Downtown San Jose

Downtown San Jose is stark with lots of cement and not many of the tall beautiful pines you see in Cupertino or Sunnyvale, but it boasts some great museums and a few architectural treasures. If you walk along Market Street near Park Avenue you will see some cool things. There's a bubbly fountain in Plaza de Cesar Chavez- this area has a lot of homeless people. Next to each other are St Joseph's Basilica and the San Jose Museum of Art (shown above), two gorgeous buildings in completely different architectural styles. Go inside the basilica- it is amazing. If you walk further, to the corner of E. Santa Clara St and 5th St, you can see the stunning modern architecture of San Jose City Hall.

Best of all are the museums in Downtown San Jose. Don't miss out on the Tech Innovation Museum- an incredible place with huge rooms full of interactive exhibits on robots, rollercoasters, genes, music, bobsleds, and geography. Also fantastic is the Children's Discovery Museum, which has a giant monopoly board outside it! 
While you're in San Jose, don't miss out on the nicest area, Santana Row, a European-style development with sunny outdoor cafes, flower baskets galore, and pretty architecture.

Directions

Downtown San Jose is the area around Market St and Park Ave. There are public parking lots at 280 S. Second St and 44 S. Fourth St.

Click on map for interactive view