Graceada is Modesto's oldest and most pleasant park, dating to 1908 and laid out with the wide lawns and tall trees that California public squares of the period favoured. It is a square block of shade, bordered by some of the most attractive older houses in the city, just north of downtown.
The park hosts the Sunday morning "Concerts in the Park" series in summer and the city's annual Graffiti Summer events linked to the American Graffiti anniversary. There are tennis courts, a playground, a small disc-golf course, and benches in good walking distance of coffee and breakfast on McHenry Avenue.