Where César Chávez led the farmworker movement — and rests.
Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
In a quiet, oak-and-pine canyon in the Tehachapi Mountains between Bakersfield and the Mojave, La Paz — "Our Lady, Queen of Peace" — was the home, workplace, and burial place of labor leader and civil-rights icon César Chávez, and the longtime national headquarters of the United Farm Workers. César E. Chávez National Monument preserves it as both a museum and a place of pilgrimage for the farmworker movement.
It's free, and open daily from 10 to 4. The contemplative heart of a visit is the Memorial Garden where César and Helen Chávez are buried; next to it, a Desert Garden grows plants from his birthplace outside Yuma, Arizona. The visitor center traces the movement — the Delano grape strike, the boycotts, the fasts inspired by Gandhi and Dr. King, and the rallying cry "Sí, se puede" — and preserves Chávez's office much as he left it. He moved the UFW's headquarters here in 1971 and lived and worked at La Paz until his death.
Visit respectfully: La Paz remains a living home, workplace, and active retreat community, so stay in designated areas. This is a mild mountain climate (~2,600 feet) — notably cooler than the scorching valley below — with pleasant spring and fall and warm, dry summers. Plan an hour to ninety minutes. It's a mile off CA-58 at exit 139 in Keene, east of Bakersfield. Base in Tehachapi or Bakersfield.
The tranquil garden where César and Helen Chávez are buried, anchored by a fountain honoring martyrs of the farm-labor movement — the emotional center of the monument. The adjoining Desert Garden grows plants from his birthplace outside Yuma, Arizona.
Insider tipDoors open at 10; come then, before the school and tour groups, and treat the grave as you would any shrine.
Plan a trip to this spot →Exhibits and a film trace the farmworker movement — the Delano grape strike, the boycotts, and "Sí, se puede" — and Chávez's office is preserved much as he left it.
Insider tipWatch the film first; the exhibits and office land harder once you understand the strike-and-boycott history.
Plan a trip to this spot →The former sanatorium Chávez made the UFW's national headquarters in 1971 and where he lived and worked — walk the publicly accessible grounds and courtyards.
Insider tipMuch of La Paz is still a private, active community — stay within visitor areas and respect closed signage.
Plan a trip to this spot →A coalition story: Filipino-American workers launched the 1965 Delano grape strike, then joined Chávez's group to form the UFW; with Dolores Huerta he drew on Gandhi and Dr. King's nonviolence, winning California's 1975 farm-labor law.
Insider tipNote the Filipino-American role — the strike is often remembered only as a Mexican-American story, but it began with Larry Itliong's union.
Plan a trip to this spot →NPS rangers and foundation staff offer programs that bring the boycotts, marches, and daily life at La Paz beyond the panels.
Insider tipCall ahead to ask what's scheduled — programming varies by season and staffing.
Plan a trip to this spot →A serene oak-and-pine canyon at ~2,600 feet — a cool-aired contrast to the agricultural valley below, fitting for a place named "Queen of Peace."
Insider tipThe mild mountain climate makes a midday visit comfortable even when the valley is brutally hot.
Plan a trip to this spot →A mountain/high-desert transition at ~2,600 feet: warm, dry summers — around 90 in July and occasionally past 100, but still notably milder than the scorching San Joaquin Valley below — and cool winters running 30 to 50, with most rain November–March, frosty mornings, and roads that can ice up. Spring (Apr–May) and fall (Oct) are the most pleasant, with the garden and grounds at their best.
Off CA-58 in Keene, just past Bakersfield — free.
Take CA-58 to exit 139 at Keene, ~30 min east of Bakersfield / ~2.5 hr from LA, then Woodford-Tehachapi Road; the monument is on the left just under a mile along. Free, open 10 to 4 daily except some federal holidays, and worth 1–1.5 hours. La Paz is still a living home and active retreat — stay in designated areas.
No lodging at the monument — stay in Tehachapi or Bakersfield.
The closest town (~11 mi east), a pleasant mountain community with motels — convenient for pairing with the Tehachapi Loop.
Booking tipClosest base.
The largest nearby city (~30 min), with the widest range of hotels, services, and dining.
Booking tipAn easy drive in.
Does it cost anything?
No — admission is free and no entrance pass is required. The visitor center, Memorial Garden, and gravesite are open 10 am to 4 pm daily, closed on some federal holidays.
Who was César Chávez, and why does this site matter?
A labor leader and civil-rights icon (1927–1993) who co-founded the United Farm Workers and led nonviolent strikes, boycotts, and fasts that won historic protections for farmworkers — popularizing "Sí, se puede." This was his home, workplace, the UFW's headquarters, and his burial place.
What can I see here?
His grave and the Memorial Garden, the adjoining Desert Garden of plants from his Yuma birthplace, his preserved office, and visitor-center exhibits and a documentary on the farmworker movement, plus the historic La Paz grounds and a bookstore run by the Cesar Chavez Foundation.
How do I visit respectfully?
La Paz is both a pilgrimage site with an active gravesite and a living movement headquarters — homes, offices, and a working retreat share the property. Keep to visitor areas, observe private/closed signage, and treat the grave and garden as the sacred spaces they are.
How long should I plan?
About 1 to 1.5 hours for the film, exhibits, office, grave and garden, and a walk of the grounds.
When is the best time to go?
Spring (April–May) and fall (October) are most comfortable. Summers are warm but milder than the valley; winters are cool, with frosty mornings and occasional ice on the road in. The site keeps the same 10-to-4 hours all year.
Pick your vehicle, line up the stops on the way in and out, and carry the whole route in your pocket.
