Travel guide for planning a tour of historical sites and museums in San Jose, California.
San Jose is home to a variety of museums and many historical sites.
The San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles tries to teach visitors to see past the culture and ethnic origins of quilts and textiles and to appreciate the art of creation instead. Visitors can learn the role of quilts and textiles within the history of the many people of the world.
The Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose is housed in a 52,000 square foot purple building. Its focus is to serve all children, both school aged and younger, as well as families as a whole in education, learning and discovery. Communication, creativity and connections invite exploration in the exhibits as well as programs to provide more specific interaction.
The Japanese American Museum of San Jose works to preserve the history of Japanese Americans, with specific attention on the Santa Clara area. Family histories, historical photographs, private memoirs and other documents were collected to help others learn about the pain these Americans went through during World War II, as well as the culture that was left behind in Japan.
The Almaden Quicksilver County Park Mining was once the home to over 1800 miners and their families and 135 years of mining activities. The park is in a large part of the Capitancillos Ridge. The remains of a mining era over visitors a chance to see the tools used and what the miners' lives might have once been like, so many years ago.
The Rosicrucian Order Amorc Park offers a combination of Egyptian and Moorish architecture in a large park that covers an entire city block. Within the museum, visitors may learn about the history of Egypt and actually step into a recreation of an ancient Egyptian tomb. Recreations of some of the most well known Egyptian artifacts are on display within the museum and visitors can also visit a public library of books based on ancient texts.
The San Jose Historical Museum is a testament to the sacrifice the Chinese immigrants made to help make the West what it is today. Within the museum grounds, visitors can spend time as a pioneer or learn of the ancient Chinese traditions brought to America. Tour guides spread their eagerness for the history of the Santa Clara Valley and the Chinese with a strong, unapproachable enthusiasm.
The Winchester Mystery Mansion is a museum to the history of the era it was built. Sarah Winchester built the house, using the money left to her by her husband. Within the house and on the grounds, the architecture, plants, furnishings and decorations of the early 20th century still rest in their home, as if waiting for Sarah to return. Mrs. Winchester is also known to have been the creator of several inventions, which at the time were very advanced.
The Fallon House, a fifteen room Victorian mansion, was built by one of San Jose's first mayors. The builder, Thomas Fallon, was a member of the John C. Fremont expedition.
The Peralta Adobe is the oldest address within the city of San Jose. Outside the house, visitors will find a working oven and can find the two rooms within the building furnished in the way the two families who lived in it might have done over 200 years ago.
