These are the best things to do in San Jose

What is it? A mansion you’ve probably seen on various paranormal shows.

Why go? Widow Sarah Winchester, heiress to her husband’s Winchester Rifle fortune, began construction on the sprawling mansion in 1886. According to legend, she believed the house was haunted by those who had died at the hand of the rifle. By the time of her death 36 years later, the still-incomplete house had 160 rooms, 2,000 doors and dozens of staircases that often led nowhere… all built in an effort to confuse the malevolent spirits who wanted to get their revenge.

Time Out tip: After your tour, walk across the street to Santana Row for shopping and a meal.

Address: 525 S Winchester Blvd, San Jose 95128

Price: $46 adults, $22 children, $39 seniors, military and first responders for the standard mansion tour. Other specialized tours and events have different price points.

What is it? A museum devoted to the art and culture of ancient Egypt.

Why go? Because it’s amazing. The Rosicrucians, a community of mystics hundreds of years old who study the metaphysical laws of the universe, are alive and well in San Jose. Their Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum houses the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts in the Western U.S. Among the display cases you’ll find cat mummies, sarcophagi and antiquities. You can’t miss walking through the multi-roomed replica tomb from Middle Egypt. Take advantage of the multitude of workshops, like the mummification apprenticeship class, temple training or the composition of Cleopatra’s makeup. They’re free with your paid admission. For the K–12 youths in your group, they count towards the Junior Archaeologist Program graduation.

Time Out tip: A new addition to the museum is the Thoth AI Robot, a terrifying—er, entertaining life-size ancient Egyptian robot who answers questions.

Address: 1660 Park Ave, San Jose 95191

Price: $15 adults, $10 kids aged 7–17, $12 seniors, free for children 6 and under

What is it? A hands-on science and technology center.

Why go? Although The Tech Interactive is great for kids and families, adults too can find plenty to stimulate their curiosity at this rotating array of exhibits and labs. A few examples: You can build your own ball track, walk through an AI-powered immersive Dream Garden, design and test out a roller coaster, control a Mars rover and check out a “cadaver” on a 3-D virtual dissection table used by medical students. There’s also an IMAX Dome theater with laser shows synched to music by artists like Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny and Taylor Swift.

Time Out tip: Join the 21-plus Tech at Nite events, offered after hours on a rotating schedule, with full access to exhibits, music, and special activities geared towards adults. Food and drinks for sale.

Address: 201 S Market St, San Jose 95113

Price: $32 adults, $22 children and seniors

What is it? The chance to enjoy authentic Portguese, Vietnamese and Japanese cuisine and culture. 

Why go? In Little Portugal, check out the spectacular Five Wounds Portuguese National Church and the formerly Michelin-starred Portuguese restaurant, Adega. In Little Saigon, authentic Vietnamese restaurants and a New Year’s Tet celebration serve the largest population outside of Vietnam. In Japantown, one of the last three remaining historic Japantowns in the country, you’ll find the Japanese American Museum of San Jose and seasonal events like the spring Nikkei Matsuri and the summer Obon Festival. A few highly rated restaurants are Minato, Sanraku and Gombei.

Time Out tip: Check out a Night Market at the Asian Garden Mall in Little Saigon.

What is it: A contemporary art museum housing works from the 20th century to date.

Why go? Exhibits are always changing, so you’ll find something new amid the pleasures of the permanent collection. Enjoy, among other exhibits, stunning forms crafted by Ruth Asawa and a colossal robot figure by Huma Bhabha.

Time Out tip: Looking for more art? Check out the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles or the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art.

Address: 110 S Market St, San Jose 95113

Price: $20 adults, $15 seniors, free for youth 17 and under

What is it? A carefully planned rose garden to delight the senses.

Why go? There are 5.5 acres boasting more than 4,000 plants and 189 varieties. In 2010, it was voted “America’s Best Rose Garden” by All American Rose Selections (the first such designation), and today it’s still a display garden for AARS, receiving plants for testing before they’re released to the public for sale. Created in 1937, the garden peaks in May if you want to time your visit, but the roses bloom steadily from April through November. You’ll get great photos near the reflecting pool and arbor

Time Out tip: If you’re a hard-core rosarian, you’ll also want to check out the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden, but it’s less visitor friendly and less manicured.

Address: 1649 Naglee Ave, San Jose, CA 95126

Price: Free.

What is it? An ice rink where you can cheer on the city’s NHL team, the San Jose Sharks.

Why go? During hockey season, the Sharks play home games at the SAP Center downtown, fondly referred to as the “Shark Tank.” Their practice facility, Sharks Ice, is also open to the public. Best of all, when the team isn’t on the ice, you can rent a pair of skates and hit the rink yourself. Sharks Ice is the largest rink facility west of the Mississippi and includes six NHL-sized ice rinks.

Time Out tip: Switch your sport from hockey to soccer by catching a San Jose Earthquakes game at PayPal Park.

Address: 525 W Santa Clara St, San Jose 95113

Price: Tickets start at $78.

What is it? An enormous outdoor flea market celebrating 65 years in 2026.

Why go? This isn’t just a few tables set up with trinkets. This flea market offers antiques, books, electronics, fabric, vintage clothing, a quarter-mile long produce row, the chance to recover from shopping at the beer garden, and a place for kids to have a fun time, too, at the vintage carousel and miniature Ferris wheel. It’s hard to express how big it is!

