There’s an old “Twilight Zone” episode in which a stressed-out, big-city ad executive slips into an idyllic 19th-century small town called Willoughby. Or not. Maybe he fell into San Jose’s History Park at Kelley Park instead.

Possibly the smallest “town” in the Bay Area in size and feel, History Park is 14 acres of anachronism. It’s a cluster of 32 historic buildings from Santa Clara Valley’s past — a hotel, post office, gas station, residences, fruit barn, firehouse, stables, a dentist’s office and more, all laid out over several blocks on real paved streets, set amid magnolias, old oaks and grassy picnic spots. And a trolley runs through it.

A few of the structures are artful reproductions, but most are original, moved from various spots around the region, all tenderly restored and maintained as if no time had passed at all. Yet it’s not just a bunch of old buildings. To be sure, the park is a cache of history and a study of architecture — from neoclassic bungalows and Queen Anne styles to Italianate farmhouses of the late 1800s.

But it’s also meant for modern use. It’s home to art galleries, such as the Arbuckle Gallery inside the Pacific Hotel building, and the Leonard and David McKay Gallery at the Pasetta House.

Several of the historic structures house cultural groups, such as the Chinese American Historical Museum, the Portuguese Historical Museum at the Imperio and the California Pioneers of Santa Clara County.

And the park has its own history with humble beginnings in 1972, gradually adding houses and buildings over the years, many bequeathed by original families and now operated in partnership with 19 community organizations.

The best part is, History Park is free, unless there’s a special event going on, such as the upcoming San Jose Poetry Festival Sept. 18, or the Hands-on History Days/Haunt History Park on Oct. 30.

The park is open daily, but for the fullest experience, you’ll want to go on the weekend when you can tour many of the historic buildings, see exhibits, ride the trolley and get a treat in O’Brien’s Ice Cream Parlor and Candy Shop, a crisp white-walled corner inside the Pacific Hotel.

On a recent weekday visit, people on lunch break from nearby businesses around Senter Road and Phelan Avenue find respite from the real world while strolling through the park. There’s much meandering here, ambling, sauntering, dawdling — take your pick.

I go with amble, and make my way over to the Associated Gasoline station, originally built in 1927 at the corner of Market and Julian Streets in San Jose. It’s a tiny building set at an angle on a street corner, an old faded blue Ford pickup is parked, ready for a fill-up at the vintage pumps. But it might be a while — the mannequin attendant seems a bit lethargic.

A short saunter down the street is the Pacific Hotel, originally located in downtown San Jose, near the Plaza de Cesar Chavez. It opened in 1880, under the ownership of Charles Schiele, a Prussian immigrant and former waiter. While the hotel was in operation, it had 55 rooms, a bar, billiards, a reading room and a livery stable. Room and board were under $15. What a deal!

Just outside the hotel is a huge metal tower. San Jose’s Electric Light Tower was erected in 1881, straddling the intersection of Santa Clara and Market streets. At 237-feet tall, its beacon was supposed to provide light for the entire downtown area, but it “proved to be more spectacular than practical,” according to the park’s website, “since its 24,000 candlepower failed to sufficiently light the area.”

I head up the street to Dr. Henry Hulme Warburton’s office. Originally from England, Warburton was one of the first physicians in the Santa Clara Valley. He was a surgeon aboard a whaling ship when it docked in San Francisco in 1847, and he constructed this office in the 1870s.

The Chinese American Historical Museum at the Ng Shing Gung — open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. every first and third Sunday — is yet another world in itself. The building is a reconstruction of the original Ng Shing Gung (Temple of the Five Gods) that served as a community center for the local Chinese-American community. Inside, the second floor features the ornate altar from the original Ng Shing Gung, with warm-wood-lined walls and intricate carvings.

On this day, I sit for a bit under a magnolia tree, take a deep relaxing breath and pretend. Perhaps I stopped in Willoughby after all.

HISTORY PARK AT KELLEY PARK, SAN JOSE

With 32 original and reproduction homes, businesses and landmarks, History Park highlights Santa Clara Valley’s past. Complete with paved streets, running trolleys and a cafe, this 14-acre site has the charm and ambience of times gone by.

WHERE: Find the History Park at 635 Phelan Ave., at the southern end of Kelley Park. Accessible by VTA line 73.

HOURS: Grounds are open for strolling 12-5 p.m. weekdays. Trolley rides are available and the ice cream parlor, some historic buildings and the park grounds are open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekends. Free admission. Check www.historysanjose.org for more details.