permit fees depending on types of photography and hours of usage. So 4 stars for a beautiful venue and free parking (during non-​event days). Minus 1 stars for the permit fee.

Well hey! Besides all the rich people, there is something in Saratoga after all! I’m speaking for the hike and trails itself, not the arts center.
We ended up hiking two trails: Lookout Trail and South Cherry (?) Trail. The hike itself wasn’t excruciating. So yes, bring your kids and dogs lol. The trail was very shady, I’m not saying not to put sunblock, but the majority of the trails are covered with shade. They welcome dogs, so don’t be surprised to find a lot of them coming through.
Okay, back to the Arts Center! We ended up at the garden, not sure what the name was, but the garden with the iron gate haha. It was simple and beautiful. It was a cute imitation of a Mediterranean theme.
All in all, this is a definite place for a cute and romantic hike. There’s plenty of people on the trail so don’t forget to say Hi as you’re passing by!

One of the most gorgeous art centers I have ever visited. I went here to photoshoot with a friend earlier today and there was literally nobody here at all — perfect for pictures! It is definitely a scenic and quiet place to walk with your boo, take pictures, or even get married (I’m not kidding, you can reserve this place online!). This art center features a huge green lawn, beautiful architecture with glass windows, white stone pillars, and more. We are definitely coming back in the near future because there is even more to explore at the Montalvo Arts Center!
There is ample parking due to the lack of people here. Plus, they have several parking lots that are very easy to find with the help of signs as you drive up the hill towards the Montalvo Arts Center. Parking is also free! Definitely a place worth visiting in your free time.

This review is long overdue… My husband and I had our wedding here on May 16,2015. Soon as you drive into the gate, Montalvo is breath taking. You don’t need much convincing when you walk through the gardens or see the beautiful 1920s Villa. Did I mention the gardens?
But you might need some convincing to pay the beautiful price tag to have your wedding here. Kathleen the director and her assistant Tiffany were beyond helpful and accommodating. From signing the contract to walking down the aisle, Kathleen and Tiffany were always super helpful and sweet. They were Very quick to reply to my emails (which is always a plus when you’re a control freak bride ;)) not only do they give you 100% attention while planning, they were so helpful the day of getting all of my vendors in place. You can even drop off all of your guestbook table supplies, décor, etc the day before. In fact, they actually require and encourage you to deliver anything you will need the day of the wedding to the Villa the day before. Which takes away all the stress of bringing all your DIY Pinterest projects!
They really take care of you here and I highly recommend! Thank you Kathleen and Tiffany!

This is a beautiful place and truly a cultural treasure in the San Jose area. We walked around the gardens which are gorgeous and it was the perfect setting for a Saturday picnic. I’m excited to one day experience the performances they have, looks amazing. One downside, I wish we could have gone inside the building, but perhaps it’s only open during performances. Overall, a great experience and definitely recommend going to!

This place is such a cute place to walk around, have a picnic, and take pictures! They also host weddings here because it is so nice. The parking is pretty good and never super crowded. Follow the signs and watch the road as you drive because the mountains can get a bit unpredictable at times.
Everyone I’ve met here is really nice and relaxed. It is really spacious for nice picnics and there are also trails for nice hikes. It really is a nice place to just chill out!

A beautiful place for a small hike or to relax and read a book. The grounds are truly lovely with art adorned throughout the premises.

LOOKOUT TRAIL
Scenery: Lots of Trees, Lookout Point (view of the bay area)
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Distance:
Elevation Gain: Mostly steady Uphill
Duration: About an hour and a half round trip with young kids
Route Type: In and Out
Good for Kids: Yes
Strollers: No
Bikes: No
Pets: Yes
Fees: Parking is FREE
Great hike for all ages! We parked at Lot 4, right near the Lookout Trail trailhead. Prior to heading up, I had everyone use the restroom, which was also near the parking lot. We followed the Lookout Trail all the way up to the viewpoint. The trail was well maintained, mostly uphill and shady, however, they were also narrow and lots of poison oak! Still, a great place to hike with kids! It took us about an hour to hike up to the viewpoint and only 25 minutes to get back to the van!!!
At the viewpoint, we soaked in the view of the bay area, rested and ate lots of snacks!

I am reviewing the hiking (specifically Lookout Trail) and a little bit of the gardens, as I didn’t get a chance to see the actual arts center, since there was a wedding when I was there.
The Lookout Trail hike was lovely :) Not too strenuous (my sister did it in a dress), but it’s not an easy stroll either. I could definitely see myself be a morning jogger up on this trail. It’s alternating sunny/​shady the whole way up, so even in the afternoon it was not unbearably hot. The trail was very dusty when I was there, and the dry dirt/​soil made some of the uphill parts a little slippery to walk up sometimes, which I was not expecting. The lookout view itself was very pretty, you can see a lot of the Bay area. I was expecting to see some airplanes fly… but I spent 20 minutes looking and didn’t see any. Welp.
The gardens are also very pretty to walk through. There’s all different types of plants, orange tress, funky statues, etc. I can definitely see that this is a much sought-​after place for weddings, receptions, etc.

Just got married here! This is a review on the venue and the staff.
Montalvo Arts Center was very professional in assisting us with our wedding. You cannot go wrong with how beautiful the setting is. Kathleen and Tiffany were very quick at responding to emails and making sure we had everything in place for the big day.

