A short 20-minute drive from La Mirada is a communal gathering place in the heart of downtown Anaheim, complete with refurbished historic structures and new exciting uses. The Anaheim Packing District, located at the intersection of Anaheim Blvd and Santa Ana Street, includes the restored Packard Building & former Car Showroom, Farmers Park and the restored citrus Packing House, including Cooks Chapel, a community kitchen private event venue, as well as The Backyard an outdoor event area with a fireplace and orange grove. The Packing House features 20+ artisan eateries with live music on the Mezzanine Stage every weekend!
Packard Building
Located in the heart of downtown Anaheim, the Packard Building is one of a few historic commercial buildings remaining in a district that has seen tremendous new urban development in the past decade. Buildings such as the Packard Building and the citrus Packing House are quickly becoming the jewels of downtown Anaheim.
This mission revival building was built in 1925 and was designed with an open and light-filled interior typical of car showrooms. After decades of various automobile uses and miscellaneous modifications, the Packard Building has been restored to its original 1920’s glory. The Packard Building is now home to the Anaheim Brewery and Umami Burger.
Farmers Park
Farmers Park is a beautiful two-acre park featuring a grassy knoll, redwood boardwalk, community gardens and olive grove. Connecting two historic landmarks, the Anaheim Packing House and Packard Building, the park offers a vibrant community gathering place.
Packing House
One of the few remaining packing houses from the agricultural era for which Orange County is named, the Anaheim Citrus Packing House is a landmark in both County and City history. Built in 1919 at the edge of downtown Anaheim and along the Southern Pacific rail line, the Packing House was a hub of commerce for the area. Local farmers arrived to unload trucks of freshly picked citrus to begin the process of washing, grading, and eventual packing into wooden crates. Once completed, the crated and labeled citrus would be loaded onto rail cars parked on the side of the building to be shipped nationwide.
The restored Packing House is a food hall reminiscent of the great public markets of South America and Europe. These markets serve as a resource for the neighborhood (daily food production) and a community gathering space (restaurants and entertainment). The two-level Packing House features a large central atrium with communal dining surrounded by cafes and kiosks of varying sizes as well as outdoor picnic gardens and a building-length dining porch looking out to the outdoor marketplace, Farmers’ Park.
Source: Anaheim Packing District | Photo Credit: OC Stock Photos