Our Story
Shadelands has always been firmly rooted in the community, first as a thriving fruit farm, and now as a world-class, regional business and lifestyle destination benefiting businesses, residents, and visitors, who are attracted to its vitality, diversity, and life-enhancing opportunities.
Shadelands Walnut Creek is located between Oak Grove Road, Ygnacio Valley Road, Lennon Lane, and the Contra Costa Canal and Trail.
The main streets within Shadelands include:
Shadelands Drive
North Via Monte
Mitchell Drive
North Wiget Lane
Lennon Lane
Original owner, Hiram Penniman
National register of historic places plaque
Shady Ladies - volunteers of the Walnut Creek Historical Society
The ranch’s preserved fireplace
The house circa 1852
Shadelands Historical Musuem
The beautiful gazebo often used today for wedding ceremonies
Shadelands Fruit Farm
The history of Shadelands dates back to 1852, when Hiram Penniman (1824-1907), one of the earliest pioneers of the Ygnacio Valley, purchased 500 acres of land in the area now known as Shadelands. Penniman planted hundreds of fruit and nut trees, and his “Shadelands Fruit Farm” became the first large-scale commercial orchard operation in the valley.
Shadelands Ranch Museum
Penniman’s house, designed by the firm of Eckers & Sells and built in 1903, is one of the finest remaining examples of redwood-framed Colonial Revival architecture in Contra Costa County and the only major Colonial Revival house in the Walnut Creek area. Over the years, the house changed hands and the land was divided and sold. Today the house at 2660 Ygnacio Valley Road is known as the Shadelands Ranch Museum and is home to the Walnut Creek Historical Society. The house, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open to the public, showcases numerous historical artifacts, many that belonged to the Pennimans. It also houses a rich archive of Contra Costa and Walnut Creek history in the historical society’s collections of old newspapers, photographs, and government records. For more information, visit their website.
Park-like setting
Office space
Arts center
Walkways and sidewalks
Shadelands Business Park
Built in 1975, Shadelands was Walnut Creek’s first business park, designed as a traditional office and R&D center. Shadelands attracted a variety of businesses and nonprofits, from sole proprietors and small businesses in professional services to large anchor corporations such as Del Monte Foods. Through the years, scores of local elementary school students have toured Del Monte’s facility and returned home with canned corn coin banks as souvenirs. Del Monte now shares Shadelands with hundreds of innovative enterprises, including state-of-the-art healthcare facilities, sports centers, retail and food establishments, professional services, and a senior residence.
Shadelands Property and Business Improvement District (PBID)
In August 2014, the Walnut Creek City Council approved the creation of the Shadelands Property and Business Improvement District (PBID), a unified group of Shadelands property owners, to advocate for, direct, and promote opportunities for economic growth, job creation, and park rejuvenation.