Los Altos still has apricot roots under Silicon Valley

Los Altos can feel like Silicon Valley now, but the apricot story gives the city a softer root. From its beginnings in 1908, Los Altos was known as one of the great apricot-producing places in the region.

The Los Altos History Museum helps keep that memory in plain sight. The historic J. Gilbert Smith House was built in 1905 on more than 14 acres of apricot orchards planted by Smith. The modern museum opened next door in 2001, and the nearby Heritage Orchard keeps part of that farm landscape alive.

That is useful because the Santa Clara Valley changed fast. Orchards gave way to homes, offices, schools, and tech campuses. A place like this helps a reader understand that Silicon Valley used to have a much stronger fruit-growing identity.

For a first visit, start at the museum grounds and orchard area. It is a simple way to see the farm roots beneath the polished residential city near major technology jobs.