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Browsing San Jose (Silicon Valley)
Ainsley House
A grand English Tudor style home that is impeccably decorated in 1920s style, the Ainsley house is surrounded by a graceful English garden. Originally home to Campbell canning mogul J.C. Ainsley and his wife, the house was built in 1925, and the furniture and interior decorations are all true representations of his era. The house was moved to its current location in 1990. Along with the surrounding gardens, it is often rented for weddings and other social gatherings. Tours by knowledgeable volunteer docents are available from March to December.
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Almaden Lake Park
A lovely park with high quality recreation facilities, Almaden Lake Park is best known because it contains the only sand beach swimming area in South Bay. The park is divided into two areas: the Eastside, which runs along Winfield Boulevard, and the Westside, which runs along the Almaden Expressway. The beach is in the Westside part of the park, which is also a wildlife sanctuary. Fishing is popular on the 32 acre-lake, and facilities for bocce ball, volleyball, and picnics are available. A playground with a water play area is on the Eastside of the park. Los Alamitos Creek Trail, which starts at the south end of the park, provides a 3.9 mile path to Santa Teresa County Park, and features a fitness trail. There is also a roughly one mile bike path at the north end of the park. Note that dogs are only allowed in the Westside of the park.
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Almaden Quicksilver County Park
This huge 4,157 acre park sprawls along a ridge in the foothills south of San Jose. Mostly undeveloped except for miles of hiking trails, horse trails, and bike trails that meander through it, the park's wildness and isolation belie a past as a hub of mercury mining activity. Old mining tunnels, now sealed for safety reasons, reportedly stretch for thousands of feet under the hillsides, and the remnants of miners cabins can also be seen. The meadows and wildlands of the park are covered with wildflowers in springtime, and you can often spot wildlife.
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Alum Rock Park
Located on the eastern side of San Jose in a canyon in the Diablo Mountain foothills, this park was dedicated in 1872 and has the distinction of being the very first municipal park in California. The park's unique mix of vegetation--you will find both live oaks and sagebrush growing on the canyon's walls--make it feel uniquely Californian. The park's 720 acres meander along Penitencia Creek, and 13 miles of trails offer a number of different hiking options. Those willing to make the strenuous hike up to the ridges on the sides of the canyon will be rewarded with impressive views, while those wanting a more relaxing stroll will do best to follow the path along the creek. While hikers can access all of the trails, some trails are additionally designated for horse riding and others for mountain biking.
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Alviso Marina County Park
Located at the farthest southern tip of San Francisco Bay, this peaceful park along the San Jose's marshland is an excellent recreation area for you to stroll and see birds and other wildlife. Surrounding it is a charming Victorian-style neighborhood where the scent of fish-fry drifts from several cafes and restaurants.
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Ayoma LifeSpa
This upscale spa, located in the Hotel Valencia Santana Row, offers a number of spa services based on the 5,000 year old Indian healing practice of Ayurveda. A holistic system involving massage, herbal treatments, diet and nutrition, exercise, and aesthetic and philosophical aspects, Ayurveda aims to bring balance to mind and body. Ayoma spa provides consultations by Ayurvedic specialists, as well as a number of different traditional Ayurvedic treatments, including Abhyanga oil massages, and other herbal aromatherapy treatments, facials and body wraps. The spa takes its Ayurvedic philosophy very seriously, and the staff is highly knowledgeable and highly skilled.
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Bank of Italy Building
This 13-story building was built in 1926, yet it still dominates downtown San Jose's skyline as it competes in architectural grandeur with more modern buildings. Considered by some historians to be the city's first "skyscraper," it was built by architect H. A. Minton to one of the world's first "earthquake-proof" constructions in the Bay Area region.
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Bay 101
Located just south of San Francisco Bay off Highway 101 (from which it gets its name), this popular card club provides guests with games of chance 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When you want to take a break from gambling, you can enjoy a meal at Sutter's Broiler, the sports bar and restaurant that offers American and Asian food. There's also a deli that will bring sandwiches, soup, and other food items to you on the gaming floor so you can keep up your energy while you play.
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Bay Area Glass Institute
Founded by four San Jose State University students who dreamed of creating a workshop space for local glassblowing artists, the Bay Area Glass Institute has become something of a San Jose cultural mecca. Tours and glassblowing demonstrations will introduce you to this highly skilled art form, and classes and workshops are offered constantly if you want to get involved with glass in a more hands-on way. The founders originally created and sold glass pumpkins every year to help fund their enterprise, and the glass pumpkins are still available every Halloween. Art aficionados will find much to appreciate in the impressive gallery that features the Institute's artists.
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Boulder Creek Golf and Country Club
Located in a idyllic mountain setting an hour from San Jose, the Boulder Creek Golf and Country Club offers a spectacular 18-hole golf course, tennis and swimming facilities, and a full restaurant and bar. Complete conference facilities are also available. The golf course meanders over rolling terrain, through redwood forests and several lakes. The course is par 65 for men and par 67 for women, and was designed by Jack Fleming. You can reserve a tee time online through the club's website.
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Burke Williams Spa
The Burke Williams Spas are known for combining a luxurious spa experience with modern science. The spa treatments it offers are the same well-known treatments that you would receive at a world class European spa, and some of them are ancient techniques, dating back to the Roman empire or earlier. The knowledge and skills of the staff are very 21st century, however. The spa offers various spa baths and other hydrotherapies, along with all types of massages, wraps, and facials.
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Burrell School Vineyards & Winery
The wines produced by this small winery located in a historic schoolhouse are anything but ordinary, and the setting, overlooking the wild terrain of the Santa Cruz mountains, is equally special. David and Ann Moulton planted the Estate vineyard with Chardonnay and Merlot in 1973, and added Pinot Noir in 2002. The loam and shale soil is somewhat unique because of the proximity of the San Andreas fault line, and the moderating influence of nearby Monterey Bay makes for a micro-climate marked by warm days and cool nights. The tasting room here is a wonderful place to taste wines, and offers enough events to attract wine lovers from all over the state and beyond.
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Byington Vineyard and Winery
A beautiful mountain retreat featuring world-class hand-crafted wines, the Byington Vineyard and Winery is a pleasant and hospitable place to spend an afternoon. A 45-minute tour of the winery includes tastings of the available wines, and picnic facilities on the gorgeous grounds. A popular place for weddings, meetings, and corporate events, the winery is just as welcoming to those who want to have an informal picnic in the stunning Santa Cruz mountains. They will even provide bocce ball supplies if you wish. The winery was founded by Bill Byington, a self-made man who started Byington Steel Treatment company with just $800 in his hands. The winery is his labor of love, and he certainly has not labored in vain.