Time Out tip: Take BART to the flea market so long as you plan on only buying what you can carry!

Address: 1590 Berryessa Road, San Jose 95133

Price: $3–$5 walk-in admission with free entry on Wed, Fri; $5–$20 parking (admission included) with free parking on Wed.

What is it? An open-air mall with community events.

Why go? You can shop, dine, see a movie and spend the night (and while we’re at it, spend all your nights—you can move into the Residences at Santana Row) at this hub. There are plenty of boutique stores and services like hair and nail salons, nearly 40 restaurants (we love the vegetarian Veggie Grill there), live music and the Hotel Valencia.

Time Out tip: Hop across the street to the Winchester Mystery House.

Address: 377 Santana Row, San Jose 95128

Price: It’s free to walk around and explore.

What is it? Several parks that are perfect for hiking and plunking down for a picnic.

Why go? At Almaden Quicksilver County Park, once the world’s second-largest mercury mine, you can hike among the tunnels and tracks left behind by the massive mining operation. Alum Rock Park, one of the state’s oldest municipal parks, was once known as a health spa thanks to 27 natural mineral springs that are still around today. At Joseph D. Grant County Park, Santa Clara County’s largest, 51 miles of trails wind their way through the foothills of the Diablo Range.

Time Out tip: Take a free walk with the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority inside Alum Rock Park.

Addresses:
Quicksilver: 21785 Almaden Rd, San Jose 95120
Alum Rock: 15350 Penitencia Creek Rd, San Jose
Joseph D. Grant: 18405 Mt Hamilton Rd, San Jose 95140

Price: For all county parks, there is a $6 vehicle entry fee. 

What is it? 23 acres of waterpark fun.

Why go? Built on the site of the former Raging Waters, CaliBunga Waterpark is open seasonally for splashing, floating, sliding and playing: a great way to stay cool on a blazing summer day.

Time Out tip: Rent a private cabana to spread out and relax under the shade.

Address: 2333 South White Rd, San Jose 95148

Price: Not yet available for summer 2026.

What is it? A two-acre park at the city’s center that continues to play an important role in the city's culture and history.

Why go? It’s northern California’s oldest public space and dates to 1797 as the plaza mayor of the Spanish Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe (and at one time was the site of City Hall). Look out for an entertaining landmark for the scatalogically-minded in your group: Plumed Serpent, a large public art piece by Robert Graham that is locally called the “poop sculpture.” Around the winter holidays, the plaza is home to Christmas in the Park, a decades-old tradition of animatronic elves and decorated Christmas trees alongside a skating rink and carnival rides for revelers of all ages. In the summer, free concerts play every Thursday and, when the San Jose Jazz Festival is on, the main stage is set up here. 

Time Out tip: Visit a memorial to farmworkers’ rights activist and labor leader César Chávez at the site of his family home on 53 Scharff Ave, or see the large arched monument you can walk through on the San Jose State University campus.

Address: 194 S Market St, San Jose 95113

Price: Free.

What is it? A way to connect with San Jose’s past.

Why go? With more than 30 original and reproduction structures, History Park lets you go back in time to experience the days when trolleys ran down the streets and kids saved pennies for the old-fashioned candy shop. The 14-acre park includes several museums, a firehouse, stables, a historic hotel, blacksmith shed, family homes and many other buildings to explore. Plus, you can ride that trolley!

Time Out tip: The park’s operator, History San Jose, also manages the Gonzales/Peralta Adobe – Fallon House Historic Site. You can visit both: the adobe, built in 1797 by San Jose’s first resident and second mayor, Manuel Gonzalez, and the Fallon House, built in the 1850s by an early mayor.

Address: 635 Phelan Ave, San Jose 95112

Price: Free.

What is it? San Jose’s family-friendly credentials boast two crowning jewels: the Children’s Discovery Museum and Happy Hollow Park and Zoo.

Why go? At the Children’s Discovery Museum, kids play their way through smartly designed exhibits like “mammoth discovery” and an outdoor learning environment called Bill’s Backyard. Happy Hollow is 16-acre amusement park with a roller coaster, carousel, a puppet theater set in a castle wall and cute installations like the Crooked House. Animals such as jaguars, meerkats, goats and lemurs are part of the zoo; there’s also a red panda that debuted in November 2025.

Children’s Discovery Museum:

Address: 180 Woz Way, San Jose 95110

Price: $18 adults and children, $16 seniors, free for infants

Happy Hollow:

Address: 748 Story Rd, San Jose 95112

Price: $22 all ages, $19 seniors and military, free for infants under the age of 2

What is it? San Jose’s thriving Latino heritage is on full display at MACLA, Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino America.

Why go? This inclusive contemporary Latinx art space showcases visual arts in their free-to-the-public gallery and hosts a wide variety of events such as theatrical performances, book readings and dance parties. The teen tech center is free weekday afternoons for free arts education.

Time Out tip: Don’t miss South First Friday, presented by MACLA during the SoFA District Art Walk on the First Friday of the month (except January & July) with free Latin American music and dance performances in the space’s Castellano Playhouse.

Address: 510 South First St, San Jose 95113

Price: Gallery admission is free.