Emma Prusch Farm Park

647 S King Road San Jose, CA 95116 408-926-5555

Hours: Park hours are daily from 8:30am until sunset

Admission Charged

Emma Prusch Farm Park is the result of a generous gift from one of San Jose's pioneer families. The property was deeded to the City of San Jose with the understanding that it become a center for learning about the region's agricultural past.

Children’s Discovery Museum San Jose

180 Woz Way San Jose, CA 95110-2780 408-298-5437 Hours: Call for days and hours of operation

Admission Charged

Children's Discovery Museum is a hands-on museum featuring over 150 interactive exhibits.

Children of all ages are invited to test, prod, taste, crank and tinker in the striking purple building in Discovery Meadow.

Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies

One Washington Square San Jose, CA 95192 408-924-4590

Hours: Open Monday – Friday, 1pm – 5pm

Admission Charged

One of the largest collections of first and early editions of Beethoven's music outside of Europe.

Mexican Heritage Corporation

1700 Alum Rock Avenue San Jose, CA 95116 408-928-5510

Hours: Call for additional information

Admission Charged

The heart and soul of cultural arts can be found at the Mexican Heritage Plaza, located in the oldest and largest Mexican-American community in East San José. Capturing the spirit of Mexican traditions creates a gateway to culture history, literary arts, and visual performance. Roam the historic Chinampa, floating gardens, view contemporary art in the exhibition galleries, or enjoy one of the many theatrical performances in a 500-seat state-of-the-art-theatre.

Peralta Adobe - Fallon House Historic Site

175 West St. John San Jose, CA 95110 408-993-8182

Hours: Call for additional information

Admission Charged

This historic site offers a unique look into San Jose's Mexican and Spanish history through the daily lives of two prominent early San Jose families.

The adobe, built in 1797, is the city's oldest address and the last remaining structure from El Pueblo de San Jose & de Guadalupe. Across the street, the lavish 1855 Fallon House was home to one of San Jose's early mayors, Thomas Fallon. The mansion showcases 15 fully-furnished Victorian period rooms and also features an exhibit on Santa Clara Valley.

Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

1342 Naglee Ave. San Jose, CA 95191 408-947-3635

Hours: Call for days and hours of operation

Admission Charged

The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, architecturally inspired by the Temple of Amon at Karnak, houses the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts on exhibit in the western United States -- including objects from pre dynastic times through Egypt's early Islamic era.

San Jose Historical Museum

1650 Senter Road San Jose, CA 95112 408-287-2290

Hours: Call for days and hours of operation

Admission Charged

The San Jose Historical Museum consists of 25 acres with 27 original and reconstructed homes, businesses, and landmarks highlighting the culture and history of San Jose and Santa Clara Valley. The museum is unique with paved streets, running trolleys and an old-fashioned Ice Cream and Candy Parlor, and a museum gift shop.  

San Jose Museum of Art

110 South Market Street San Jose, CA 95113 408-271-6880

Hours: Call for days and hours of operation

Admission Charged

The San Jose Museum of Art presents a full range of exhibitions with a focus on works created during the 20th Century, including painting, sculpture, installations, photography, works on paper, and video.

San Jose Museum of Quilts

110 Paseo de San Antonio San Jose, CA 95112 408-971-0323

Hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 10am - 5pm, Thursday: 10am – 8pm

Admission Charged

Regularly changing exhibits of quilts and textiles from around the world as well as the Museum's own collection.

Tech Museum of Innovation

201 South Market Street San Jose, CA 95113 408-294-8324

Hours: Call for days and hours of operation

Admission Charged

Technology from Silicon Valley and beyond comes alive in this unique museum featuring interactive exhibits for all ages. The Tech is a place about real technology . . . changing the way people work and play, create, harness and share information, how we innovate, how we do things differently. Featuring over 250 interactive exhibits and the Hackworth IMAX Dome Theater.