This place has two decent trails that I have tried, with people ranging ages from 1.5 years old to 65 and we were able to do about an hours worth. They are nice hikes but the trees are young and it is def not as good as rancho San Antonio or Muir Woods. What I like about this place is easy access to hikes from parking lot and huge grassy area to
Picnic at afterwards. It’s also just a 15 min drive from Santa Clara and north San Jose so it makes for a quick trip to see redwoods and a nice sunset.
The hikes anger narrow the deeper you walk so not great for strollers, youngsters or elderly after a while.

If you are looking for a wedding venue, look no further! This place is gorgeous on its own. Kathleen and Tiffany were extremely helpful on our rehearsal and wedding day. I didn’t have a planner and everything went so smoothly. If you want to check out our wedding video to see how gorgeous Montalvo is, go here:
I couldn’t have been a happier bride.

A great to see live performance and also for hiking. We used to watch performance such as Charlie Brown and kids live shows. Recently we have been going here for hiking. Easy and nice hike to the top and enjoy the view.

I came here 3 times with family which is how good this is. This free garden and music venue is probably the nicest and it’s FREE. I love the trails and garden courtyards throughout this place. It was busy this Thanksgiving so we parked at the lower lot. Anyways, we walked up the path to see the various Roman/​Greek garden and the estate. There is a nice walk way through some trickling brooks. The spring time must be gorgeous but I have always been here in the winter. Overall, you can’t complain and the wood trails are nicely maintained. We will always be back here.

I have been coming to Villa Montalvo since I was five, and fifteen years later it has yet to lose its charm.
Villa Montalvo is a picturesque estate, formerly owned by a California Senator and open to the public for all sorts of activities and occasions.
I come here most often to hike the Redwood trail, decent if slightly challenging and leading to a wonderful vista of the valley. The network of trails in the mountains is shaded and lead to both vista points and a creek, all inside a redwood forest.
The performing arts center is also a major cultural hub in Saratoga. A rotating cast of artists create both outdoor art exhibits and contribute to the smaller inside gallery. The inner theater hosts a variety of plays (I remember seeing Rumpelstiltskin when I was little) and the outside stage and amphitheater is used for concerts, visiting talent, and other performances. Festivals are also common, and spread activities around the entire grounds.
Past the house and the vast grass lawn is the Montalvo gardens, a walkway with trees and flowers bordering either side and small side trails winding around, leading to a pavilion with a fountain. Very European, but charming nevertheless.
A couple words of caution: when there are big events like concerts or weddings, the area is closed to casual visitors. On weekends the trails can be rather crowded. The road up is somewhat steep and windy, and the first parking lot fills up relatively quickly (there are three lots in total, but you don’t want to end up in the third because it’s so far).
All in all Villa Montalvo is one of my favorite places to hike, have a picnic, and just relax and enjoy natural and manmade art.

We attended the most beautiful wedding of Megan Cross & Neema Yazdani here. Such a beautiful location with the perfect set up for 2 bars, a good sized dance floor, outdoor patio seating, and a beautiful stairway for a bride and groom to exit from. The Montalvo is a beautiful location for a five star wedding.

this is an absolutely gorgeous gem tucked away in the hills between saratoga and los gatos. the first time i came here was for my brother-in-law’s wedding, which was held in the summertime, amongst blossoming flowers, lively trees, and greenery everywhere. it is a perfect place to have an outdoor wedding especially if you are a nature lover.
the second time i visited was with a friend, who wanted to hike up the nature path at the back of the arts center. i didn’t even know such a thing existed until she told me! it was a fairly easy hike which took 20 – 30 min going up, and a little less coming down (since we were going downhill). when we reached the top, we were greeted by a beautiful panoramic view of san jose, santa clara, and parts of mountain view. quite impressive i must say! there were a couple of benches at the top, so visitors could take a short rest.
the third, and most recent time that i visited, i came with my husband on my birthday, b/​c i wanted to show him the view from the top. unfortunately, since it had been a while, i’d forgotten which path to take, so it took a wee bit longer than i anticipated, and we were racing against the clock a bit as the center was about to close. but a little after 5pm, we reached the top, and took a break to admire the view. i will say, closer to sunset is probably the most beautiful, where the light starts to fade just a bit, and you can see downtown san jose and moffett field, mountain view, at different angles. the foliage was also beautiful at this time of year. unfortunately, it had rained the day before, so it was a little bit muddy along the trail, and i, unfortunately, was wearing the wrong shoes for hiking!
word to the wise, definitely wear sneakers or hiking shoes if you choose to ascend the nature path, your feet will thank you, and you’ll have better balance, especially coming down! and bring your own water b/​c there are no fountains along the nature path. outside food is allowed, so you can enjoy your meal in one of their many gardens.
this is a beautiful venue that is a must see for locals and bay area visitors alike.

Really enjoy this beautiful park. We love to take our two boys there at the weekends for a little hike. The kids love to run in the lawn or just play by the little pond. I love the easy hiking trail up to the hill and their wonderful garden. It is not crowded and easy to find a parking place. We also like to visit the used bookstore in Saratoga down town– book go round after we visit the park. A nice way to spend weekend.