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Calero County Park
For visitors who want to enjoy a wilderness trek into Silicon Valley's foothills--or those who just want to have water fun on an immense reservoir--Calero County Park is a great place to spend a day. The trails vary in grades and difficulty, and many of them are fairly rugged paths involving steep climbs. But the view from the top is worth it because of the surrounding landscape. Bring a camera for some great photos--especially in the springtime when the wildflowers are at full color. And if you want to rent a horse or two for a ride, stables are available at the southern end of the park.
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California Theatre
If you're into opera or classical music, this is the perfect Silicon Valley setting to enjoy performances. Originally built as a grand movie palace, this remarkable theater is a splendid place to view performances by Opera San Jose and Symphony Silicon Valley. It also often shows old movies, with a 1927 Wurlitzer pipe organ getting audiences into a mood for yesteryear between showings. Opera San Jose puts on four operas every season, and Symphony Silicon Valley also uses the theater for performances of the great masters of music.
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Campbell Historical Museum
With interactive, tactile displays that encourage you to literally get "hands-on" with history, the Campbell Historical Museum transports you back to Santa Clara county's colorful past. You can check out a re-creation of a general store, visit a family parlor, or see some of the earliest equipment used by the Campbell Fire Department. The museum is housed in a historic building that was originally the town's first fire department, and includes a small gift shop.
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Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph
The history of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph can be traced back to 1773, when the Santa Clara Mission was established along with the village of Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe, the first civilian settlement in what was then called Alta California. The first St. Joseph's was a small adobe church built in the village in 1803, which makes the church parish the oldest non-mission parish in the state of California. The church was burned or destroyed by earthquakes a number of times, and the current cathedral is actually the fifth incarnation. The domed interior of the church is stunning, and beautiful stained glass floods the church with light and color.
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Children's Discovery Museum
One of the biggest children's museums of its kind in the country, the Discovery Museum offers no less than 150 interactive exhibits on two floors. The key word here is engagement--kids are encouraged to feel, explore, twist, turn, create, and move at every step, and the exhibits are varied enough to appeal to all kinds of kids. The structure housing all of this fun, a 52,000 square foot purple building designed by Mexico-city architect Ricardo Legorreta, is strikingly distinctive.
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Children's Musical Theater San Jose
From a humble beginning as a community children's theater founded in 1968, the Children's Musical Theater San Jose has grown into one of the biggest children's musical theaters and children's theater training programs in the country. The company's "Mainstage" group, which features the company's most talented high-school and college age performers, produces roughly four musicals a year on its main stage, while its "Rising Stars" group (grade school age performers) produces several more. The "Marquee Productions" group, featuring the most talented alumni and adult performers, also stages occasional productions. A major part of the mission of the theater is inclusiveness and accessibility: all who audition are casted. The training aims at inspiring children to become lifelong artists and appreciators of art, and to help them learn skills--like effective communication and collaboration--that will serve them well whatever career they end up in as adults.
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Cinnabar Hills Golf Club
With three distinct 9-hole courses--the Canyon course, the Lake course, and the Mountain course--tucked into the hills south of Silicon Valley, Cinnabar Hills provides world class golf that is convenient and accessible. Named one of the nations top 45 golf facilities in the country by the Golf World Reader's Choice awards, the club has also won the distinction of being named the best public course in Silicon Valley by a number of local publications. In addition to the three courses, designed by John Harbottle III to integrate harmoniously with the local landscape and wildlife, the club has a well-equipped pro shop, a restaurant, and a bar. Golf carts feature GPS, and you can reserve your tee time online through the club's website.
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City Lights Theater Company
This downtown San Jose non-profit theater group dares to make its audiences think and often feel uncomfortable in questioning their own beliefs. It strives to find plays from up-and-coming Bay Area writers. You'll definitely have a low-cost but challenging night's entertainment. City Lights has six shows each season, most of which are of a high production quality.
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Computer History Museum
What kind of high tech mecca would San Jose be without a museum dedicated to the history of computers? This large, state of the art facility offers a fascinating look at the device that has revolutionized modern life. The largest and best collection of computing artifacts anywhere in the world, the collection contains over 50,000 objects, 4,000 square feet of documentation, and (of course) several hundred gigabytes of stored software. You can check out the original Cray-1 supercomputer, the early Apple I personal computer (the company's first), and many other items which have near sacred status in the tech geek universe. Besides equipment, the museum features an informative timeline that shows how computers and microprocessors developed, and also hosts occasional lectures and events.
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Cooper-Garrod Fine Estate Winery
A 28 acre vineyard and winery located just above the village of Saratoga in the eastern Santa Cruz mountains, Cooper-Garrod Fine Estate Winery offers wine tasting, beautiful picnic spots, and an equestrian center. The winery specializes in Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Viognier wines, and also produces a signature blend called RV's Fine Claret, which is modeled after the Bordeaux style. The vineyard's location near South Bay on the sunny slopes of the Santa Cruz mountains allows it to capitalize on the sunny days, cool nights, and long growing season that makes the area such an ideal place for producing wine.
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Coyote Creek Golf Club
The two courses designed by Jack Nicklaus for Coyote Creek Golf Club are inspired by the natural contours of the rolling hills and gentle valleys south of San Jose. The Tournament course, a par 72, 7,027 yard course carved from slopes of the Diablo range, will challenge skilled golfers to play their best while impressing them with stunning views of the surrounding countryside. The Valley course will appeal to golfers at all ability levels, and the lakes and water features on the final holes give the course a distinct flavor all its own. The Valley course is also par 72, and is 7,066 yards long from the blue tees. The club is minutes from downtown San Jose, and features a pro shop, a bar and grill, and a state-of-the-art practice facility.
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Coyote Creek Trail
Stretching about 16 miles from Hellyer County Park in San Jose to Anderson Reservoir County Park in Morgan Hill, this trail is a relaxing way to view the natural terrain of Coyote Valley. It's relatively flat and passes among ponds and marshlands bordering the creek.
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Coyote Valley
Along Monterey Road just south of San Jose's Santa Teresa district, you'll discover this exceptionally bucolic region in the middle of America's 10th largest city. In 1999, Internet router company Cisco Systems proposed building a major manufacturing site here. That idea fizzled with the dot-com bust, but it prompted the city of San Jose to consider constructing a major suburb for 70,000 people here. Enjoy the tranquility of the valley, as the natural beauty might not be here in the near future.
