My boyfriend and I walked in here during the holiday season, but during the day time so there wasn't any real event or lights on, but it was still nice to see all of the houses, decor, and set up. Plus parking was free and entry was free when we went. Just a BIG FYI, because we didn't go during an event, they DO LOCK UP THE PARK and when I was waiting for my boyfriend to pick me up from our parking area (ended up on the other side of the park somehow), I saw a bunch of people trying to call for help after the gate locked them in. Woops. It seems that they hold lots of events here with outdoor local vendors, food vendors, and also opportunities to go inside the houses and learn about the history of a lot of the buildings. I'd keep an eye out on their social media or website for those, but as a freebie person exploring through. It's fun and cute. read more

If you've been to medieval or historical towns (where folks dress up in that time period and reenact that time period...), this History Park has that kind of vibe. It's like a small town within a big town. There's a museum. There's a gift shop. There's a garden. There's a bunch of seating areas. There's sculptures. There's trains and horns you can honk. Parking is strange. No idea if they truly monitor and ticket folks because it's self pay. read more

This history park is a bit odd. It's a bunch of random old buildings from approximately 1870 to 1930 along with a working trolley. There's also an "old fashioned" ice cream parlor that magically takes credit cards and has modern refrigerated cases. On weekends, some of the buildings are open, so you can look around inside. There were a few very friendly volunteers when we visited, who really helped bring the buildings and history to life. read more

It's a good place to walk around and learn about the history of San Jose and surrounding areas. Going on a Saturday, not all the houses were open due to volunteer shortage. They had a snack bar and a free trolley ride. It's definitely a nice place to get your steps in. Most of the time it's free admission unless otherwise posted. read more

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Popped in for a Sunday walk, enjoyed the quiet museum park on a sunny day. * Parking: Small free lots available on Phelan Ave * Admission: Free * Check website for weekend hours * Museum park is entirely self-guided, select houses are open only when volunteers are available - please keep this in mind when planning your visit. Peaceful scenery, lots of tables for picnics, small ice cream parlor on site. Nice location to enjoy a quiet break! read more

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This is a small historical park that is free to enter except when there are events going on. Limited on free parking on Phelan street but it is always available if there are no event took place here. I loved coming here on weekend especially from 12PM to 3PM on weekend for the free train ride surround the historic park. Most people here are volunteers so you will see some history house open for visitors to enter and learn about it. Each house has a history and different aspect. Everyone volunteers here is very nice and eager for you to learned history about it. Be respectful because some of them volunteer here over 50 years. It is not busy at all on weekend, weekday are sometimes with kids on there field trip from school. read more

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History Park is such an underrated spot for some fun! Admission is free so I regularly come here to walk and/or have a picnic. They serve as a venue for events all of the time so check their website for what's coming up. What to Do: History park is home to the Viet Museum, Portuguese Historical Museum, and so many historical buildings that you can tour. Be sure to check when the museums are open since they have limited hours. They have a running trolley that you can ride on Saturdays between 12-3:15pm. Every Wednesday and Friday, they offer tours of the park at 1PM at an extra cost that you can book in advance. Rest Areas: They have plenty of picnic bench seating throughout the park. I have seen tour groups of 60-90 kids come and have picnics on the benches after their tours. Parking: You can park in a small lot at the main entrance on Phelan or if that lot is full, you can park at the Kelley Park parking lot at the end of Phelan and walk over to the entrance of History Park. Staff: Staff is always super friendly and kind. You can tell they enjoy the space. Ambiance: Quaint old town vibes with charm. This is such a cute place to walk. read more

History Park - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - San Jose, California

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Went to an event there and the park is so nice! I love all the old fashion signs and houses. It would be really cute for a photo shoot. Minus one star that there's no parking and for an event the parking was far walk and $15 read more

