Top 10 Kid Friendly Things to do in and Around San Jose CA
Located in the heart of Silicon Valley and with a tech-heavy atmosphere, San Jose, California, may seem like a strictly grown-up place to visit.
But, unsurprisingly, San Jose also boasts wonderful places for kids to frolic and parents to frolic for some quality family time.
Read on to discover the 10 best kid-friendly things to do in and around San Jose, California.
- West Wind Capital Drive-In: Big screen action under the stars
A night spent at the drive-in movie is a childhood right quickly becoming non-existent for today’s kids. Luckily, there are still a few of these film installations dotting the American landscape, and one is in San Jose.
The West Wind Capital Drive-In offers a unique movie-watching experience and features fun arcades and a great playground to keep the kids entertained before the movie starts.
Admission is always free for children 4 and under. In addition, Tuesdays are Family Fun Night, with reduced admission on adult tickets.
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Happy Hollow Park & Zoo: A kid’s nirvana!
A 16-acre (6.4-hectare) zoo and amusement park, Happy Hollow Park and Zoo opened its gates in 1961 and has entertained children and their families ever since.
Happy Hollow Park & Zoo offers many fun, popular and engaging attractions, including a carousel, roller coaster, puppet theater, and more.
The zoo has lemurs, meerkats, jaguars, and miniature horses, to name a few. Take advantage of the education center made from hay bales!
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Raging Waters San Jose: The top spot for the die-hard tadpole of the family!
With 23 acres (9.3 ha) of water slides, wave pools, and other water-filled rides and activities, Raging Waters San Jose is a great way to spend a family afternoon.
Pile your kids on a raft and float down the endless river. Or let the little ones head to Wacky Water Works, where they can explore a water play area with an interactive themed water fort.
There’s also Little Dipper, a place that includes a variety of junior-sized water slides. Raging Waters San Jose showcases Lake Cunningham, a beautiful artificial body of water, and amazing panoramic views of the San Jose foothills.
- Rotary Playgarden: Inclusive play for kids of all abilities!
Opened in 2015, the Rotary Playgarden is a centennial gift from the Rotary Club of San Jose to its citizens.
What is different about the Rotary Playgarden is that it is equipped with unique structures that provide children with special needs an opportunity to play with other children. Slides are one of the big attractions of Rotary Playgarden.
There are extra-wide slides so kids can slide next to their caregiver and smaller ones for smaller kids. All slides are wheelchair accessible.
Also, check out the nearby Guadalupe River Park, where kids can marvel at a larger-than-life-sized version of the classic Monopoly board game.
Covering 30 square feet (2.7 square meters), the attraction has made it into the Guinness Book of World Records!
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Who is your mother? Exotic Finds at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum
Dedicated to showcasing the treasures of ancient Egypt, the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum boasts the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities on the West Coast.
Children will be thrilled by the ram-headed sphinxes and the row of colossal columns that greet visitors as they enter.
Some replicas of famous objects, such as King Tut’s golden sarcophagus, the Rosetta Stone, and a baboon mummy, will have children transfixed.
The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum offers guided tomb tours and an alchemy exhibit that displays a full replica of an alchemist’s workshop.
- Winchester Mystery House: The Ultimate Hide-and-Seek Setting!
Believed to be haunted, the Winchester Mystery House is a massive landmark with a staircase leading to nowhere and other strange scenes designed to confound the ghosts.
The Winchester Mystery House was once an eight-room cottage that grew into 200 rooms, 10,000 windows, 47 fireplaces, 2,000 doors, trap doors, and spy holes.
Folklore states that the house owner, an heiress, believed that evil spirits followed her. This inspired the lady to build elaborate mansions.
Although not a fact, the Winchester Mystery House makes the most of the tall tale by conducting one of its more popular offerings, the Midnight Flashlight Tour. However, stick to the standard day tour if your kids scare easily.
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California’s Great America: The Premiere Kid’s Playground!
California’s Great America Amusement Park is a 15-minute drive from San Jose in Santa Clara, California.
Spanning 100 acres (40.4 ha), California’s Great America offers top-rated family fun with thrill rides, water attractions, and live entertainment.
Rides such as the Character Carousel and Loggers Run add excitement for children of all ages. Boomerang Bay offers plenty of water activities to keep you cool on hot days.
Special events like The Great Pumpkin Fest and Halloween Haunt create great family holiday memories.
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Next Stop, Exploration Station at the Children’s Discovery Museum
Designed to help young people explore, enjoy and understand the world, the Children’s Discovery Museum is one of the country’s largest and most respected museums.
With 150 interactive exhibits, the Children’s Discovery Museum puts kids in the driver’s seat of a life-size fire truck and offers a terrifying dig for dinosaur bones.
Although best for toddlers and kids under 10, the Children’s Discovery Museum offers some great hands-on items for older kids.
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For Innovators, The Tech Museum Is The Ticket
Open your child up to a whole new world at The Tech Museum. One of the country’s top science and technology museums, The Tech Museum, supported by NASA and Stanford University, offers many intriguing exhibits and unique floor programs that will spark your young one’s imagination.
A virtual reality exhibit unleashes a child’s creativity, and the “jet pack chair” simulates a NASA astronaut’s experience of movement through space!
The Tech Museum also has the largest IMAX dome screen in the West, an eight-story high screen, and a digital surround-sound system.
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“Days of Yours,” History Don’t Bore in San Jose
History San Jose is a 14-acre (5.6 ha) site that provides a wholesome and charming atmosphere of a bygone era. History showcases the long and rich history of the San Jose area.
But the real attraction for the kids is the old-fashioned ice cream shop, O’Brien’s Ice Cream Parlor, and Candy Shop.
Built in 1868, O’Brien’s Ice Cream Parlor and Candy Shoppe offer retro candy and delicious ice cream, sodas, and other refreshments. History San Jose also offers family-friendly activities throughout the year.
Lots of pint-size stuff to do
Even though San Jose boasts nearly 7,000 tech companies, I don’t think the city has to be all adult business and not “child’s play.”
San Jose is home to fun playgrounds, interesting museums, and dynamic amusement parks, making it the perfect city to keep all family members entertained.
So, if your family wants a great getaway, San Jose, California, is the non-stop family entertainment hub.
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