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Dolce Hayes Mansion
The wealthy Hayes family built their 60-room Mediterranean-style mansion in the elegant Edenvale district of central San Jose. In 1994, the historic landmark was turned into a resort hotel and conference center where you can enjoy various activities such as fine dining and a spa. You don't have to stay at the hotel as a guest to enjoy it; casual visitors who just want to explore the site for its history and lovely gardens are welcome.
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Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
At this urban area wildlife refuge that spreads across more than 30,000 acres around San Francisco Bay, you can enjoy a number of recreational activities including hiking trails, fishing, hunting, and boating. The refuge spans much of the South Bay, and in San Jose, you can visit its excellent Refuge Environmental Education Center in the Alviso neighborhood.
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Downtown Mountain View
The city of Mountain View, like most communities in Silicon Valley, started as a farm village. It later grew into a large city, but its downtown business district along Castro Street still retains a friendly feel. On the western end, you'll find the Civic Center Plaza with the stunning Mountain View Center for Performing Arts. Scattered throughout the next few blocks are restaurants--many serving excellent Asian cuisine--coffee shops, and various types of stores.
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Downtown Palo Alto
The heart of Palo Alto is focused on its charming downtown area along University Avenue. Here you'll most likely find Stanford students with their heads buried deep in their books as they study at coffee shops. If you like art, there are a number of galleries that will welcome you to browse and buy. The downtown area especially comes alive on Friday and Saturday nights, when the restaurants and bars here attract the most business.
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Duldzin Dragpa Buddhist Center
A small Buddhist center located in a private home near the Blossom Valley neighborhood, Duldzin Dragpa Buddhist Center offers meditation courses and drop-in meditation sessions several times per week. The center is casual and all are welcome to attend classes. The philosophy centers around the New Kadampa tradition, which encourages those who follow it to attempt to apply Buddha's teachings to their everyday lives.
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Emma Prusch Farm Park
This large urban farm is sure to be a hit with kids and is a great way to introduce them to agricultural life. The farm features all manner of farm animals, from rabbits to pigs to cows, a rare fruit orchard that features rare and exotic fruit trees, and another orchard of deciduous fruit trees. Besides being a great spot to bring a picnic and explore, the farm's wide open grassy spaces are perfect for flying a kite or enjoying other games in the fresh air. The farm is partially run by local 4H and Future Farmers of America organizations, and the barn has the distinction of being the largest free standing barn run by those organizations in San Jose. The historic farmhouse, donated by Emma Prusch, is well-preserved and worth checking out.
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Filoli Center
In the affluent community of Woodside about 20 minutes drive north of San Jose on the Bay Area's Peninsula region, you'll find that this elegant estate is a romantic day trip that will take you to a more colorful time in California's history. It was designed and built in 1916 for Gold Rush millionaire William Bourne. His spectacular 43-room Georgian-style mansion was named by using the first couple of letters of Bourne's motto: “Fight for a just cause; Love your fellow man; Live a good life.” -- Fight, Love, Live... or Filoli.
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Forbes Mill Annex
Located along the Los Gatos Creek Trail, you'll discover this charming two-story stone building that was originally built in the 1800s as an annex to Alexander Forbes's wheat mill. It now serves as a museum devoted to teaching visitors about the history of Los Gatos.
Forbes Mill itself was built by a Scottish man named James Alexander Forbes who came to California in 1831 and once served as a manager at the Mission Santa Clara. The mill cost $100,000 to build and stood four stories high. It was completed in August 1854, but the machinery did not arrive via ship from New York until April 1855. This delay caused Forbes to lose a significant amount of money because he couldn't mill that year's large wheat harvest. He faced a huge debt and declared bankruptcy in December 1856. The mill went through several owners until it found one that made it a prosperous business.
A town grew around Forbes Mill, and locals called the community Forbestown for a time. But they changed it to Los Gatos after the original Mexican rancho. More »
Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park
Part botanical gardens and part amusement park, Gilroy Gardens contains no less than six lush gardens, more than 40 rides, water features, rock mazes, and more. The gardens and flowers are landscaped with the rides and other features and create a theme park that is wonderfully fragrant, environmentally friendly, and loads of fun. Besides the monorail, the gardens, and the rides, the park, which is a non-profit entity aiming to increase appreciation of horticulture, offers educational programs.
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Guadalupe River Park & Gardens
A gem of an urban park that winds along the Guadalupe River for three miles in the heart of downtown San Jose, Guadalupe River Park & Gardens packs a lot into its narrow confines. The southern end of the park contains Discovery Meadow, which is adjacent to the Children's Discovery Museum and is home to the largest Monopoly game board in the world (930 square feet!). A number of beautifully landscaped gardens, including a spectacular rose garden and a fruit orchard, follow the length of the park. The park often hosts festivals and other events in the summer months. Pleasant biking and jogging trails along the river make the park a perfect place for a ride or stroll.
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Guglielmo Winery
The Guglielmo Winery was started in 1925 by a Emilio Guglielmo, a savvy, entrepreneurial immigrant from Italy's Piedmonte region. Correctly anticipating that Prohibition would end soon, Emilio purchased prime vineyards in the Santa Clara Valley and quickly developed a reputation for producing fine wines in the Italian, French, and Basque immigrant communities in San Francisco. Several generations later, the tradition of making fine wines continues, with Emilio's grandson George in charge of crafting the award-winning varietal wines. Besides more familiar California varietals like Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zinfandel, Guglielmo also produces fine versions of Italian wines like Grignolino and Sangiovese. Tours and tastings are available most days, and a gourmet food store offers Italian delicacies.
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Hakone Gardens
The simplicity, elegance, and serenity of these Japanese gardens might be due in part to the fact that they were designed by a descendant of the gardener to the Japanese Emperor. Founded in 1915, the Hakone gardens are the oldest Japanese estate gardens in the Western Hemisphere, and they have National Trust Historic Landmark status. Located near the village of Saratoga and overlooking fast-paced Silicon Valley with Zen-like calm, the gardens are only minutes from downtown San Jose.
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Happy Hollow Park & Zoo
This fun-filled spot is highly recommended for families with young children (and pretty much anyone else, too). People have been flocking to the park and zoo since the early 1960s. All the things that children could want are here: puppet shows, rides, birthday facilities, classes, and holiday feasts. A great place for an affordable family outing, it caters especially to kids younger than 12, but kids of all ages are welcome. You can even adopt pets if you so desire.
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Hidden Villa
Dedicated to promoting sustainable and just future through allowing guests to reconnect with the natural world, Hidden Villa is the place to go if you are looking for some respite and a bit of perspective on the bustle of modern life. Over 1600 acres of open space land provide plenty of room for reflection. The lands contain an organic farm, miles of hiking space, and pristine woodlands. A hostel and cabin are available for those who wish to stay overnight, and are often rented by groups. Educational programs that concern sustainability and social justice are offered on a continual basis. Come here to hike, explore, or just take in the natural beauty.