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I went here for the History Park Halloween Haunt event recently and my son had a blast! I really like the fact that they limit the amount of tickets they sell. It makes the event more safe and walkable for the little ones that attend. My son was able to enjoy the Halloween activities and was able to trick-or-treat for the first time! Tickets were really affordable at $8 per ticket. This is a wonderful event for parents with little ones that are around 6 and under. I wish they had the event on both Saturday and Sunday instead of just one day, though! read more

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The Annual Classic Car Show... 2024- Wow Great Show $10 for adults the rest are cheeper. Quite a show of cars, trucks and sone army vehicles today. These are cars from the 20's 30's and 40's. This is not your usual Hot Rod Car Show we've all seen before. Exhibitors are mainly dressed in era clothing. A live band about 8-9 of them playing those classic tunes. Other exhibitors here to raise awareness of their organization Wood carvings, embroidery, hats, license plates and of course the model train room. Great for kids to see the ild way, dogs permitted. Lots of shade and tables, bring your picnic or go to the food truck The surrounding old buildings complete the atmosphere and the folks you'll meet complete the story. See you next September and bring the kids Martin-foodguy read more

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Came out to History Park for Halloween -- my child aunt got us tickets. It was actually really nice! A relaxing stroll, not crowded or ghetto. I even learned a bit about the history of San Jose! read more

History Park - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - San Jose, California

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History Park is located in the big Kelly Park in the middle of San Jose but I think to this day, it's still one of those hidden gems that not a lot of people go to. The entrance is on the other side of the park and not next to the parking lot that is next to the Japanese Friendship Garden. I do wish they had another entrance right there. I remember back in the days when History Park was always lively with a lot of people and tours. But nowadays, I visit History Park whenever there's an event there and it's nice to see the park lively with cultural events but I do wish that there are events that bring History Park more alive. It feels like a movie set walking around. It takes you back to simpler times and just looking at the vintage homes and the architecture is absolutely stunning. I also love the replica of the San Jose Light Tower and rumor has it, it was an inspiration for the Eiffel Tower in Paris. If you ever get a chance to visit History Park, I highly recommend visiting it whenever they have events there. read more

Beautiful grounds, enthusiastic docent, and fascinating history. Make sure to check the hours before going. Frequently closed. read more

Step back in time! Yesterday, we spent time at San Jose History Park and absolutely loved it. From the fantastic 1960s music poster exhibit to the charming historic buildings spread across 14 beautiful acres, there's so much to explore and enjoy. A wonderful mix of history, culture, and nostalgia--definitely worth some visits and they have a lot of special events too! We'll be back! Highly recommmended. read more

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If you like history then this is the spot for you in San Jose. You're taken to the olde San Jose of yesterday and you get to see how a lot of things were not so long ago. The park is free, but you do have to pay for parking which is pretty fair. The grounds are pretty big and and you're pretty much left to your own devices on how you want to explore. A nice little place to visit on a nice beautiful day. read more

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We were planning to visit the Viet museum on Sunday and we checked the time was from 12-4pm on the weekend and we got there at around 2pm but it closed! However, the History Park was an interesting place to visit. Seems like we travelled back in time.... read more

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This is an awesome old town history park. I never knew it existed and I have relatives that live in San Jose that also didn't even know about it until now. So glad that we ran across this park as it was a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon. read more

We LOVE History Park! We came here once for the Halloween night. I would HIGHLY recommend it. definitely wanna check out the Christmas night as well if they have it. The Halloween night included: most of the houses were decorated and they were decorated super cute and spooky! They went all out. And also there was the cutest light show with dancing pumpkins on the big back drop of the building where the ice cream place is. There were kids dancing and people just enjoying themselves. I loved it and my hubby liked it too. We spent about 30 min walking around and taking pics and then about 30 min watching the show. It had good spooky fun music too. Then we did about a 5 or 10 min ride on the back of an open vehicle lol. The second time we went, we went for the tea party which was Alice n wonderland themed. I would say that that was cute and for a good cause for the museum. We took pics and spent about 1 hour there enjoying ourselves and the servers were really nice and attentive. Afterwards we spent an hour walking around and going to every exhibit which was really nice. I love it here. Definitely wanna come back for their other events. read more

