Walk into the park today and you’ll see the sign says Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park. But ask anyone who grew up in the South Bay or the Salinas Valley in the early 2000s, and they’ll tell you straight up: it’s Bonfante Gardens. It always will be. It's one of those rare places where the name changed but the soul didn't, which is honestly a miracle in the world of corporate-owned theme parks.
You’ve probably seen the Circus Trees. They’re the stars. These aren't just trees; they are living, breathing sculptures that look like they were pulled out of a fever dream or a Dr. Seuss book. Axel Erlandson, the horticulturalist behind them, spent his life grafting and shaping these sycamores and oaks into complex geometric patterns. We’re talking hearts, lattices, and even a "Basket Tree" that looks like it should be holding fruit but is actually just solid wood. When Michael Bonfante, the founder of the local Nob Hill Foods grocery chain, bought these trees in the 1980s, he wasn't looking for a quick buck. He was looking to save a piece of history.
The Bonfante Gardens Story Most People Forget
People forget that this place didn't start as a "theme park" in the way we think of Six Flags or Disney. It was a passion project. Michael Bonfante spent over $100 million of his own money to build this place. He was obsessed with trees—dendrology, if you want to be fancy about it. For years, it was a private park for his grocery store employees. When it finally opened to the public in June 2001, it was a bit of a shock to the system for most visitors. People expected roller coasters and loud music. What they got was a botanical masterpiece that just happened to have a few rides.
The timing was rough. Opening a multi-million dollar garden-themed park right before the tech bubble burst and the events of 9/11 meant the park struggled from day one. It nearly went bankrupt. By 2003, Paramount Parks (and later Cedar Fair) took over management. That's when the "Bonfante" name started to fade from the official branding, eventually becoming Gilroy Gardens in 2007 to better align with the city.
Honestly, the name change was a smart move for marketing. Gilroy is the "Garlic Capital of the World," and the park leaned into that. Hard. You can’t walk ten feet without seeing a garlic bulb character or smelling the scent of the nearby processing plants on a hot afternoon. But the heart of the park remains exactly what Michael built: a tribute to the beauty of the California landscape.
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Those Famous Circus Trees
You cannot talk about Bonfante Gardens without the trees. Out of the original 70-plus trees Axel Erlandson created, only about 25 survived to be moved to the park. It was a massive undertaking. Moving a 50-year-old tree that has been grafted into a "Four-Legged Giant" isn't like moving a potted plant. It requires specialized cranes, massive root balls, and a lot of luck.
The Basket Tree is the one you’ll see on all the brochures. It’s made of six individual sycamore trees grafted together at 42 different points. It’s a masterpiece of patience. Erlandson didn't use magic; he used "inarching," a grafting technique where the branches of two plants are joined together until they grow as one. If you look closely at the bark, you can still see the scars where the branches were originally fused decades ago. It’s kind of haunting.
What to Actually Do When You Get There
If you’re going there expecting the adrenaline-pumping drops of California’s Great America, you’re going to be disappointed. Go to Santa Clara for that. Bonfante Gardens—fine, Gilroy Gardens—is for a different vibe. It’s slower. It’s greener.
- The Quicksilver Express Mine Coaster: This is the big one. It’s a terrain coaster, meaning it follows the natural slope of the hillside. It’s not the fastest in the world, but it’s arguably one of the prettiest.
- The Garlic Twirl: Basically a Teacup ride, but you’re sitting in a giant garlic bulb. It’s a local rite of passage. If you don’t get slightly dizzy in a clove of garlic, did you even visit Gilroy?
- The Sky Trail Monorail: This gives you the best bird's-eye view of the gardens. It’s peaceful, and you can see the layout of the water features.
- The Pinnacles Rock Maze: This is a nod to the nearby Pinnacles National Park. It’s a great spot for kids to burn off energy while you take a breather in the shade.
The water features are another thing that sets this place apart. There are five different majestic waterfalls. The "Coyote Falls" is the one most people remember because you can actually walk behind it. There’s something deeply satisfying about standing behind a wall of water on a 95-degree July day in the Central Valley.
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Why the "Museum" Vibe Works
Most modern parks are designed to keep you in a state of high-alert sensory overload. Bonfante Gardens is the opposite. It’s designed to make you look down at the ferns and up at the canopy. It’s a living museum.
The park is technically a non-profit now, owned by the City of Gilroy. This is a big deal. It means the focus isn't purely on maximizing shareholder value by selling $15 sodas—though, let's be real, the food is still pricey. It means the primary mission is education and preservation. They have extensive programs for school kids to learn about horticulture and the local ecosystem.
Practical Advice for Your Visit
Don't just show up at noon. You'll roast. Gilroy gets hot—like, "surface of the sun" hot during the summer.
- Check the Calendar: Because it's a smaller park, it's not open every day. In the off-season, they're only open on weekends. Always check the official site before you drive out there.
- The Membership Loophole: If you live in the Bay Area, the membership often pays for itself in two visits. Plus, it usually gets you into other Cedar Fair parks like Great America, though you should verify the current "Gold Pass" tiers as they change every year.
- Pack a Picnic (Sort of): You can't bring food into the park, but there are shaded picnic areas right outside the gates in the parking lot. Many locals leave a cooler in the car, get their hands stamped, and eat a "tailgate lunch" to save forty bucks.
- The Holiday Lights: If you can, go during the "Lumination" or holiday events. The park at night, with the Circus Trees lit up, is genuinely magical. It’s a totally different experience than the daytime.
The Lasting Legacy of Michael Bonfante
Michael Bonfante sold his grocery empire to fund this dream. Think about that for a second. Most people with that kind of money buy a yacht or a sports team. He bought trees. He wanted to create something that would last longer than a corporate quarterly report.
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While the name on the gate changed, the DNA of the park hasn't shifted. It remains a sanctuary. It’s a place where you can teach a kid the difference between a redwood and a cedar while waiting in line for a ride shaped like a banana. It’s quirky, it’s beautiful, and it’s a little bit weird.
In a world of cookie-cutter entertainment, we need places like this. We need the "Basket Tree." We need the smell of garlic in the air. We need to remember that once upon a time, a guy with a lot of grocery store money decided to build a garden and invite everyone over to see it.
To get the most out of your trip, start by exploring the back trails near the Claudia’s Garden area first. Most people crowd the front rides, leaving the most serene parts of the park empty for the first hour of the day. Take your time. Look at the grafts. Appreciate the fact that a tree can be grown into a heart shape if someone is patient enough to guide it. That’s the real lesson of Bonfante Gardens.