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History Park at Kelley Park
The rich history of California's oldest city comes alive at History Park, a collection of 27 original and recreated buildings from San Jose's past. Historic houses, hotels, and business, along with a running electric trolley, create the impression of walking through town as it appeared in a bygone era. Every building here has a story. For instance, the Bank of Italy building is the site of the first branch of the San Francisco Bank of Italy, founded in 1909 by Amadeo Peter Giannini. By the 1930s, the Bank of Italy had grown into the Bank of America, which to this day is still one of America's largest banks and credit card issuers. Tours by knowledgeable docents are available, or you can poke around the beautifully restored old buildings on your own.
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HP Pavilion at San Jose
This sleek glass palace is a state-of-the-art stadium and event venue. Home to the NHL's San Jose Sharks and the WNBA's San Jose Stealth, the Pavilion also hosts major musical entertainers--Celine Dion and Britney Spears both performed recently. The venue seems to have brought good luck to the Sharks, who have gone from setting an NHL record for games lost in their initial 1991-92 season, when they played at the Cow Palace outside San Francisco, to having the third best record in the league playing at the Pavilion in 2003-2004.
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Intel Museum
With its informative and interactive exhibits about how computers work, the Intel museum is a great place to familiarize yourself with the high-tech information science that is at the heart of Silicon Valley's soaring economy. You can check out what it's like inside an super-clean computer chip manufacturing plant, write your name in binary code, and learn about how micro-processors have revolutionized the world. With 10,000 square feet of high-tech gadgetry to explore, you are sure to find something for everyone in the family.
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Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies
A research center that hosts a number of concerts, lectures, and other events every year, the Beethoven Center is the only institution in the country dedicated solely to the life and works of Ludwig Van Beethoven. Home to the largest collection of Beethoven materials outside of Europe, the Center was created when Ira F. Brilliant, a Phoenix real estate developer, donated his collection of 75 first edition Beethoven manuscripts. Besides original manuscripts and other artifacts from the composer's life and times, you can also view--no kidding--a lock of Beethoven's hair. For anyone with a serious interest in Beethoven and his era, it is worth checking out what the Center has to offer while you are in town.
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J. Lohr Winery
While the 3,000 acres of vineyards for J. Lohr's award winning wines are scattered across a wide rural swath of three of California's best wine growing regions--Arroy Seco, Paso Robles, and Napa Valley--the vintner has conveniently located a tasting room in the heart of urban San Jose. Tastings of all except the most premium wines are offered free of charge, and no reservation is needed unless you are visiting with a large group. Best known for its Chardonnays, the winery also produces wines from nearly every other well-known varietal grown in California. The vast expanse of vineyards that the winery owns allows it to ensure that only the best grapes make the cut for its wines.
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Japanese American Museum of San Jose
Housed in the historic heart of one of only three remaining Japantown's in the US, the exhibits at the Japanese American Museum highlight the stories and the struggles of Japanese Americans. Exhibits of archival photos and documents, oral histories, and works by local Japanese American artists chronicle the contributions that this immigrant community made, the degradations they faced in internment camps in World War II, and the ongoing saga of Japanese life in America. Museum docents also offer tours of Japantown.
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Japanese Friendship Garden
Located in Japantown
Japantown is a true cultural treasure of San Jose. Here you'll find an assortment of Japanese restaurants and shops, some of which have been run by generations of Japanese Americans. Several stores sell interesting gifts. The architecture is a feast for the eyes.
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Japantown Farmers Market
The freshest local produce in San Jose is found at the Japantown Farmer's Market, where farmers in the San Jose area gather every Sunday to sell their goods. The specific fruits and vegetables sold at the market change with the seasons, but with California's year-round agricultural production, there is bound to be something delicious on offer whenever your visit. Gourmet mushrooms, organic berries, and fresh baked breads are typical offerings. There are also a few stalls offering hand crafted jewelry and health products, as well.
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Kelley Park
This wonderful facility is a great place to take advantage of the generally sunny weather with which San Jose is blessed. It contains the Knight Ridder Building
It's easy to figure out which of San Jose's skyscrapers is the Knight Ridder Building. It's the 17-story one that has the name "Knight Ridder" boldly across the top story. But by the San Fernando Street entrance, you'll find a historic marker showing the significance of this location to American media. A former seven-story business building called the Garden City Bank Building once stood here and served as the transmitting spot for the world's first commercial radio station.
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Lake Cunningham Park
This lovely open expanse is a convenient way to enjoy the outdoors. A lake with a boat ramp and paddle-boat rentals offers plenty of water-based recreational opportunities, while several hiking and biking trails give you a chance to explore the park on land. Picnic areas and a pavilion can be reserved for a family or larger group. Volleyball courts and horseshoe pits are also available. A skatepark and a privately-run water theme park are also located at the park; each one has separate entrance fees, however.
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Leavey Center
A recently refurbished collegiate sports center that has hosted no less than ten West Coast Conference Basketball Championships, the Leavey Center is best known as the home of the Santa Clara Broncos basketball team. Now a state-of-the-art facility, the arena also contains a cutting edge Sports Medicine center. The arena seats 4,500 fans and replaces Harold J. Toso Pavilion, an arena with an inflatable dome which was deflated in 2000 in preparation for the construction of the new, renovated center.
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Lick Observatory
Located at the top of 4200 foot Mount Hamilton in the Diablo Range south of San Jose, the Lick Observatory was first built in 1888, and was one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in the world. The observatory continues to be an important facility for astronomers at the University of California and from around the world. It now boasts nine telescopes, the biggest of which has a Shane 3-meter reflector. Visitors are welcome during the daytime, and there is much to see: besides the telescopes and equipment, you can learn about the rich history of the facility and the research that Lick Observatory astronomers are conducting every evening. Visitors are discouraged at night, partly to reduce the amount of light pollution and enable researchers to get the clearest possible view of the cosmos.
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Logitech Ice at San Jose
If you think ice is very nice, this is a fun frozen palace for you to visit during your stay in San Jose. You can take hockey or figure skating lessons--both for adults and kids--and also on occasion get yourself into a drop-in hockey game. After a hearty workout, stop by at Stanley Sports Bar where you have lunch or dinner. Just remember, it's great to skate.