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Even though it rained, the Taco & Beer event was packed. I had never been to the park even though I had lived in the neighborhood for over ten years. The event was well worth the price. read more

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I am extremely happy that this History Park is only about 10 minutes away from my home. There are many Historical Buildings, Businesses, museums, Gift shops, and even an old-fashioned ice cream shops within this park! They usually have all sorts of events held here. Classic cars shows, Christmas drive tru, Halloweens, and so much more!!! There are tours available to show case the History behind these landmarks where the public can purchase tickets in advance. The park is also open everyday. I often visit this Historic park at least twice a week just to walk the entire park. I Truly enjoy the atmospheres and the charms of this peaceful place every time I am here! Truly a Hidden Gem!!!! read more

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I took my little to the Children's Heritage Holiday event today and it was kind of a waste. 1st - parking is $10. 2nd - $5 for adults & $8 for kids less than 5. The time states it is open from 11-3pm and I arrived around 1pm. Santa left at 130p and the balloon artist left at 2:30p. They only had one person for balloon art and paint art so you can imagine the line. A parent said she waited 30 minutes for a balloon so you can only imagine a child's patience. I would think for this type of event they would have more artists. They have trolley and tractor rides which were a nice touch and some crafts. There was also. A train display that my little was interested in for less than 5 minutes. Overall, I would not waste my time on this event again. read more

History Park - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - San Jose, California

Dalli Haat at History Park. First time visiting this place and can't wait to attend future events. Wish the other businesses were open. The Chinese American Museum was open which was a great. An example of don't judge the book by its cover. The museum is small but the exhibits. read more

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We attended the Halloween Haunt event and honestly, I wasn't too impressed unfortunately. The area is definitely quaint and gives you an old time/small town vibe, and we loved the trolley ride from the parking lot to the main entrance. I love the idea of there being different Halloween-themed stations in each building, but most of the buildings didn't even have candy or anything really. The line for the balloon animals was so incredibly long that it didn't feel worth our time. I think if you're a history buff, you'd get something out of it, but as a parent of a 4 year old, it was a "womp womp" experience, especially for the hassle of parking in the area. Unfortunately won't consider it again or recommend it to others. read more

I love this place!!!!! It's very educational and you really do learn a lot about the history of San Jose. Definitely a great place to come to if you want to learn more about the city or just want a nice place to taken a walk. I highly recommend visiting! read more

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Christmas in the Park Drive Thru 2020 Review! I have been attending CITP for many years now and I was super excited to see that they were still able to do something for the holidays despite COVID. I haven't previously heard of History/Kelley Park but it was super cool to see what they had to offer. I bought tickets for the CITP Drive Thru a few weeks in advance and decided to get the early admission tickets at 4pm for $10/car. Anytime between 5-closing is $20/car. Even though it was raining and not dark enough, I still had a great time!! You tune into 93.1fm radio which is playing some popular holiday songs to listen to while you drive through the park. Between waiting in line for a little and driving through, it probably took around an hour. I'm a sucker for holiday decorations and holiday lights so I was just in awe even though it wasn't dark yet. There was even a real Santa somewhere along the way! I would suggest going early if you can or go at the latest time. The car line was already super long when we arrived a little before 4pm. Thank you CITP for keeping the holiday spirit alive during this time and I would definitely do this again next year! read more

