Chávez Home

Cesar and Helen Chavez lived in a small, modest home.

NPS photo

Quick Facts

Location:

César E. Chávez National Monument

Significance:

The home of Cesar and Helen Chavez from 1971 until their deaths in 1993 and 2016, respectively.

Designation:

National Register of Historic Places (added in 2011)

OPEN TO PUBLIC:

No

Amenities

2 listed

Audio Description, Wheelchair Accessible

This humble building was the home of Cesar Chavez and his wife Helen. When they moved here in 1971, the oldest of their eight children had already moved out of the family home but their younger children were raised here. Cesar and Helen remained in this house for the rest of their lives. Cesar passed away in 1993 and Helen lived here until her death in 2016.

When Cesar first considered acquiring La Paz as part of the farmworker movement, Helen was reluctant about the choice. She was brought to this place as a child in the 1930s. She was separated from her family and forced to live in a facility on the property for children who were believed to be malnourished. Returning here was difficult for her, but she ultimately agreed, in support of Cesar and his beliefs.

Today, the house is kept exactly as she left it when she passed away in 2016. In the kitchen, small mementos decorate the walls and a child's drawing of a fish is held to the refrigerator with a magnet. In the living room, bookcases hold a large collection of framed family photos. The house's modesty and simplicity depict the values of the Chavez family.

The chain link fence surrounding the property was erected in 1971, after federal agents uncovered a plot to assassinate Cesar and warned the United Farm Workers.

This building is not open to the public and is protected by a security system. Please observe from the outside.