One of California’s first settlements, San Jose is now among the state’s most populated cities, with Downtown San Jose’s growth benefiting from Silicon Valley financial success. Come see the historic sites and modern attractions in this interesting neighborhood.
San José State University is an important feeder school for regional businesses, educating tech and financial wizards. Walk through the campus. The school was founded in 1857 as the first in California’s public university system. Look for Tower Hall, built in 1910 after California’s 1906 earthquake damaged other structures. Just north of campus is San Jose City Hall, with contrasting modern architecture featuring a glass rotunda.
Tour diverse museums in the downtown region. Modern and contemporary art are featured in the San Jose Museum of Art, with an impressive collection of 2,600 pieces of painting, sculpture, photography and ceramics. New media art includes numerous works integrating digital and electronic technologies.
With a specialization in cloth, the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles has more than 1,200 quilts, items of clothing and textiles sourced globally. View the exhibits and learn about the history and manufacture of textiles in the extensive library. Founded in 1977, this is the first U.S. museum to specialize in textiles as art.
Bring your kids to the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, which fulfills its mission of inspiring creativity, curiosity and lifelong learning through countless fun and interactive science, technology and art exhibits. Fittingly, the museum is on Woz Way, named after Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Inc., an early leader in technology growth in San Jose.
Look for St. Joseph Cathedral Basilica, originally founded in 1803. Step inside to see beautiful stained-glass windows and the rare Odell organ.
Drive here from Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport in about 10 minutes. The green space of Guadalupe River Park separates the airport from Downtown San Jose. Stop in historic Japantown just north of downtown for a completely different and equally welcoming atmosphere.
