The Sonoma Plaza: a practical guide
City Hall in the middle, the mission on the north side, and the whole town arranged around the edges: how to read Sonoma's central square.
SONOMA: The Plaza is the reason the city is shaped the way it is. The central square covers eight acres at the heart of town, with Sonoma City Hall standing in the middle of it and the life of Sonoma arranged around the edges. Learn to read the square and the rest of the town makes sense.
Start in the middle. City Hall sits at the center of the Plaza, which makes it the natural landmark for getting your bearings. Dedicated in 1908, it was built with four identical facades so that merchants on every side of the square could say City Hall faced their business. If you lose your group, your car or your sense of direction, walk toward City Hall and start over.
The north side
Mission San Francisco Solano anchors the north side of the Plaza. Founded July 4, 1823, by Padre Jose Altamira, it is the northernmost of California's Franciscan missions and the only one established under independent Mexico. The blocks around it hold some of the town's oldest buildings, several of them now shops and offices.
Get your bearings at City Hall in the middle of the square. Everything else in Sonoma orients from there.
The Bear Flag monument stands on the Plaza's northeast lawn, marking the spot where the Bear Flag Party raised its flag on June 14, 1846, and declared California free from Mexican rule.
Walking the square
The Plaza rewards walking. The full loop around the square is an easy stroll, and nearly everything a visitor needs, food, wine tasting, coffee, a bench in the shade, sits within a few blocks of the center. The blocks facing the square hold the town's concentration of tasting rooms, restaurants, galleries and shops.
For the quietest walk, go early. The square fills through the day and into the evening, and the city lists the seasonal Tuesday night farmers market plus many special events on the Plaza calendar. Check the city's website for the current calendar before you plan around one.
Parking
Perimeter parking rings the square, and the state historic park points drivers to the large lot behind the Toscano Hotel and Barracks. On busy weekends, the side streets a block or two out are calmer than the spaces facing the park. A few house rules are worth knowing before you settle in: public restrooms are on the ground floor of the Carnegie building at 453 First Street East, dogs are not allowed on the Plaza, and smoking is prohibited in the park.
When to come
The Plaza hosts markets and events through the year, and the schedule changes with the seasons. Whatever the week holds, the square itself is the constant: the same eight acres, the same City Hall in the middle, the same easy loop.
None to date. The Tribune corrects errors promptly and transparently. Read our corrections policy.