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We loved visiting History Park, as it's like a tiny city within the city, everything within walking distance (even though they have trolley rides inside the park that seem like they're 1 minute long, lol). We checked out the Trolley Barn, the Southern Pacific Railroad Steam Locomotive, the Dashaway Stables (that used to hold horses and carriages), the Portuguese Historical Museum, and the Viet Museum, which had a lot of interesting displays and monuments that allowed us to learn a lot about the history of Vietnamese Americans (including rifles used during the Vietnam War, photos of Vietnamese refugees considered the "boat people", maps with misspellings and missing words, and a beautiful garden and memorial). We also visitied the Arbuckle Gallery at the Pacific Hotel, specifically the current exhibit, Valley Memories: Curiosities & Treasures from History San Jose's Collection. This exhibition had unique and random displays, ie. old radios and cameras, a waffle maker and pancake griddle, where visitors could cast their vote for their fave by making a donation. Did you know the Eggo waffle was invented in San Jose? Other items here included an old atari console, a unicycle (the world's greatest cyclist), and a board with words that could be rearranged to create your own slogan or catchphrase. Next door in the Pacific Hotel is O'Brien's Ice Cream Parlor and Candy Shop. It looked old school, but what they sell is not, ie. modern candies you can buy at Target or Safeway, typical ice cream flavors, etc. But we did have some ice cream here, rocky road and lime sorbet. We walked around while enjoying our treats. They have several picnic tables and benches at various corners of the park, including the Lillian Gong-Guy Plaza. We probably spent the most time at the Print Shop, because Jim, a volunteer of the San Jose Printer's Guild, spent time teaching us about his work, printing our names, and educating us about the history of the business. My partner was tempted to join the SJ Printer's Guild himself after learning about all of the print and play involved. We didn't get to visit all buildings/exhibits at History Park, because many of them actually close much earlier than the listed time. For instance, the Pasetta House and McKay Gallery were closed at 3:30pm, even though the park closes at 4:00pm on Sundays. That was a disappointment, but it's not like we can't easily visit on another day. After all, it's free admission and easy to access within our city. The parking lot on Senter Road was free too. read more

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I have been here a couple of times over the years and really appreciate having a spot like this to learn about the history of the area. It's pretty low key but there's a lot to see and learn about. There are a lot of other interesting spots in the area as well including the Japanese garden which is right next door and is one of my favorite spots. read more

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History Park is like taking a stroll through San Jose's past. It's a small town square where you can explore different parts of the city's history. Each building features something different about the history, such as the railroad cars that have been worked on to be restored. This year History Park has had 2 really great events this fall for kids: light shows/events for both Halloween and Christmas. They have decorated the park with lights set to music with little surprises along the way, such as a bubble machine to represent snow. My family has really enjoyed going to these events and would come back next year! read more

Came out here for a carshow/concert. Found it to be a really cool back drop for all the lowriders/old school cars. Cool venue, plenty of shade and areas to set up and just relax. read more

This place is free and a nice little walk. However, it's pretty boring. there's nothing much to see unless some of the museums are open. Standouts are the Portuguese Museum and the outstanding Chinese museums. Check the website to see when these are open. When events happen this place is great. There are Italian, Portuguese, and Puerto Rico Fesitivals. So many people go and there's tons of food. I went to the WW2 day and it was amazing. read more

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A day of exploring San Jose was spent entirely at this park. Yelp app led me here when I searched for places to see. I wasn't expecting much from it since I just wanted a place to hang around while waiting on my brother who attended a seminar here. To my surprise, it's well worth coming in here. I'm particularly amazed with all the things I saw in here. Not really sure how they were able to gather all the historical buildings in one place. So much to see and explore in this 14 acre lot. You can freely roam around by yourself. It's very well maintained with lots of big trees that give ample shade. Lots of picnic tables and chairs all around. There's a total of 32 buildings which include not just old houses but also vintage cars, church, school, firehouse, gas station, doctor office, dental office, print shop, bank, etc. Not just iconic buildings but also there are several museums. One inside the hotel. Others scattered throughout like the Viet Museum, Greek, Chinese and Portuguese museums. The staff which holds an office on the second floor of the hotel are friendly. I had the opportunity to talk to them while I was sitting at the bench outside the hotel. I read a review that there's no restroom available in the park but there actually a clean, nice restroom located inside the hotel. read more

