Chicano Park - The Creation of The Park

The Creation of The Park

While the creation of the park was actually begun on the day of the takeover, with minor landscaping improvements being undertaken by the occupiers, the murals that brought the park to prominence were not begun until 1973. With few exceptions, the artists and their organizations raised the money necessary to purchase muriatic acid to wash the columns, rubber surface conditioner to prepare them, and paints. Artists were invited from all over the state, with notable contributions from the Royal Chicano Air Force of Sacramento and the mural team of Charles "Gato" Félix, responsible for the murals at the Estrada Courts in Los Angeles. Many non-Chicanos also participated. Over time, more vegetation was planted to create a cactus garden.

Other additions to the park have been piecemeal, as the comprehensive "Master Plan" put forth by the artists was never adopted by the city. The park has expanded, and currently reaches almost "all the way to the bay", a phrase used as the rally cry to extend the park in a 1980 campaign. The Cesar E. Chávez Waterfront Park was begun in 1987 and completed in 1990, finally restoring beach access to the community. With the exception of three city blocks that are not part of the park, the original goal of creating a community park with waterfront access has been achieved. Major mural restoration projects began in 1984, and the murals have been restored almost continuously ever since.