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Los Altos History House and Museum
The history house is a redwood-shingled farmhouse that once belonged to orchard grower J. Gilbert Smith. It's set in the Los Altos Civic Center next to the city library. Inside, you can see furnishings from the 1930s, and outside, you can few various country-life relics in the garden. The museum next door contains various displays of Los Altos's natural history and a rotating exhibit relating to the town's past.
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Los Gatos Creek Trail
This 9.7-mile (15.6 km) trail is heavily used, so prepare for a lot of pedestrian and bike traffic. In San Jose, it starts in Willow Glen neighborhood at Meridian Avenue. It passes through Campbell and Los Gatos before finishing at Lexington Reservoir in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains just off Highway 17. Recently, work has been done to connect the trail to the network of San Francisco Bay Trails that will one day circle the entire San Francisco Bay.
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MACLA/San Jose Center for Latino Arts
This small contemporary arts center hosts a vibrant cultural scene. In addition to visual artists from the Latino community, MACLA provides programs for up and coming performing artists and literary artists. There is always something going on here and it is always interesting: classes, workshops, exhibitions, and performances give the place a constant creative buzz. Arts education and involvement with youth is a big part of the mission of the center.
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Maples Pavilion
Home court of the Stanford University Men's and Women's basketball teams, Maples Pavilion is rich in history for Stanford sports fans. Stanford's volleyball teams and gymnastics teams also compete here. Recently renovated at a cost of $26 million, the stadium seats 7,233 fans and boasts state-of-the-art features like a center-hung scoreboard with video play and replay capabilities. A new playing floor, upgraded concessions facilities, and well-appointed student athlete lounges make this a highly appealing place to see--or play--a NCAA Division I basketball game.
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Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies
If you're a fan of John Steinbeck, this is America's preeminent research place to come to see artifacts and letters devoted to the writer's life and literature. Although it was started originally to help researchers, everyone is welcome to explore Steinbeck's contribution to literature here. You'll find photographs and paintings as well as a portable typewriter he once owned.
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Mexican Heritage Plaza
This brand new oasis is the Mecca for Latino culture in the South Bay. An art gallery, spectacular gardens, and a state-of-the-art theater, as well as meeting rooms and offices, are all here. Concerts and festivals take place throughout the year, and the theater is the home of Los Lupenos de San Jose, a Latin folkloric dance troupe, and Teatro Vision, a theater collective. It is a lovely spot to spend a leisurely lunch hour or a sunny afternoon soaking up local culture.
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Mountain Winery
This winemaking estate is probably most associated with the legendary vintner who once presided over it: Paul Masson. An enterprising young French immigrant from Burgundy, he initially worked for the Almaden winery, which in the late 1800s was the largest wine producer in the area. After marrying the daughter of Charles le Franc, the winery's owner, he spent his honeymoon in France, where he managed to obtain a few cuttings of vines in the Champagne region and smuggled them back to the US. The rest is history--the small wine estate he started, called La Cresta Vineyard, eventually became a world-renowned producer of sparkling wines. Masson even shocked the world by winning the 1914 Gran Prix of France. Today the winery carries on the Masson tradition, and recently planted a new vineyard for a new Estate Reserve line of wines. Besides an excellent restaurant that is open in the summer months, the estate hosts concerts and other events. A hospitable tasting room allows you to sample the winery's offerings.
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Municipal Rose Garden
Once a prune orchard, San Jose's Municipal Rose Garden now contains over 4,000 rose bushes representing over 189 varieties of roses. The profusion of colors and scents is intoxicating--it is no exaggeration to say that this is one of the most spectacular rose gardens in the world. In fact, you may see roses here that you can see nowhere else: new hybrid varieties are often planted here for testing before they are available to the horticultural world-at-large.
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Municipal Stadium
When you've come to Muni Stadium, you've come to the homes of the San Jose Giants, the city's beloved minor league baseball team. The stadium is also used by San Jose high school teams during division championships. The stadium was built in 1941 and 1942 as a Works Progress Administration project, and it has a quaint old-fashioned feel to it. You'll definitely feel like you've come to Silicon Valley's version of a "Field of Dreams."
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NASA Ames Exploration Center
Located conveniently off Highway 101, this visitors center is a true treasure for science and space buffs. It offers an exciting way for you to learn about NASA space exploration--both manned and unmanned. You'll see a genuine moon rock brought back to Earth by Apollo 15's crew. And, among many other attractions, you'll also see up close a Mercury Redstone capsule launched in 1960. And best of all, it's free to get in.
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New Almaden Village
San Jose is known for its high-tech and fast-paced culture, but the city has its own "Brigadoon" located in one canyon corner. The little village of New Almaden is an enchanting step into the 19th-century past where life moved at a horse pace. The village is a National Historic Landmark district because it played an important role in the Gold Rush years. Without the mercury (or "quicksilver") mined out of the hills here, California's quest for the precious yellow metal quickly would have gone bust. New Almaden's mercury was placed in mining equipment to capture the little flakes of gold.
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Northside Theatre
Founded in 1978, this small but dynamic theater just east of downtown San Jose has been recognized nationally for developing exciting new plays. You'll discover a true theater treasure here that provides you with opportunities to see the performances of new emerging actors and playwrights. Every season, Northside Theater produces five plays.
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Oak Hill Memorial Park
Oak Hill was set aside in 1839 to be the final resting place for many of Santa Clara Valley's pioneer citizens. It's now considered the state of California's oldest secular cemetery. If you're into historic cemeteries, it's well worth a stop.
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Overfelt Gardens
A serene and beautifully landscaped park that contains three lakes, the Chinese Cultural Garden, and an aromatic "fragrance garden," Overfelt Gardens is a lovely sanctuary from the bustle of Silicon Valley. Walking paths wind through overhanging trees and past reflecting ponds. The Chinese Cultural Garden commemorates Chinese Nationalist hero Sun-Yat Sen and other notable figures in Chinese culture, such as Confucius and Chiang Kei-Shek. A small Chinese pavilion and memorial hall for Dr. Sen and a placid lake give the garden a tranquil, meditative atmosphere.
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Paramount's Great America
Billed as Northern California's largest family attraction, Paramount's Great America is an action-packed theme park that will excite visitors of any age. Adrenaline junkies will make a bee-line for the Grizzly, the park's classic wooden roller coaster, or Survivor, a jungle-themed roller coaster based on the hit TV series of the same name. If you have younger kids, you may want to try some of the milder rides, many of which feature favorite characters such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer from the Nickelodeon TV channel. A variety of admissions and ticket options are available, including a season pass for frequent visitors.
