List of tourist attractions in Santa Clara Valley facts for kids
Circle of Palms, a historical spot in San Jose
Plaza de César Chávez, a lively park in downtown San Jose
Silicon Valley is a famous area in California, known for its many technology companies. But it's not just about tech! This region, which includes parts of Santa Clara, San Mateo, and Alameda Counties, is also packed with exciting places to visit. From beautiful gardens and cool museums to fun parks and unique shopping spots, there's something for everyone to explore. Get ready to discover some amazing attractions in Silicon Valley!
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Explore Silicon Valley's Beautiful Gardens
Silicon Valley is home to many peaceful and stunning gardens. These places are perfect for a relaxing walk or to learn about different plants.
- Arizona Cactus Garden, at Stanford University: See many types of cacti and desert plants.
- Chinese Cultural Garden, San Jose: Enjoy traditional Chinese garden design.
- Emma Prusch Farm Park, San Jose: A working farm and park where you can see animals.
- Filoli Estate, Woodside: A large country estate with beautiful gardens and a historic house.
- Gamble Gardens, Palo Alto: Features lovely themed gardens and a historic home.
- Hakone Gardens, Saratoga: A peaceful Japanese garden, one of the oldest in the Western world.
- Japanese Friendship Garden, at Kelley Park, San Jose: Designed to look like a garden in Japan.
- Overfelt Gardens, East San Jose: Known for its beautiful Chinese cultural garden and lake.
- San Jose Municipal Rose Garden, downtown San Jose: A stunning garden with thousands of rose bushes.
- San Mateo Japanese Tea Garden, Central Park, San Mateo: A traditional Japanese garden designed by Nagao Sakurai.
- Stanford University Arboretum, Stanford University: A large area with many different trees and plants.
- Villa Montalvo Arboretum, Saratoga: Part of the Montalvo Arts Center, with lovely trails and trees.
Discover Silicon Valley's Cultural Gems
Silicon Valley has a rich cultural scene, with many places to enjoy art, history, and performances.
Amazing Art Museums and Galleries
If you love art, Silicon Valley has many museums and galleries to explore.
- The Anderson Collection, Stanford University: Features modern and contemporary American art.
- Allied Arts Guild, Menlo Park: A charming complex with shops, gardens, and art studios.
- De Saisset Museum, at Santa Clara University, Santa Clara: Shows a variety of art and historical objects.
- Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University, Stanford: Has a large collection of art from around the world.
- The Lace Museum, Sunnyvale: Learn about the history and artistry of lace.
- New Museum Los Gatos, Los Gatos: Showcases art and history from the local area.
- Pacific Art League, Palo Alto: Offers art classes and exhibits local artists' work.
- Palo Alto Art Center, Palo Alto: A community art center with exhibitions and programs.
- San Jose Museum of Art, downtown San Jose: Focuses on modern and contemporary art.
- San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, San Jose: Displays beautiful quilts and textile art.
- The Foster Museum, Palo Alto: Dedicated to the art of watercolor.
- Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara: Features contemporary California art and Native American art.
- Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga: A historic estate with art galleries, performances, and nature trails.
Historic Places to Visit
Step back in time and learn about the history of Silicon Valley.
- Burlingame Museum of PEZ Memorabilia, Burlingame: A fun museum dedicated to PEZ dispensers.
- Circle of Palms Plaza, downtown San Jose: Marks the spot of California's first state capitol.
- Hiller Aviation Museum, San Carlos: Explore the history of flight and aviation.
- History Park at Kelley Park, San Jose: A collection of historic buildings and exhibits from San Jose's past.
- Japanese American Museum of San Jose, San Jose: Tells the story of Japanese Americans in the region.
- Museum of American Heritage, Palo Alto: Shows how technology and daily life have changed over time.
- New Almaden, Quicksilver Mining Museum: Learn about the mercury mining history in the area.
- The HP Garage, Palo Alto: The birthplace of Hewlett-Packard, a famous tech company.
- Los Altos History Museum, Los Altos: Explores the history of Los Altos and the surrounding area.
- Peralta Adobe, downtown San Jose: The oldest building in San Jose, built in 1797.
