We had an amazing time with my two kids and husband. This place had super interactive activities…read morefor my 4yr old and 18m old. They enjoyed dressing up in fireman gear, playing with water, doing crafts, playing in the pretend food area, building with blocks, making bubbles, and playing outside. This place has a lot to do and we wished we could have stayed longer. Only part that is annoying is the stroller rule. If your child CAN walk, you can't take your stroller in. Weird rule for a place that caters to kids, including younger ones in that in between stage. Even cmy 4 year old gets tired more than average. And sure, my youngest can technically walk but he can't last the whole time walking. Anyway, we had fun but I felt like I couldn't fully relax.

Pretty freaking amazing children's museum, kids loved it (and the adults had fun hanging out too)…read more Kinda a no-brainer if you have kids -- we have a 4yo but there were bigger kids and even teens here bustlin' around.

If 4-6 people are going, might as well get a family membership for a year, it's the same price or…read moreless. Great collection. Takes a few hours to see everything. Recommend downloading the app ahead of time, the audio tour was pretty neat. Gardens are nice too, and open to the public. There's a small parking lot if no street parking's available.

Great museum with friendly staff and interactive exhibits! They do a great job of making each…read moresection super interactive. For example, they have a place where you can play ancient Egyptian games with friends, exhibits that require guests to push buttons / ask questions, and even a passport book where people can collect stamps and write notes! It doesn't just have to be for kids - I was entertained as an adult doing these activities They have a lot of artifacts, model replicas, and even a mock tomb area. It was great for being able to 'visualize' what everything would have looked like back then. It did seem like quite a few artifacts were casts of the real thing though. There was plenty to see and we spent a few hours there. The staff are also very friendly and passionate about the subject. Even when we were just looking at exhibits, they told us about different facts / activities that the museum was hosting. Outside, there was plenty of parking and even a garden you could visit. I really enjoyed coming here and highly recommend visiting if you get the chance!

I have come here for the Halloween special and their regular guided tours…read more For their Halloween event, I highly enjoyed it! They make a lot of effort to decorate and set up a spoooky ambiance. The cast were really into character and it was really fun. I also enjoyed their Halloween styled drinks - it truly set the mood! For the regular tours, I was pretty disappointed. For the following reasons: - tour was WAY too big (could not hear and it was hard to follow along) - tour content was a bit lacking. I came in with a rough idea of who Sarah Winchester was and didn't learn much beyond that. Might be different if you don't know anything about the area though - tour guides were kind of cranky. Our tour guide seemed pretty annoyed throughout the whole thing and I saw multiple other tour guides (ours included) yell at guests which was super awkward Nonetheless it is amazing to have such a historic landmark nearby. The staff do an amazing job of preserving it and it is very well maintained. You can tell they all take pride in working their and in conservation of the house, which was nice to see

I was here for an event and we were able to explore the house on our own. There were people around…read moreand you could ask questions about various rooms and things in the house. It was neat, but I think a guided tour would be the way to go. Some highlights were the door to nowhere, the gardens, and the great hospitality. It would also be awesome to visit at night too to really get the essence of the spiritual aspect. I hadn't heard of this place until the car ride over from the hotel, so I wasn't prepared for what was in store. I'd assume most people going here have some idea of why they're here. Overall, I enjoyed it and appreciated the beauty of the building as well as some of the stories told.

Tickets are free for SJSU students! I've been here twice and both times the exhibits were…read moreinteresting and the place, well maintained. Although the museum is small they change their exhibits every now and then which means I'll definitely be back. It's also, a super short walk from campus which is a bonus. There's no food allowed inside but the staff held onto ours at the front which was really nice.

Are you bored out of your mind in the endless suburban sprawl of Silicon Valley? Is the SF's arts…read morescene too far a drive? Look no further than the SJMA, which delivers everything the city has to offer...but smaller and less interesting. If it wasn't for the free tickets, I would feel a little ripped off for coming here, given the price to exhibit ratio. I'm the type of museum goer to browse the displays, read the occasional description, and examine deeply on some art pieces I find interesting. Walking at a relatively slow pace, it took me about 30-45min to complete. The museum really isn't that big, and the exhibits aren't really as interesting as SF's, for SJ being a major city. Parking is limited, but make sure to lookup ParkSJ for free parking instead of parking in the garage behind the museum. I would only come here if the tickets were free, but it's hard to imagine paying $20 unless you're really into the arts.