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This is for the christmas lights and Thank you Yelp for the ticket. I had great time enjoying those lights. I went on weekday around 6'o clock and found there is a VERY LONG LINE. They have closed all left turns and u turns for the park. Only one open is at the senter and Tully intersection. I spent 1 hour waiting for the entry. It was pretty quick after entering the park. We need to purchase tickets online and I didn't find any booth to buy tickets on site. It took 45 minutes to complete the lights in the park. Tune in to 93.1 for christmas songs. The lines even more long after 7. So, plan accordingly. read more

Two years in a row, I tried to visit this place all the way from San Francisco, on my Birthday, but it was closed without any information online. Last year, it was closed, the gate was locked without any notice, we were told it was closed by a park ranger in the Japanese garden next to it. This year, we triple-checked on the internet, with the website and google map, and nothing said it's NOT open to the public, till I arrived, some girls at the entrance told us it's not open to public, it's their Christmas coral event. I gave up trying to visit this place. Why is it so hard to update your own website? read more

It should tell you something that I lived in San Jose for a big chunk of the Seventies after this park was established, and yet I had never heard of it in all these years. Granted this type of recreated history outdoor museum is not really my cup of tea, but it is right next to the Japanese Friendship Garden which I had visited many times (review: http://bit.ly/2I1ZRYB). In fact, the only reason I walked over here was to add steps to my FitBit after I caught a glimpse of it from the adjacent, exorbitantly priced $6 parking lot. The idea of it was interesting, a collection of 32 buildings that was meant to evoke the turn of the last century. On an uneventful Saturday, the experience was a bit of a snooze. I could imagine it being a lot livelier during historic festivals where people dressed in period costumes. On its own, however, it felt like a deserted section of a failed amusement park with a solitary steam engine train running with no passengers on board. In fact, it was like that classic episode of The Twilight Zone where Charles Bronson and Elizabeth Montgomery played the last two people on earth in a ghost town where they represented opposing sides of the Cold War. You can enter most of the buildings, many focused on specific topics or heritages, if you are into period furnishings and bric-a-brac. The one intriguing exhibit is the Viet Museum opened in 2007 and focused on the history of the Vietnamese in the area starting with the influx of the "Boat People" after the fall of Saigon (photo: http://bit.ly/2r3cIlO). Admission is free, so I certainly can't complain about the price. I did get my steps in. read more

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This park is close to my home and today it is hosting a festival called SJMADE FEST 2023 with more than 300 vendors in 7 themed areas. This event is only here for this weekends - 5/20 to 5/21. They have a lot of cool stuff displaying around. There are some interesting food trucks that we wanted to try but most of the lines were so long that we decided to not to do so. Good thing is we at least found a booth that sells really good snack. We tried samples and we loved it instantly. The store name is Eizel's and the snack named Bombay Mix. They're around this area, so I'll definitely purchase it again. I'll show it in the photos in case anyone's interested in wanting to see how it looks like. By the way, the admission is free but parking is gonna cost you $10. You can find free parking spots around the neighborhood but it's just harder as the neighborhood itself is already packed with cars of people living there. You can try and who knows, if you're lucky you could save $10 bucks In general, it is a nice experience, great for groups hanging out like friends, families, or even couples. You can bring your dogs with you too! Plus, the weather now is perfect to enjoy even more for outdoor activities!!! read more

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What a hidden gem! I had no idea this park existed until recently when a friend invited me to meet her there. There is a small parking lot on Phelan, at 9 am it was wide open. We didn't see another soul in the park until about 1030, so come early! When we entered the park I felt like I had stepped onto a movie set with all the historic buildings lining the street. There is even a candy shop that is sometimes open on weekends for kids (and adults) to enjoy. There a a lot of cool old buildings and even a covered wagon and a train! We had a great time exploring the park, I can't wait to come back! read more

