Plaza Park

Plaza Park, also known as the Orange Plaza, is a historic public park located in the heart of Orange, California. Established in 1886, this 0.1-acre park serves as the centerpiece of Downtown Orange and is a defining feature of the city's layout. Unlike many other cities in the area, Orange was built around the roundabout created by this park.

The park's most recognizable feature is its decorative fountain, installed in 1937. This fountain, which replaced an earlier bronze fountain from 1887, features tilework by Charles McCandless and remains a focal point of the plaza. The park also contains walkways and mature trees, some of which date back to the late 1800s.

Plaza Park is surrounded by a traffic circle and is part of the Plaza Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The district encompasses a one-square-mile area known for its collection of historic buildings, many dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The park serves as a community gathering space and hosts various events throughout the year. It's situated within walking distance of Chapman University and is surrounded by a variety of small-scale retail shops, restaurants, and antique stores, contributing to the area's reputation as the "Antique Capital of California."