San Jose (California) Sights

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Downtown San Jose is a mix of offices, shopping, hotels, numerous restaurants as well as a convention center and the SoFA (South of First Area) nightclub district. Check out the San Pedro Square Farmer's Market on Fridays for local and organic produce, or visit San Jose State University campus and City Hall. The main library sjlibrary.org is a prestigious, award-winning, joint-use library combining resources of the city and San Jose State University. Get outdoors and take advantage of San Jose's invariably sunny weather on the Guadalupe River Trail or in one of the many city parks. You'll always find a wealth of cultural events at theaters, art galleries, and museums.

• The Tech Museum (Museum of Science and Technology), 201 South Market St, ☎ +1 408 294-TECH (8234), www.thetech.org. A great interactive experience for all ages and backgrounds. The Tech Museum allows visitors to see how technology affects their daily lives. Permanent exhibits focus on the internet, the human body, and exploration. You'll also find an IMAX Theater, a cafe, and a retail store featuring merchandise unique to the Silicon Valley. $8 (museum and IMAX).

Check out contemporary West Coast artists at the San Jose Museum of Art

• San Jose Museum of Art, 110 South Market St, ☎ +1 408 271-6840, www.sanjosemuseumofart.org. Tu-Su 11AM - 5PM. Recognized for its contemporary collection of modern art, which highlights movements on the West Coast as well as national and international pieces. The museum started as a small civic art gallery in 1969 and has grown in step with its city. $8 general admission, $5 seniors/students.

• San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, 520 South First St, ☎ +1 408 971-0323, www.sjquiltmuseum.org. Tu-Su 10AM-5PM. The first museum in the US to focus on quilts and textiles, the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles has an outstanding collection on a rotating display. Exhibitions change quarterly at this exciting and modern museum. $6 general admission, $5 seniors/students with ID (free for everyone on the first Friday of the month).

• Winchester Mystery House, 525 South Winchester Blvd, ☎ +1 408 247-2101, www.winchestermysteryhouse.com. Tours daily 9AM-7PM. Check their website for a current schedule.. The legend is that Sarah Winchester, Winchester Rifle heiress, was afraid of being cursed by the ghosts of those who had been killed by Winchester guns. She thought that as long as construction continued, the ghosts would be kept at bay. Construction did continue (for 38 years!), resulting in a fantastic house full of mazes, stairs that go nowhere and other odd architecture. Beware: visitors have reported seeing paranormal objects in the house, and the only way you can confirm their claims is to see them yourself! Mansion Tour: $26, Behind-The-Scenes Tour: $23, Grand Estate Tour (combined) $31 (discounted rates for seniors and children).

• Santana Row, 368 Santana Row, ☎ +1 408 551-4611, www.santanarow.com. A "European-style" village of shops, restaurants, and high-priced condos, with hotels and great nightlife. There's a year-round farmer's market on Sundays, and during the summer bands play free outdoor music every weekend.

• Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum and Planetarium, 1664 Park Ave, ☎ +1 408 947-3636 (info@egyptianmuseum.org), www.egyptianmuseum.org. M-F 9AM-5PM, S-Su 11AM-6PM. This museum of Ancient Egypt features exhibits funded by the Rosicrucian Order, who have secured artifacts from archaeologists working in the area since the 1920s. Take a tour through a detailed replica of an Egyptian tomb and browse their collection of authentic mummies and artifacts. $9 general admission, $7 seniors/students, $5 children 5-10, free for children under 5.

• Japantown, Between Jackson and Taylor on 1st-5th Streets ((VTA Light Rail Station Japantown/Ayer)), www.japantownsanjose.org. The neighborhood surrounding Fifth and Jackson streets (a mile from Downtown) has some good restaurants, retail shops, and cultural facilities. Festivals are held several times a year, and there is a year-round farmer's market on Sundays.

• Willow Glen, Lincoln Avenue between Willow St and Minnesota St, www.downtownwillowglen.org. This charming shopping district was once the center of a town separate from San Jose. You'll find a variety of small shops and restaurants, as well as a farmer's market and a handful of community festivals and events throughout the year.

• San Jose Municipal Rose Garden, Naglee Ave between Dana Ave and Garden Dr, ☎ +1 408 277-2757, www.sjparks.org/Parks/RegionalParks/rose/RoseGarden.asp. 8AM to half hour past sunset. San José's 5 1/2–acre Municipal Rose Garden, once a prune orchard, draws thousands of visitors each year. The Garden is exclusively devoted to shrubs of the rose family and features over 4,000 rose shrubs with 189 varieties represented. Hybrid–teas comprise 75 percent of the plantings. free. (37°19′55.8″N,121°55′41.3″W)

• Heritage Rose Garden, Spring St and Taylor St, www.heritageroses.us. half an hour before dawn to half an hour after dusk. This garden, initially planted by volunteers in 1995, has a collection of almost 4,000 plants of more than 3,000 rose varieties. free.