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Second visit! Came here on a random day (I forgot when...) but the museums were closed! It was definitely a ghost tow, straight from a movie. The only couple there made an appearance for a second and disappeared within a few seconds and was not seen again by us which definitely put some chills down my spin haha. Bumped into the ranger and he told us that they were closed and was going to open only weekends @12 - 5. I came back Tuesday and surprisingly only the Vietnamese Museum was opened but I wasn't mad because I intentionally wanted to visit that specific museum. - Vietnamese Museum : Volunteers were extremely welcoming! I witnessed a lot of silencing in this museum. Compared to the one I visited last year in its native country, it definitely was similar in ways but this one lacked history :( . *Free parking and entry The park itself is very well kept! The geese/goose will stare you down!! Beware! Besides that, a very peaceful place to sit and read a book or just simply learn about different history visually! Side Note : Thank you to my Yelp friend Dennis or else I would've never found this place, haha! read more

What a wonderful gem to find in San Jose. I didn't know this existed until seeing it as part of "Things to Do in San Jose" on Youtube. Went with the family on a Sunday. There were a few of the buildings opened with some wonderful volunteers explaining some awesome San Jose history. Didn't know that the Oral B toothbrush was invented in SJ. Took the free trolley ride through the park. Anyways we spent two hours there on a beautiful sunny day. If you haven't visited yet, get yourself over there. Great day to spent with the family. read more

A Great Place To "See & Touch" The History of California! SITREP From historic cars, to tattooed women, to understanding the cultural & religious diversity of we Californians, ALL of this and more is discovered and/or enhanced in spending time walking through "History Park at Kelley Park" (aka the "Park") and it's visiting it's buildings. THE SETUP Fundamentally, the Park is a great venue space because besides having historic buildings dotted all throughout it, it features some great events: * Veterans Memorial Events * Antique Car Calvacades * Seasonal activities such as the "Happy Hollow and History Park" * Vintage California State History Events * Signature Exhibitions such as the Puerto Rico exhibit or the "Tattooed & Tenacious Women" exhibit. * And did I mention Antique Cars? ;) PARKING FYI - it costs $6 to park in the lot adjacent (only parking available nearby) to Kelley Park. As a rule, I dislike parking fees at a location if the parking revenue is shunted over to the local municipal administration (ie. City of San Jose) rather than the beach / or park / or historic location. However, the park personnel assured me the parking fee goes right into the park's coffers which I like (and I'll trust that this is true). THE LOWDOWN A fantastic walk through the park, with a plethroa of beautiful spots to see and enjoy, and a lot of historic buildings to go into and see exhibitions. read more

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First, an update is forthcoming when we're there on a weekend. Like others have written, History Park is severely limited Monday-Friday, due to few volunteers available and even fewer strollers through the park. A handful of buildings are open, and all the exhibits are in the closed buildings. Friday afternoon, that's when my history-loving wife and I were there. I knew what to expect, and I warned her that most places may not be open. Still, she was fascinated. By now, she's accustomed to living in a state where it appears that most history started at World War II. Yet here are several acres with houses (one with a two-holer in the back), a hotel, offices, service station, and a firehouse, all built roughly 100 years ago and restored to their original glory. The central plaza is designed to look like the town center from the Gay `90s. A country schoolhouse that demonstrates that, yes, San Jose was a country town. She liked it all; imagine how overjoyed she'd be if she was there when these buildings were open! One place that IS open on weekdays: O'Brien's Ice Cream Shop. Limited selection, high quality, yummy taste, normal prices. But you come for the atmosphere. It looks like the old type ice cream parlour that it was in 1900. I expected to hear a player piano tinkling out "Down By The Old Mill Stream". History Park also has occasional events, many that are history related. I'll write again after we visit on a weekend. read more

History Park - Inside the bank that's attached to the Pacific Hotel. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - San Jose, California