- Portuguese Historical Museum, East San Jose: Celebrates the history of Portuguese immigrants.
- Viet Museum, East San Jose: Focuses on the history and culture of Vietnamese Americans.
- Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, downtown San Jose: Houses the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts in Western North America.
- San Mateo County History Museum, downtown Redwood City: Learn about the history of San Mateo County.
- Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum, Sunnyvale: Preserves the history of Sunnyvale.
- Winchester Mystery House, West San Jose: A famous mansion known for its strange architecture and ghost stories.
Music and Theatre Venues
Enjoy live performances, from concerts to plays, in Silicon Valley.
- Fox Theatre, Redwood City: A historic theater hosting concerts and shows.
- San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, downtown San Jose: A major venue for Broadway shows and concerts.
- San Jose Improv, downtown San Jose: A popular spot for comedy shows.
- TheatreWorks Theatre Company, Palo Alto and Mountain View: Produces professional plays and musicals.
Theatre for Young Audiences
There are also many theatre groups just for kids and teens!
- Children's Musical Theatre San Jose, San Jose
- Palo Alto Children's Theatre Company, Palo Alto
- Peninsula Youth Theatre, Mountain View
- Pied Piper Players, San Mateo
- Roberta Jones Junior Theatre, Santa Clara
- San Carlos Children's Theater, San Carlos
- Silicon Valley Children's Musical Theater, San Jose
- Willow Glen Children's Theatre, San Jose
Top Event Venues in Silicon Valley
These large venues host everything from sports games to concerts and big events.
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- PayPal Park, San Jose: Home to the San Jose Earthquakes soccer team.
- California Theatre, downtown San Jose: A beautifully restored historic theater.
- Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara: Home of the San Francisco 49ers football team and a major concert venue.
- San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, downtown San Jose: Hosts Broadway shows and other performances.
- San Jose Convention Center, downtown San Jose: A large space for conferences and events.
- SAP Center at San Jose, downtown San Jose: Home to the San Jose Sharks hockey team and a concert arena.
- Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View: An outdoor concert venue.
- Stanford Stadium, Stanford: The football stadium for Stanford University.
Fun Events in Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley hosts many exciting festivals and events throughout the year.
- BayCon, Santa Clara: A science fiction and fantasy convention.
- Christmas in the Park, downtown San Jose: A festive holiday display with decorated trees.
- Cinequest Film Festival, multiple venues: A film festival showcasing new movies.
- FanimeCon, downtown San Jose: A large anime convention.
- Los Altos Art and Wine Festival, Los Altos: A street fair with art, food, and music.
- Mountain View Art and Wine Festival, Mountain View: Another popular art and wine festival.
- Palo Alto Festival of the Arts, Palo Alto: Celebrates art with many vendors and activities.
- San Jose Bike Party, San Jose area: A monthly group bicycle ride with a different route each time.
- San Jose Jazz Festival, downtown San Jose: A big music festival celebrating jazz.
- Stanford Jazz Festival, Stanford University: Features jazz performances and workshops.
Amazing Parks and Trails
Silicon Valley offers many parks and trails for hiking, biking, and enjoying nature.
- Almaden Lake Park, South San Jose: A popular spot for swimming, fishing, and picnics.
- Almaden Quicksilver County Park, South San Jose: Offers hiking trails and historical mining sites.
- Alum Rock Park, East San Jose: One of California's oldest municipal parks, with trails and mineral springs.
- Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Santa Cruz Mountains: California's oldest state park, home to giant redwood trees.
- Castle Rock State Park, Santa Cruz Mountains: Known for its unique rock formations and hiking.
- Coyote Creek Trail, San Jose to Morgan Hill: A long trail for walking, running, and biking.
- Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Santa Cruz Mountains: Another great place to see redwood trees.
- Kelley Park, San Jose: A large park with many attractions, including the Japanese Friendship Garden.
- Lake Cunningham, East San Jose: A large lake for boating, fishing, and water sports.
- Los Gatos Creek Trail, West San Jose, Campbell and Los Gatos: A scenic trail along the creek.
- Mission Peak, Fremont, California: A popular hiking spot with amazing views.