I came here for the Taylor Swift laser show and it was a fun way to spend an hour. It was just fun…read moremusic, lots of screaming kids singing the lyrics, and some cool lasers to look at. I did have to close my eyes a few times to give them a break from all the colorful lights. You can choose where to sit when you come into the planetarium room. The presenter did a good job. The visuals were a bit older, but it was still fun and the ticket prices were pretty reasonable/affordable. There were lots of parking available in I think Lot E.

My husband and I attended the Daft Punk laser show and it was sooo good. Apparently, they only do…read moreDaft Punk once a year and we were lucky to catch it. Parking is easiest in lot E and there were plenty of spots available. The workers were friendly and gave good advice on where to sit, which is toward the back and in the center. We got there 20 minutes early which was perfect because there were only a few people waiting outside the door. Around 15 minutes before the show, they opened the doors, and we were able to snag the best seats. The seats are decently comfortable and you can rest your head against the back for the show; I've been in more comfortable recliners but it was adequate. The laser show was very good - had some of the best Daft Punk music and a variety of lasers from just syncing to the beat of the music to drawing out storylines. The show ended up being about 45 minutes total from start to end and I would definitely go again.

ICA is a large cool funky art space that also hosts events…read more Among the many cool restaurants and bars along south First Street are the cool artsy venues. The Institute of Contemporary Arts (i.e. ICA) is fantastic. It showcases local Bay Area artists' works among others. Super friendly staff are on hand and have the latest scoop on upcoming happenings. Go online to see upcoming events at the ICA. You may discover some cool-funky talks and art shows. Happy adventures!

Feeling arty-farty, I decided to go check out the Institute of Contemporary Art. It's located in a…read morereally cool area of First St. Admission is free which is always nice. I wanted to donate and the friendly guy asked if I wanted to sign up to get information, but I declined. I was the only one in there. The exhibit was called "Allegedly the Worst is Behind Us" which featured 12 artists and their work expressing intergenerational trauma. The work was very personal and moving and inspiring too. The work was much more interesting than the San Jose Art Museum. I felt the work would definitely resonate with others who may have experienced the same thing. Since I saved $20 on the last museum, I put it in the donation box in the front. Great place to come to!

5 stars because it's free and I enjoyed my time…read more Pretty chill art museum I liked all the variations of soccer balls and one painting really caught my attention. I appreciate that it is free. They close early so go before 5pm. I was late and only had 30 minutes to end it that was enough time. I ended up sitting outside and just journaled about my day. Such a relaxing evening.

I love this museum. I actually went here before as a field trip for Girl Scouts. I love they gave…read morethe football memorabilia. They even do events here too: I went here for a wedding. They have beautiful walls to take a photo ops.

I absolutely loved visiting the Computer History Museum! There is so much to offer here for both…read morekids and adults alike. If you have any interest in learning how computers were invented and how they've evolved over the last century, this is the perfect place to explore. It's incredibly well-curated and engaging. A few tips for your visit: Time: Personally, I would recommend setting aside at least 2 hours to fully explore the exhibits and really soak it all in. Food & Drink: They have a wonderful cafe on-site that serves great hot chocolate, coffee, and light snacks--perfect for a quick energy boost mid-tour. Parking: No need to stress about parking. They have a massive lot that looks more than capable of handling even the busiest weekend crowds. Highly recommend checking this place out if you're in the area!

Spent a few hours at the Computer History Museum and didn't expect it to feel as reflective as it…read moredid. The museum walks you through the evolution of computing, from early mechanical calculators to modern microprocessors, software systems, and AI. You can see machines like ENIAC (one of the first general-purpose electronic computers) along with punch-card systems, the Apple I, and other machines that once felt futuristic and now look dusty and almost fragile. Everything here is built in layers, not in isolation: ideas evolving over time, people contributing in ways that are not always visible at first, yet shaping the outcome. Still, it is striking to see how these machines have become extensions of how we think nowadays (our brains). We offload memory, rely on algorithms to anticipate what we want, and increasingly hide behind screens. We run away from the real world and avoid real human connection. In some ways, it can feel easier to trust systems than real people because systems are predictable, responsive, dopamine-inducing, and do not require human effort or vulnerability. People do. People are messy. Here where the museum unexpectedly becomes even more reflective. It makes you wonder how easily we stay self-contained, avoid the messiness of real connection, and fill the space with endless technological distraction. Roughly 1 in 2 U.S. adults report experiencing loneliness, with in-person social interaction declining over time. Technology makes it easier to stay in your own world, away from uncertainty, risk, and the effort real closeness requires. So where does this lead us? What is our future? Is it for our good? If it feels easier this way, is it actually better? Are we becoming more connected, or just more efficiently alone? P.S. I think the admission for youth should be cheaper.