Alum Rock Park

16240 Alum Rock Ave San Jose, CA 95127 408-259-5477

Hours: Call for additional information

Admission Free

Alum Rock Park is California's first and oldest municipal park, featuring 720 acres of natural, rugged beauty where visitors can enjoy many leisure outdoor activities including hiking, horseback riding, bicycling, family and group picnics. The park has approximately 13 miles of trails including six miles of horse trails and six miles of bicycle trails. A privately operated riding stable offers trail rides in the park. In addition, there are two children's playgrounds and a Visitor Center. Alum Rock Park is also home to the Youth Science Institute.

Kelley Park

1300 Senter Road San Jose, CA 95112 408-277-4191

Hours: Park hours are daily from 8am to one-half hour after sunset

Admission Charged

Kelley Park is the home to Happy Hollow Park & Zoo, the Japanese Friendship Garden and the San Jose Historical Museum. Visitors may enjoy a train ride, picnicking, beautiful lawn and shade tree areas or a walk through the tranquil Japanese Friendship Garden. For those looking for more activity, visit the zoo, amusement park and play area of Happy Hollow or step back in time to the historic 1800s of San Jose at the Historical Museum.

Monopoly in the Park

Guadalupe River Park San Jose, CA 95112 408-995-MITP

Hours: Call for additional information

Admission Charged

Monopoly in the Park is said to be the world's biggest version of the most popular board game ever, and is San Jose's new "larger than life" attraction. Here in the park, the real estate market is always booming, as property is traded on a 930-square foot permanent Monopoly board. Now everyone has a chance to make it big in Silicon Valley real estate.

San Jose Municipal Rose Garden

Naglee Avenue and Dana Avenue San Jose, CA 408-277-5422

Hours: Open 8am to one-half hour after sunset

Admission Free

San Jose's 5.5-acre Municipal Rose Garden (a one-time prune orchard) is exclusively devoted to shrubs of the rose family and features more than 3,500 rose shrubs with 189 varieties represented, including several miniature varieties. The Garden also features new rose varieties, serving as a test site for new roses before release to the general public. A favorite time to visit is early May when the acres of fragrant, majestic roses are at their most beautiful stage.

Nearby Fun:

Bonfante Gardens Family Theme Park

3050 Hecker Pass Hwy Gilroy, CA 95020 408-840-7100

Hours: Call for days and hours of operation

Admission Charged

Bonfante Gardens Family Theme Park combines the beauty of magnificent gardens with the appeal and excitement of a traditional family theme park. The park features 19 rides and 21 attractions, geared toward families with young children and garden lovers.

Paramount’s Great America

Great America Parkway Santa Clara, CA 95052 408-988-1776

Hours: Varies by season, call for additional information

Admission Charged

A universe of Nickelodeon fun, friends, and adventures burst into life at Paramount’s Great America.  The stars on Nickelodeon, the network preferred by kids, come to life at one of Northern California’s favorite theme parks for family fun and thrills.

The Boardwalk

400 Beach St Santa Cruz, CA 95060 831-423-5590

Hours: Vary by season, call for additional information

Admission Free, charge for attractions

The Boardwalk is a half-mile long historic amusement park next to Santa Cruz's mile long main beach. It includes more than 34 rides and attractions (featuring two national historic landmarks: the 1924 Giant Dipper roller coaster and the 1911 Looff Carousel plus plenty of modern ride thrills), dozens of restaurants, shops, games, indoor arcades, and miniature golf.

Six Flags Marine World

2001 Marine World Parkway Vallejo, CA 94589 707-644-4000

Hours: Vary by season, call for additional information

Admission Charged

Six Flags Marine World is home to America's Favorite Thrills! It's the country's only combination wildlife park, oceanarium and theme park featuring over 30 thrilling rides, 35 exotic animal attractions and 10 great shows.

Blackhawk Museum

3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle Danville, CA 95406 925-736-2277

Hours: Open Wednesday-Sunday 10am - 5pm, and holidays with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day

Admission Charged

Smithsonian affiliate with changing exhibits/artifacts from Smithsonian collections: large galleries with over 100 of the world's greatest autos dating from the 1890's.