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Peralta Adobe & Fallon House Historic Site
This historic site is home to two of San Jose's oldest residences, the Peralta Adobe, built in 1797, and the Fallon House, built in 1855. The Adobe, in fact, is the oldest surviving structure from the El Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe. The interior is furnished as it would have been at the turn of the 19th century, when the Gonzales family and the Peralta family lived in the adobe. At the same site is the Fallon House, which was built by a former San Jose mayor in 1855. Tour the Victorian furnished rooms, rich with history and a glimpse into life in 1800s San Jose.
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Petroglyph Ceramic Lounge
The brainchild of longtime TV Production Coordinator and creative force Jennifer Rubin, Petroglyph Ceramic Lounge is conceived as a "creative lounge." The idea is a social gathering place for adults that is focused on creative activities rather than food and drink or competitive games like darts or pool. The way it works is simple enough: you pick out a piece of unpainted ceramic pottery, and you paint it however you want using the lounge's selections of glazes and brushes. Petroglyph's expert ceramicists then fire the painted pieces in their kilns, and they are available to pick up when they have cooled in a day or two. The lounge hosts a vibrant community of regulars, and kids are welcome.
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Picchetti Winery
Located in the hills above Cupertino on a 19th-century ranch, this winery will take you back to the turn of the century when it was founded.
The winery was started in 1896 and is considered one of California's oldest. Its founder was a young man named Vincenso Picchetti who came to California from Formarco, Italy in 1872 to work in the many orchards in Santa Clara Valley.
At the winery, you'll step into a red brick building that houses Picchetti's barrel and tasting rooms. This was built in 1896 by the Picchetti brothers, when this part of California was officially part of the Old West. More »
Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park
A truly vibrant urban park in the heart of San Jose, Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park hosts concerts, festivals, theater performances, and arts and crafts fairs. The park's location in downtown San Jose, on the site of of what was once the first state capitol of California, as well as the fact that is surrounded by the some of the city's most alluring attractions (the Tech Museum and the Art Museum) mean that it is likely you will visit the plaza during your visit. The park, originally named "the Plaza," was dedicated to labor activist Cesar Chavez in 1993. The snake-like statue at the southern end of the plaza is Quetzalcoatl, the "Plumed Serpent" of Aztec mythology.
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Raging Waters
Located adjacent to Lake Cunningham Park, Raging Waters is the perfect cure for a scorching summer afternoon. Water slides of all varieties, rides, and huge wave pools will have you splashing and laughing in no time. More sedate wading pools and other attractions designed for younger children will ensure that toddlers enjoy themselves, too. This is the largest water park in the San Francisco area, and offers fun for visitors of all ages.
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Rod Diridon Station
This station is the main passenger rail depot for San Jose and an important transportation hub for Silicon Valley. You'll find it a useful place to get around by Caltrain service to other points in Silicon Valley. It's also a beautiful building that played an important role in the region's history.
The station was opened in December 1935 and called for many years the Cahill Depot. The name was changed in 1994 to honor former Santa Clara County Supervisor Rod Diridon, who played an important role in developing public transportation in Silicon Valley.
It was originally built to serve Southern Pacific passenger trains such as the famous Coast Daylight that once traveled between Los Angeles and San Francisco. More »
Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium
Located in the grassy expanse of Rosicrucian Park in an Egyptian-themed building surrounded by palm trees, the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium offers a first-class collection of Egyptian artifacts and an exotic setting. The building itself is modeled on the Temple of Amon at Karnak near Luxor, Egypt, and it houses the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts in the western US. Objects and art on display span vast stretches of the civilization's long history, from pre-dynastic times to the early Islamic era. And yes, there are mummies! Not to be missed by anyone with an interest in the land of the Pharaohs.
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Saint James Park
This downtown San Jose park dates back to the very beginning of American administration of the city, and was first designed and landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted, one famed landscape architect who designed Central Park in New York along with dozens of other American urban parks. The park now hosts concerts in the summer, though it has a somewhat dark past as a place where vigilante justice was occasionally handed out by San Jose citizens. In 1918, a German immigrant accused of "pro-German" sympathies was tarred and feathered in the park by a shadowy group of hooded thugs calling itself the Knights of Liberty of San Jose and Oakland. As recently as 1933, the park was the scene of San Jose's last lynching, when two prisoners who had confessed to the kidnapping and murder of the daughter of a prominent San Jose department store owner were dragged from the city jail by a mob and hung in the park's trees.
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San Jose Betsuin Buddhist Church
This architecturally stunning church was built in 1937 in San Jose's Japantown, and it remains a vital hub of the city's Buddhist community. The word "betsuin" in the temple's name refers to the church's special historical or geographic significance. The temple is part of the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, or "True Essence of the Pure Land" tradition, an 800 year old Buddhist sect founded by Shinran Shonin in the early 13th century. While the current temple was built in 1937, it replaces an earlier temple built by some of the first Japanese immigrants who came to the San Jose area at the end of the 19th century.
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San Jose Center for Performing Arts
With seating for 2,600 patrons, the San Jose Center for Performing Arts is a state-of-the-art performance venue that is home to the Ballet San Jose, the San Jose Symphony, and the American Musical Theater of San Jose. The center was designed by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and the aesthetic is elegantly modern. An orchestra pit with a hydraulic lift and a movable orchestra shell make this a flexible, adaptable facility that is ready to host any kind of performance.
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San Jose City Hall
This controversial City Hall cost $382 million to build. It faced a lot of political heat during its construction for cost overruns. Some locals consider it a graceful architectural addition to downtown San Jose, while others believe its high-tech dome makes it look like the R2-D2 robot from Star Wars.
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San Jose Civic Auditorium
A 3,000 seat venue built in Spanish Mission Style in the 1930s, the San Jose Civic Auditorium manages to maintain some the city's historic cultural flavor. While the building may hark back to San Jose's past, the acts the auditorium hosts are very much of the present day. Recent performers include Snoop Dog, the Pixies, and Billy Idol. The venue is centrally located, across the street from the San Jose Convention Center.
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San Jose Flea Market
What may be the world's largest flea market (that is the claim, anyway) covers nearly 120 acres and offers lots of parking. Browse goods from more than 2,000 sellers, some commercial, some private. Everything is here: arts and crafts, produce, clothing, furniture, tires, bicycles, music, electronics, collectibles, shops, markets, barbecues, and knickknacks. It is a great destination for the bargain hunter.
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San Jose Improv
If you love to laugh at life, this is a great place to go to watch professional and up-and-coming comedians perform. This comedy club is part of the Improv chain that bills itself as "the premiere venue for showcasing new talent." It's a great place to hang out with local Silicon Valley residents in their 20s and 30s.
