Mountain View Historical Association

They were told, “Go fly a kite.” – so they did! @MtnViewCA in 1976 hosted a yearlong series of programs & activities to mark the #AmericanBicentennial, including a kite-flying contest on March 20 of that year. Kites flown by kids & adults were judged in a variety of categories.

Put a spring in your step as you step into spring! Join the MVHA for the season's first #WalkingTour of @MtnViewCA’s historic downtown next Sunday, March 22, 2:00pm. The expert-led walking tour begins at Centennial Plaza and requires reservations -- go to MVHistory.Eventbrite.com.

A rose by any other name... Today is #PlantAFlowerDay – & @MtnViewCA residents for decades had plenty of flower options: The Ferry-Morse Seed Company’s western HQ was at Evelyn Ave. & Whisman Rd. from 1951 to 1985, during which it was the world’s largest flower & vegetable mill.

#History, then and now: 2026 marks 250 years since the #DeclarationOfIndependence was signed. Fifty years ago, Bicentennial events were held across the U.S., while in @MtnViewCA a #VolunteerCommittee planned huge celebrations. This year, the MVHA will highlight stories from them.

Attention nostalgic @MountainViewCA residents: Today is #NationalRetroDay! Whatever past era you recall most fondly, today’s the day to recognize it. Say, for example, the ‘50s -- pictured is Castro St. in 1959. Keen eyes will pick out part of what was the Mountain View Theater.

There’s a first time for everything! If you haven’t taken one of our expert-led walking tours of @MtnViewCA’s historic downtown, now’s your chance: The first MVHA #WalkingTour of 2026 takes place Sunday, Feb. 22, 2:00pm. Reservations required, so go to MVHistory.Eventbrite.com.

Start shooting those arrows, Cupid; tomorrow's #ValentinesDay! Lovers for centuries have expressed their affection for one another in a variety of ways. Cards like this (saved in the archives of the History Center in the @MtnViewCA public library) were common in the early 1900s.

Super in @MtnViewCA: With the #SuperBowl right around the corner – almost literally; it’s just two cities away! – let’s highlight another super #football team: the 1921 Mountain View High School squad that went 4-2 that year. They ended the season by beating San Jose High, 34-0!

Ciao, @MtnViewCA! Join us for "Italians of Mountain View: Families, Founders and Friendships" -- a presentation by the MVHA about our city's rich #ItalianHeritage, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2:00pm, at the Mountain View Public Library. Register (required) here: mvhistory.eventbrite.com

Show of hands: Who DOESN'T like #IceCream? Didn’t think so! Today is #StrawberryIceCreamDay, so go ahead and enjoy a scoop or two, just as these folks likely enjoyed back in the 1930s at the Silver Seal Creamery on Castro St. in @MtnViewCA.

On this #LawEnforcementAppreciationDay, let’s pause to salute the @MoutainViewPD. Established in 1902 and operating initially out of one room in @MtnViewCA’s then City Hall, the MVPD has grown along with the city and continues to #ServeAndProtect its residents. Thank you, MVPD!

Bits, bytes and bountiful #technology! Today is #NationalTechnologyDay honoring engineering achievements like those from the Advanced Technology Laboratories that operated at 369 Whisman Rd. in @MtnViewCA until the 1960s. It served as an R&D facility for local manufacturers.

Farewell, 2025, & welcome, 2026! The MVHA celebrates @MtnViewCA’s rich #history, of course, but we also look forward to an equally rich future for our fair city. This colorful image, from an early-1900s postcard, captures our wish to all for the coming year: #HappyNewYear2026!

Recognize the historic downtown in this picture? Yupp, that’s @MtnViewCA’s Castro St. back in the ‘50s, festooned in holiday decorations. Residents of a certain, uhh, “vintage” might identify some of the old businesses then. In any case, #HappyHolidays from the MVHA to you!

We’re thankful for family, friends, health, peace, and @MtnViewCA history! The MVHA would like to wish everyone near and far a happy #Thanksgiving. This early-1900s greeting card, from a collection in the Mountain View Public Library’s History Center, captures that sentiment.

Saluting our veterans: On this #VeteransDay, we acknowledge the men and women, locally and across the country, who served our country honorably in the armed forces’ various branches. @MtnViewCA will honor its own #veterans at a ceremony in Eagle Park, 650 Franklin St., 11:00am.

Gilded in @MtnViewCA: More than 80 people attended our November 2 history event at the MV #library. Author Nancy Unger (pictured) gave a talk titled “More than Orchards: MV in the Gilded Age 1880-1920” that delved into the economic, political and societal forces of those decades.

Unlike ghosts and goblins, @MtnViewCA history is hiding in plain sight! Join the MVHA for another expert-led walking tour of the downtown’s #HistoricSites this Sunday, October 26. The tour starts at 2:00pm at Centennial Plaza. Registration required -- eventbrite.com/o/mountain-vie…

Still a sweet victory after 50 years! Mountain View High School will honor its football team’s major-upset win over Monta Vista to claim the 1975 #CentralCoastSection championship, tomorrow (Oct. 9) prior to the @Spartans_MVHS’s game vs. @SanMateoHS. @MountainViewCA #HighSchoolFB

Read it like you mean it! Today is #NationalBookshopDay, celebrating America's beloved local purveyors of the printed word. Books, Inc. downtown @MtnView was originally located at 301 Castro St., built in the 1940s, until the store moved just a few doors south. @BooksIncStores