Things to do in San Jose

As the hub of Silicon Valley, San Jose City has become a popular destination for tourists and business travelers. Visitors find many amenities in the City's revitalized downtown area including fine accommodations, world class restaurants and shops. San Jose is the largest city in the Bay Area, located roughly 50 miles south of San Francisco and 390 miles north of Los Angeles. San Jose has a world-renowned quality of life, offering a wide variety of exciting cultural, recreational, educational and entertainment opportunities. There are plenty of things to do in San Jose that will keep you and your family occupied with fun filled activities.

California's Great America is the state's only combination theme and water park. Home to the most coasters, the most rides and the most water rides in Northern California, the Park is also the only place in the Bay Area where kids can meet and play with their favorite Nickelodeon friends including SpongeBob SquarePants.

The Flea Market has grown into a small city with a life of its own and is one of the fun things to do in San Jose. You can explore more than 8 miles of colorful alleys and treasure-laden corridors. You'll find an enormous variety of collectibles,... arts, crafts, comic books, belt buckles, jewelry, and more. You'll see a huge selection of fashion clothing, walking shoes, fine furniture, and tools-from bonsai pruning shears to power miters. You can also enjoy freshly prepared International and California foods from different restaurants and dozens of snack carts. Savor the sizzling smoked goodness of our outdoor barbecues.

Alum Rock Park, was the first municipal park in the U.S. state of California. It is located in a canyon in the Diablo Range foothills on the east side of San Jose, the 720 acre park offers 13 milesof trails, varying from fairly level along Penitencia Creek to sharp switchbacks climbing to the ridges to the South Rim Trail and the North Rim Trail. The narrow floor of the canyon includes a visitor center, picnic areas, a playground, and sand volleyball pits. The ridge trails offer superb views of Santa Clara Valley and of the canyon in which the park is located. Trails in the park also connect to the Bay Area Ridge Trail and the Boccardo Trail, which leads into part of the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority's property making the Alum Rock Park one of the adventurous things to do in San Jose. Equestrians and mountain bikers have access to some of the park's trails, while others are reserved for hikers only

Thousands visit this park each year to view the beautiful varieties of roses in a profusion of colors and types. A very colorful location, also includes a few fountains and a reflecting pool, making it a great spot for a quiet stroll—even if you aren't a rose aficionado. Take a look at the map of the place, which lists the names of all the varieties of roses. There are always roses blooming in the Heritage!

Textile art transcends cultural, ethnic, age and gender boundaries and encompasses traditional as well as contemporary forms. The museum provides a serious venue for all artists working with textiles, filling a void left by larger institutions with a narrower view of what defines artistic expression. Its exhibits and programs promote the appreciation of quilts and textiles as art and provide an understanding of their role in the lives of their makers, in cultural traditions, and as historical documents.

The Winchester Mystery House is a rambling, 160-room unfinished and unfurnished house built by Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester Rifle fortune. Curiosities include staircases leading to nowhere and doors in the floor. The tour passes from completed rooms into incomplete ones, as if the builders lost their place and started anew every day. Winchester's fascination with the number 13 is evident everywhere: bathroom number 13 has 13 windows, one of them looking into the bedroom next door, the kitchn sink sports 13 drain holes and Winchester even modified a 12-light gas chandelier to hold 13 lights. It is a great attraction in San Jose for thrill seekers.

The purpose of Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose is to serve the needs of children, families and schools as a center for learning and discovery making it a great place for kids. For children, it is first and foremost a place to call their own, offering interactive exhibits and programs in a warm and inviting setting. Its educational mission encompasses the themes of Connections, Community, and Creativity. In its unique environment, children actively make connections among ideas, people and cultures. The Museum's programs also encourage children to define their role in and contribution to both local and global communities. Finally, as a center for creative play and expression, Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose provides opportunities for all of us to discover the world through the eyes of our children.