- Plaza de César Chávez, downtown San Jose: A historic park in the heart of San Jose.
- Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve, Santa Cruz Mountains: Offers many hiking and biking trails.
- Rosicrucian Park, downtown San Jose: A beautiful park surrounding the Egyptian Museum.
- Shoreline Park, Mountain View, Mountain View: A large park along the bay with trails and a lake.
- Stevens Creek Trail, Cupertino, Sunnyvale and Mountain View: A paved trail for recreation.
- Uvas Canyon County Park, west of Morgan Hill: Features waterfalls and hiking trails.
- Vasona Park, Los Gatos: A popular park with a lake, playground, and train rides.
You can find even more parks and trails by checking out the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department and Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.
Science, Technology, and Education Hubs
Silicon Valley is famous for its innovation. Visit these places to learn about science, technology, and education.
- Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose, downtown San Jose: A hands-on museum for kids to explore and learn.
- Computer History Museum, Mountain View: Discover the history of computers and how they changed the world.
- CuriOdyssey, Coyote Point Recreation Area, San Mateo: A science museum and zoo focused on nature.
- DeAnza College Fujitsu Planetarium, Cupertino: Explore the stars and planets in this planetarium.
- Lick Observatory, Mount Hamilton, San Jose: A historic observatory with powerful telescopes.
- NASA Ames Exploration Center, Mountain View: Learn about space exploration and NASA's work.
- Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo, Palo Alto: A fun place for younger kids with animals and exhibits.
- San Jose State University, downtown San Jose: A large public university.
- Santa Clara University, Santa Clara: A historic private university.
- Stanford University, Stanford: A world-renowned university known for its research and beautiful campus.
- The Tech Interactive, downtown San Jose: A hands-on science and technology museum.
Famous Technology Campuses
See where some of the world's biggest tech companies are located.
- Apple Park, Cupertino: The headquarters of Apple Inc., known for its unique ring-shaped building.
- Facebook headquarters, Menlo Park: The main campus for Meta Platforms (Facebook).
- Googleplex, Mountain View: The headquarters of Google.
- Intel Museum, Intel campus, Santa Clara: Learn about the history of Intel and microprocessors.
Shopping Fun in Silicon Valley
If you love to shop, Silicon Valley has many malls and unique shopping areas.
- Eastridge Center, East San Jose: A large shopping mall with many stores.
- Great Mall of the Bay Area, Milpitas: One of California's largest indoor outlet malls.
- Hillsdale Shopping Center, San Mateo: A popular mall with a variety of shops and restaurants.
- Pruneyard Shopping Center, Campbell: An outdoor shopping center with stores and eateries.
- Santana Row, West San Jose: A stylish outdoor area with high-end shops, restaurants, and entertainment.
- Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto: An upscale outdoor mall near Stanford University.
- Westfield Oakridge, South San Jose: A large indoor shopping mall.
- Westfield Valley Fair, West San Jose: One of the largest malls in Northern California.
Theme Parks and Exciting Tours
Get ready for thrills and fun at these entertainment spots!
- Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad, Los Gatos: A fun miniature train ride in a park setting.
- California's Great America, Santa Clara: A large amusement park with roller coasters and rides.
- Gilroy Gardens, Gilroy: A unique theme park with rides and beautiful gardens, designed for families.
- Happy Hollow Park & Zoo, San Jose: A park and zoo with rides, animals, and play areas.
- Raging Waters, East San Jose: A large water park with slides and pools.
- Roaring Camp & Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad, Santa Cruz Mountains: Take a scenic train ride through redwood forests.
Images for kids
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Hakone Gardens
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New Museum Los Gatos
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Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph
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Circle of Palms and San Jose Museum of Art
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Winchester Mystery House
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SAP Center (formerly HP Pavilion)
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San Jose Center for the Performing Arts
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San Jose Jazz Festival
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Big Basin Redwoods State Park
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Japanese Friendship Garden (Kelley Park)
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Lake Cunningham
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Vasona Park Lake
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Computer History Museum
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Googleplex
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Stanford University
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California's Great America
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Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains
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List of tourist attractions in Santa Clara Valley Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.