Area Attractions
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Discover San Jose!
San Pedro Square
Check out all that San Jose and the Surrounding Bay Area cities have to offer.
- Dine, shop and play in San Jose's colorful and cultural downtown area.
- Stretch out your legs on one of San Jose's premier golf courses.
- Toast to your success at world-renowned vineyards in Santa Clara (just 25 minutes away) or Napa Valley vineyards (only 90 minutes from San Jose).
- Sneak up to San Francisco to see the sights (a short 45-minute drive).
- Relax in the comfortable Northern California climate with over 300 days of sun and October temperatures ranging from 51-74 degrees.
- Experience the excitement at the largest oceanside amusement park on the West Coast, located in Santa Cruz (20 minutes away).
Come to Run – Stay and Play!
San Jose is within driving distance of several world-renowned tourist destinations. Stay an extra day or more and visit some of these amazing and awe-inspiring vacation destinations!
 San Francisco
Located only 45 minutes north by car and serviced by CalTrain direct from San Jose to San Francisco, San Francisco is know for its cool fog, hot restaurants and diverse cultures. Cross the world-renowned Golden Gate Bridge on foot or bike, visit the sea lions on Pier 39 in historic Fisherman’s Wharf, and take the Ferry out to Alcatraz. Shop and dine in Union Square, climb the famous hills of San Francisco and take in the 360 degree city view at Coit Tower, relive the Summer of Love in the Haight or simply chill out in Golden Gate Park.
 Napa Valley
“Wine is Bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Napa Valley is one of the most well-known wine growing regions in the world, and it’s a quick 2-hour drive north. Fall is the best time to visit; the wineries release their new vintages each fall and the weather is perfect. Sip stellar wine, stroll through the vines and stop in at one of the regions famous spas and treat yourself after your race. 2 hours north by car.
 Monterey
The magnificent Monterey Peninsula has been called the greatest meeting of land, sea and sky and is recognized as an ideal vacation and business destination. This beautiful seaside community combines all the charm of small town America with an endless variety of recreational and cultural activities. Monterey's rich history, the saga of California's Mission Trail, historic Fisherman's Wharf and Cannery Row, 20 world-class golf courses, the world's best aquarium, a unique variety of shops and galleries and a spectacular assortment of parks and natural areas combine to provide a truly unrivaled place. 1 hour south by car.
Don't Miss These Local San Jose Gems!
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16240 Alum Rock Ave.
Phone: 408-259-5477
Have a picnic or go horseback riding in San Jose’s first and largest park. This natural and rustic park of 720-acres provides many activities such as sightseeing, hiking, picnicking, bicycling and much more.
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180 Woz Way
Phone: 408-298-5437
Bring the kids! A great way to learn while having fun. Located in downtown San Jose, this museum offers hands-on experiments, programs, games, etc. Fun for the whole family.
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21000 Big Basin Way
Phone: 408-741-4994
Escape from the city and explore what one of America’s most unique Japanese Gardens has to offer. Let the winding paths lead you to four extraordinary gardens displaying beauty in all seasons, waterfalls, a koi pond, a bamboo park and more. The Hakone Gardens are nestled at the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, about 25 miles from downtown San Jose.
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Make a wish on a star! The Lick Observatory is the best way to gaze at the planets and constellations or the city’s sparkling lights down below.
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525 W. Santa Clara Street
Phone: 408-287-9200
The HP Pavilion at San Jose is the home of the NHL’s San Jose Sharks. In addition to the more than 40 Sharks regular season home games, the HP Pavilion of San Jose hosts 120 to 180 events every year -- including Olympic athletes, Grammy award-winners and a variety of family and children's favorites.
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110 S. Market Street
Phone: 408-271-6840
Highlighting West Coast artists, the San Jose Museum of Art tells a story between the new and the old, focusing on twentieth and twenty-first century works of art.
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201 S. Market Street
Phone: 408-294-TECH
Loaded with unique hands-on exhibits, this high-tech museum showcases the ways technology is changing our lives.
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525 S. Winchester Blvd.
Phone: 408-247-2000
Thinking of remodeling your home? Come and visit San Jose’s most popular tourist attraction: a 160- room Victorian mansion built by rifle heiress Sarah Winchester. Over the course of four decades the mansion continued to grow as she added on several rooms, 4-stories, 47 fireplaces, 17 chimneys, 950 doors, misleading staircases and windows that are built into floors. Fear not, a guided tour is provided to lead you through Sarah Winchester’s four decades of architectural madness.