The Improv is located in what was once the Jose Theatre, a historic landmark of farm-town San Jose. It is the city's oldest surviving auditorium, and in its heyday it showcased touring vaudeville acts and silent movies. Escape artist Harry Houdini and movie comedians Fatty Arbuckle and Charlie Chaplin often performed here. More »
San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art
San Jose's premier showcase for contemporary art was established by a group of local artists who felt the city lacked a viable place for artists to exhibit their work. Although a few non-profit organizations around town exhibited local artists in artist-run galleries, the ICA distinguished itself by hiring a professional curator to select art pieces and arrange exhibits. Now, the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art offers cutting-edge exhibits, a reading room, and a print-making center that offers courses and high-quality equipment.
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San Jose Museum of Art
With a diverse collection that focuses on post-1900 art and in particular on West Coast artists, the San Jose Museum of Art reflects the evolution of San Jose's cultural scene as it has grown from a small California mission town into the nation's tenth largest city. The museum is located in the heart of downtown San Jose, on the spot of the old Market Plaza which was the original seat of municipal government of the Pueblo of San Jose de Guadulupe in Spanish mission times. The museum cafe is reputed to be an excellent place to get a bite.
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San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles
The world's oldest quilt museum features constantly revolving exhibitions from all over the world. It looks small from the outside, but once you get in, there is a plenitude of wonderful things to see. Exhibits have included exquisite examples of Amish, Shaker, and Hawaiian quilting as well as striking works by contemporary crafters. The staff is well versed in quilt lore and can answer any of your questions or recommend books for any further research you might want to do.
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San Jose Public Library
This sleek and modern library is a joint project between the University of San Jose Library and the San Jose Library. When it was built, it had the distinction of being the largest library west of the Mississippi. Its collection of 1.5 million books shares space with state-of-the-art adaptive technology facilities, two music listening rooms, a children's library, a teen center, and a cafe. The International Collection offers an impressive collection of foreign language books, primarily in Spanish and Vietnamese. A soaring seven story atrium gives the entire space the feeling of being a cathedral to books, and thirty different public art installations throughout the building make the building as much an art museum as a library.
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San Jose Repertory Theater
You won't miss the sharp angles, striking blue color, and Post-Modern design of this landmark downtown building. In addition to the six main stage productions and the many smaller productions that it puts on annually, the San Jose Repertory Theater is also a hub of theater culture for the San Jose area. Drama classes, workshops, and outreach programs ensure that the theater is always vibrant and relevant. The performance space is intimate and adaptable, seating between 525 and 585, depending on how the stage is configured.
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San Jose State Event Center Arena
The San Jose State Event Center Arena has hosted dozens of the hottest names in the music industry, from the Beastie Boys to Xzibit. Located on the campus of San Jose State University, the Event Center is a center of student culture, and also serves as home court for the San Jose State Spartans basketball team. The venue seats 4,600 for basketball games, and up to 6,500 for concerts and other events. The center also hosts a cutting-edge fitness facility, which is free for San Jose students.
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San Jose State University
San Jose State University is well worth a stroll to see its beautiful grounds and buildings and meet a few of its 30,000 students. Serving as a gateway between the campus and downtown San Jose is the modern Martin Luther King, Jr. Public Library. On campus, you'll find a mix of attractions including art galleries, a fun Student Union, an events center, and Northern California's largest swimming pool.
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Santa Teresa County Park
This county park spreads across 1,627 acres of foothill wilderness in south San Jose. It was once the setting of a Spanish era rancho that raised cattle and grew fruit for the pioneers of early California.
This wilderness park has an abundance of native animals including the coyote, black-tailed deer, and the small bobcats that like to hide in the grass and brush here. Excellent vistas of Silicon Valley can be enjoyed from Coyote Peak, which rises to an elevation of 1,155 feet. Coyote Valley just south of San Jose can also be seen from here. The park is very popular for group barbecues and picnics in spring, summer, and fall months.
The park's activities for travelers include 18 miles of hiking and equestrian riding, barbecues and picnics in the Pueblo Day Use area, an archery range, and an 18 hole championship golf course at the Santa Teresa Golf Club. During the spring, you'll find the park is a great place to see colorful wildflower displays. More »
Santana Row
An outdoor urban mall that is as intimate as it is upscale, Santana Row is often described as Northern California's answer to Rodeo Drive. Approximately 10 square blocks of pedestrian-friendly shopping, dining, and living, the area is well-integrated into the surrounding urban landscape, and feels pleasantly European. Park-like plazas, a uniquely Californian mix of palm trees and oaks, cosy little courtyards, and babbling fountains distinguish the area from the more sterile atmosphere that so many other malls exude. This is a place to stroll or sit outdoors in one of the many cafes. Two weekly farmers' markets are also offered in Santana Row.
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Saratoga Springs
Located near the historic town of Saratoga, Saratoga Springs is a family-owned picnic facility that proudly claims to be the oldest public picnic facility in the area. A popular location for corporate retreats and weddings, it offers the opportunity to dine amongst the soaring redwoods in a serene and natural mountain setting. The staff at Saratoga Springs will cater your picnic if you wish, and camping and swimming facilities are also available.
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Savannah Chanelle Vineyards
Best known for its Pinot Noirs, the Savannah Chanelle Vineyards also produces award-winning Zinfandel. In fact, the Zinfandel vines here, planted in 1910, are the oldest in California (which probably makes them some of the oldest Zinfandel vines in the world). The estate is located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains, perched above Saratoga and Silicon Valley. The Mediterranean-style chateau and beautiful redwood tasting room, built in 1912, are a delightful spots to visit and taste wines. The 2005 California State Fair recognized the estate's 2002 Pinot Noir with the distinction of naming it the Best Pinot Noir in California.
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Shoreline Amphitheatre
A joint enterprise by legendary rock promoter Bill Graham and the city of Mountain View, the Shoreline Amphitheatre was designed with the fans in mind. Extra-wide spacing between seating rows ensures that concert-goers have plenty of room to stretch their legs or dance, and the sound system is an audiophile's delight. The amphitheatre is actually a huge tent, which gives it a festival atmosphere. Rumor has it that Bill Graham actually designed the venue based on the Grateful Dead's iconic "steal your face" logo, and if you look at an aerial photo of the amphitheatre and use a hefty dose of imagination, you might almost be able to see it. Besides the Dead, the list of acts the venue has hosted since its opening in 1986 is a who's who of contemporary music: from Neil Young to the Hot Chili Peppers to Bjork, you name 'em and they've played here.
