San Jose is California’s third largest city, and the 10th largest in the U.S. – and, with that, you’ll find practically an endless number of things to do from exciting nightlife and shopping, to world-class museums, and well beyond. If you plan to visit, here are a few things you should really put on your itinerary.
Tour the Winchester Mystery House
You’ve probably at least seen the world-famous Winchester Mystery House on television as the Victorian mansion designed by Winchester Rifle heiress Sarah Winchester has been spotlighted on many travel and “most haunted” shows. And now, it’s even been spotlighted in the recent movie “Winchester.” Back in 1884, the wealthy widow of William Winchester started this massive construction project. The plans were so grandiose that construction occupied the lives of craftsmen and carpenters for nearly 40 years, until 1922 when Sarah died. The massive, magnificent home is filled with so many unexplained oddities that it became known as the Winchester Mystery House.
The 160-room mansion was very unlike other homes of its time, complete with modern heating and sewer systems, three working elevators, gas lights and nearly four dozen fireplaces. With the strange design of the house, and rumors of her ghost still residing, the mansion has drawn visitors from across the globe to try and understand the bizarre architecture and the reasons behind it. Multiple tour options are available for exploring it.
Experience a Foreign Culture in Japantown
San Jose’s Japantown is one of only three historic Japanese communities remaining in the entire United States. While it may be a relatively small area, it’s one of the city’s most unique neighborhoods. For obvious reasons, when you’re in the mood for delicious Japanese cuisine, this is the place to go with some of the top restaurants in the region, owned by local Japanese-Americas who are passionate about creating authentic Japanese dishes. The neighborhood also hosts a variety of Japanese-focused festivals throughout the year.
Shop 'Til You Drop
San Jose hosts practically an endless number of shopping opportunities, like popular Santana Row, an outdoor shopping mall that features a wide range of impressive shops, from upscale, brand-name retailers to small, independent boutiques. It also hosts a movie theater, nine spas and multiple eateries. There are countless other options for indulging a healthcare traveler’s shopping habit too, including the Eastridge Center, Oakridge and Valley Fair shopping malls, as well as Antiques Row, which spans a three-block stretch of West San Carlos Street.
Score Bargains and More at the San Jose Flea
If you’re into bargains, don’t miss a trip to the San Jose Flea Market, which hosts mile after mile of vendors selling a wide array of treasures, and some junk too, with everything from collectible comics and antiques to jewelry, clothing and organic produce. It can make for a fun day out for the whole family, with so much to do for young and old alike as it hosts a vintage carousel, an arcade, pony rides, mini-Ferris wheel, and inflatable slides. it also hosts all sorts of dining options, like carnival-style fare such as corn dogs and BBQ along with delicious California cuisine and freshly-prepared international dishes.
Explore Ancient Egypt
San Jose’s Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum hosts the largest collection of Egyptian treasures in the western United States. Its extensive grounds are also home to a planetarium, peace garden, temple and research library. One of the best museums of this type in the country, here visitors can learn about the gods, goddesses, culture and lifestyles of ancient Egyptians in addition to exploring pre-dynastic rituals, art and artifacts, and, of course, the favorite: mummies. This is a truly unique experience, not only seeing them but discovering how and why they were made.
Ano Neuvo
If you’ll be in San Jose during the wintertime, from December through March, be sure to visit Ano Nuevo State Park, about an hour southwest of the city along the coast between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz. Here you can watch the unique, giant elephant seals, with thousands of northern elephant seals gathering here each year. Females arrive to give birth to their babies and shortly afterward, males start fighting to mate with them. The spectacle is unlike anything you’ve probably ever seen, and celebrates the magnificent creatures return from the brink of extinction. In 1892, there were fewer than 100 northern elephant seals, but today, there are more than 150,000 in the wild, with many of them returning to this very site every year, as the largest mainland breeding colony. A short, guided hike led by volunteer naturalists will bring you over the dunes to see them, and provide some interesting information about the animals along the way.
Wine Tasting
Napa Valley is not the only place for wine tasting and touring. Just “over the hill” as the locals call it, minutes from San Jose, there are more than 70 wineries and tasting rooms in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Unknown to most, this is one of the oldest wine regions in the entire nation, famous for award-winning pinot noirs and other fantastic wines. With so many to choose from, where do you start? Take the Santa Cruz Mountain Wine Trail, following Highway 35 to Bear Creek Road, visiting picturesque wineries that are set among the soaring redwood trees, like Thomas Fogarty Winery & Vineyards, Ahlgren Winery, Byington Winery & Vineyard, David Bruce Winery, and Burrell School Vineyards, located in a historic 1890 schoolhouse.
Explore the de Saisset Museum
The de Saisset Museum is located at Santa Clara University in the general San Jose area, and is a free attraction that’s well worth visiting with its nearly 10,000 works of art and historical artifacts, including the work of early Californian artist and university alumnus Ernest de Saisset. The museum opened in the 1950s after Isabel de Saisset, the last member of a French pioneer family donated the family real estate and art collection for the purpose of creating the museum and gallery. Her donation also included many of her own personal items, like tapestries, silver and jewels. Since then the museum has expanded considerably and also features an extensive collection of California mission artifacts.