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1342 Naglee Avenue
Phone: 480-947-3635
Another world awaits you...a mysterious world over 6,000 years old! 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 predynastic times through Egypt's early Christian era. The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum is located in the gardens of beautiful Rosicrucian Park, amidst buildings inspired by ancient Egyptian temples. Papyrus-lined paths lead visitors past walls carved with hieroglyphs, clustered lotus columns, elaborate fountains, and colossal statues of Egyptian gods. Come discover Ancient Egypt. Another world awaits you...right in the heart of San Jose!
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175 West St. John
Phone: 408-993-8182
Walk through history and visit the beautifully restored Peralta Adobe and Fallon House in downtown San José, located at the end of the restaurant district in historic San Pedro Square. The Peralta Adobe is San José's oldest address. Built in 1797, this oasis in the urban heart of San José illustrates the area's Spanish and Mexican periods. The exquisite Fallon House, built in 1855, showcases the Victorian influence on San José. Uniquely situated across the street from one another, you'll discover two rich periods of San José's past.
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520 South First Street
Phone: 408-971-0323
The San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles recognized as the oldest quilt museum in the United States and was founded in 1977 by the Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association. Their mission is to promote the art, craft and history of quilts and textiles. Textile art transcends cultural, ethnic and age boundaries and encompasses traditional as well as contemporary forms. The Museum’s 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.
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1300 Senter Road
Phone: 408-277-4191
Kelley Park is one of San Jose's most diverse facilities, offering visitors an opportunity to enjoy a picnic or barbecue amid beautiful lawn areas and shade trees. It includes a 200-seat amphitheater, Happy Hollow Park & Zoo, the Japanese Friendship Garden History and History San Jose’s Historical Museum.
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1300 Senter Road
Phone: (408) 277-3000
The park is a peaceful, creative and safe place for children of all ages with the main focus on “little one” between the ages of 2-10. There are creative Play Areas, children’s Rides and Puppet shows, special events, and Birthday Areas. The Zoo offers children and adults the opportunity to see wondrous animals such as the Ruffed Lemur and Jaguar. The Zoo also provides hands on experience with many animals along with the education that’s necessary to secure the future of endangered species.
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1650 Senter Road
Phone: 408-287-2290
The San Jose Historical Museum houses original and reconstructed replicas of landmark buildings bring to life the look and feel of San Jose in the 1800's through the 1920's. The village, complete with neighborhoods, paved streets, and working trolleys, transports visitors to another time and place. Among the 28 restored and replicated structures is the Pacific Hotel, which features a gift shop, ice cream and candy store. Visitors are welcome to stroll through some of the buildings at their own pace on the weekends when the buildings are open and staffed with trained interpreters.
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1300 Senter Road
Phone: 408-277-5254
San Jose's Japanese Friendship Garden is a beautiful living symbol of the "Sister City" relationship between Okayama, Japan and San Jose, California. The garden was dedicated in October 1965, and was patterned after Okayama's world famous Korakuen Park. While visiting the Garden, take some time to feed the exotic koi fish. Two feeding stations are available and you may purchase food for a small fee.
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80 South Market St.
Phone: 408-283-8100
The Saint Joseph story began in 1777 when Mission Santa Clara was founded and the adjacent Pueblo de SanJose de Guadalupe and became the first civil settlement in Alta California. A small adobe church was established in the village and dedicated to Saint Joseph in 1803, making it the first parish in California.
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Great America Parkway
Phone: 408-988-1776
Paramount's Great America has the most rides in Northern California: the most kids' rides, the most coasters, and the most water rides. And, it's the only place in the Bay Area where kids can meet and play with their favorite Nickelodeon friends including SpongeBob™ SquarePants. Enjoy a new kid-friendly half price rate (48" and under). The 100-acre park is located on Great America Parkway between highways 101 and 237, in Santa Clara, Calif. Open March through October.
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565 N. 6th Street
Phone: 408-298-4303
Historic neighborhood with a wide variety of restaurants, gift shops and speciality stores. One of the last three remaining Japantowns in the United States.
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368 Santana Row
Phone: 408-551-4611
It’s not just a shopping center, it’s the center of the South Bay's shopping universe with stores that define style, reinvent unique and add flair to the practical. Come and experience what a day at Santana Row has to offer. From its world-class shopping and dining to its range of modern and sophisticated residences, Santana Row truly is a place like no other.
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Lick Observatory
Winchester Mystery House