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Spartan Stadium
With enough seating capacity for over 30,000 sports fans, Spartan Stadium is best known as the home field of the San Jose State Spartans football team. Notable moments in the team's history include its upset of Top Ten powerhouse Texas Christian University in the 2000 season, and the record attendance of 31,681 at a game against Grambling State in 2003. The stadium is also home of the San Jose Earthquakes, a Major League Soccer team, and the San Francisco Dragons, a Major League Lacrosse team. Occasionally, rock concerts and other events are held at the stadium.
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Stanford Stadium
Built in 1921, Stanford Stadium's capacity has changed dramatically over the years. The original stadium held 60,000 seats, and was built partly due to an intense competition with rival Berkeley to see which university could build a football stadium first. Later in the 20s, the stadium's capacity was increased to 85,000, and for a game against Cal State in 1935, the arena somehow managed to host a crowd of 94,000. The stadium's capacity is currently 50,000. The stadium attained world-wide fame in 1984 when it hosted the soccer finals for that year's Olympic games, and again in 1985 when it hosted SuperBowl XIX. The FIFA World Cup Quarter-finals between Romania and Sweden, held at Stanford Stadium in 1994, were watched by tens of millions of fans around the globe.
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Stanford University
This private university has played a big role in making Silicon Valley the world's center of high-tech. Historically, many of its alumni and faculty helped to create the innovations that made computers and the Internet possible. On your visit to San Jose, it's well worth a visit to the sprawling campus to see Ground Zero of the Digital Age. The campus has several museums and art galleries to enjoy also.
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Teatro Vision
This nationally recognized theater company is dedicated to giving quality productions focusing on Latino issues. It performs in an intimate 500-seat theater at the Mexican Heritage Plaza. Every year, it produces three different shows and gives nearly 40 performances.
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Tech Museum of Innovation
San Jose's Tech Museum of Innovation is designed to inspire children's scientific curiosity, but adults who began as chaperones invariably find themselves becoming enthralled participants. Outside the mango-colored building is a tremendous, hypnotic Rube-Goldberg type of perpetual motion machine, famous for perplexing visitors for hours at a time with its spinning whirligigs and bouncing doohickeys. Inside is an array of hands-on exhibits employing scientific principles that yield exciting results for kids and grown-ups alike. Also, don't miss the IMAX theater, showing films on an enormous screen that literally fills your field of vision, an experience that you're not likely to forget soon. Come to the Tech Museum with an open mind, and give yourself a few extra hours just in case you don't want to leave.
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The Alameda
"The Alameda" is Spanish for "The Way." It is a busy city street that was originally part of the historic El Camino Real that connected all of California's missions about 200 years ago. Today, it is graced by elegant mansions, law offices, restaurants, and neighborhood stores.
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Thomas Fogarty Winery
This winery's extensive holdings include some of the finest vineyards in the Santa Cruz mountains viniculture region. Stunning views of the San Francisco Bay area are complemented by subtle and elegant wines. The vineyards all have low-vigor loam soils layered over sandstone, shale, and marine deposits, a unique mix that give the estate's Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays, Merlots and Cabernets a distinctive character. The winery was established in 981 by Dr. Thomas Fogerty, a cardiovascular surgeon, inventor, and wine lover. The tasting room is welcoming and the wines are well worth the short drive from the Valley floor.
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Triton Museum of Art
Lit by natural skylights, the spacious and sleekly modern Triton Museum of Art is dedicated to showcasing the work of local artists and to reflecting the diversity of cultures represented in Santa Clara county and the greater San Francisco Bay area. Exhibits of painting, photography and sculpture change monthly, and the museum also offers educational and outreach programs as part of its mission to bring the arts to the surrounding community.
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Twin Creeks Sports Complex
Built in 1985, this 60-acre sports complex quickly became a huge hit for baseball and softball fans in the South Bay. Its 10 lighted fields draw more than 7,000 teams each year. It also includes batting cages, two soccer fields, a basketball court, a volleyball court, and horseshoe pits for sports-minded folks to enjoy.
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Villa Montalvo
A lush Mediterranean estate that is home to a major center for the arts, Villa Montalvo brings world class performers to its stages and is also home to galleries exhibiting some of the most exciting artists working today. Lectures, classes, and workshops are also offered. The setting is a draw in itself, however, and visitors are welcome to hike and explore the hillside trails and to picnic on the lawn around the historic house which is the center of so much cultural activity. Check the website to see what is happening when you are in town.
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Willow Glen (Neighborhood)
This neighborhood along the Guadalupe River was its own rural community, until its annexation by San Jose. Over the years, it has gained a reputation as one of the finer places to live in San Jose. Visit its quaint shopping district and you'll find a number of friendly restaurants offering good food in a pleasant ambiance. You'll also find a number of boutique shops and a scattering of antique stores.
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Winchester Mystery House
Famous for stairways that lead nowhere, windows placed in the floor, and over 160 bizarre rooms, the Winchester Mystery House is one of the most architecturally eccentric houses with an even more interesting history. Sarah Winchester, who was the heiress of the Winchester Rifle fortune, began construction on her Victorian mansion in 1884 and it wouldn’t end until the widow’s death—38 years later. After the death of both her husband to tuberculosis and her son only a few weeks after his birth, Sarah inherited half of the Winchester Rifle company and fell into a great depression. The grieving widow sought the advice of a spiritual medium who told her she, as well as her home, would be haunted and cursed by the many people who had been killed as a result of Winchester rifles. The medium then told Sarah the only thing she could do would be to move out west and build a mansion in which the construction should never end. And so the mysterious Winchester Mansion was built with countless oddities and the construction continued 24 hours a day for the duration of Sarah’s life. Today, visitors can tour the 160 rooms of the mansion with three elevators, 47 fireplaces, gold and silver chandeliers, Tiffany art glass windows, doors that open to walls, and much more. The Winchester Mystery House also houses the Winchester Firearms Museum and the Winchester Antique Products Museum.
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Wings of History Museum
Entirely run by volunteers, this friendly museum is devoted to repairing and maintaining antique airplanes of various vintages. You'll learn about the history of aviation starting from Orville and Wilbur Wright. It's also a great place to hang out with airplane buffs, and many of the volunteers are former pilots for the military and commercial airlines.
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Works, San Jose
Home of San Jose's avant-garde arts scene, Works is all about experimentation and pushing boundaries. Its galleries and performance spaces are dedicated to helping artists present exhibitions that are, as much as possible, pure expressions of the artist's unique vision. Edgy art exhibitions in all kinds of media, including some you may have never considered, will push you to reconsider your definitions of art. For any kind of cutting-edge, alternative, or performance art, this is the place in San Jose.
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