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.

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!

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.

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.

This contemporary art museum houses works from the 20th century to present day. 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.

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.

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.

This enormous outdoor flea market is celebrating 65 years in 2026. 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!

This open-air mall hosts many community events. 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.

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 decorations.

With more than 30 original and reproduction structures, History Park at the south end of Kelley 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!

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

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