The City of Surprises

San Jose has a reputation as a techy paradise, but the city isn’t all iPhone apps and Zoom calls. There are some surprisingly fun things to do in San Jose that don’t involve sitting behind a computer making it a perfect destination for a long weekend. Here is what we would recommend checking out if you’re wondering what to do in San Jose, California.

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Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

When you think San Jose, California images of sunny days and tech giants like Apple probably come to mind, the last thing you would probably think of is Egyptian mummies. Tucked away in San Joses Rose Garden District is the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. Rosicrucian is a fantastic surprise. Home to the most extensive collection of Egyptian artifacts on exhibit in western North America. Two floors containing thousands of Egyptian artifacts, including real mummies and a scale recreation of an Egyptian tomb. It’s wild how much history they pack into this place. You can see mummified people, cats, oxen, even crocodiles. There are beautifully ornate sarcophagi and ancient handcrafted tools in almost every room of the museum. We spent around two hours exploring the museum and still didn’t see it all. 

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San Jose Sharks Hockey

You would not expect to find a diehard hockey fanbase in a city where palm trees line the boulevard. But the people in San Jose love their Sharks Hockey team. Walk into any bar in downtown San Jose and find a “This is Sharks Territory Sign” hung on the wall. While sporting one of the coolest logos in the NHL and having Zambonis with fins, the Sharks put on one of the best hockey experiences in America. Home Games are played at the SAP Center, which is an easy and safe walk from many of the downtown hotels. 

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Winchester Mystery House

Few places in the world are shrouded in more mystery than the Winchester Mansion. Sarah Winchester, the heiress to the Winchester Rifle fortune, built a bizarre estate, with doors leading to nowhere and hidden rooms that you can only access through bookcases. It’s a real-life fun house, with a tragic and supernatural background.

It’s said that Mrs. Winchester was driven into madness. She lost her infant daughter to tuberculosis and lost her husband to the same illness a few years later. As her sanity dissolved, Sarah believed spirits were now haunting the halls of her home. Mrs. Winchester concluded the souls of those who died staring down the barrel of “The Gun That Won the West” wanted retribution. She began constructing nonsensical areas of her home to confuse the apparitions. During her lifetime Mrs.Winchester spent over $5.5 million building this 160 bedroom mansion.

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Quicksilver Trail

San Jose lies within Silicon Valley. But one of the surprising things about the area is not what lies in Silicon Valley, but what creates the valley. The foothills surrounding the city have an excellent trail system for hiking, running, and mountain biking. One of the best trails right outside the city is the Quicksilver Mine Trail. This hike offers sweeping views of the city, lots of wildlife, and a little bit of San Jose history. Here is our trail guide for how to complete the five-mile loop trail.

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Final Thoughts on San Jose

With a reputation for high-tech business, it may seem that San Jose is all work and no play. But San Jose is surprisingly fun. It’s the perfect destination for a long weekend trip. 

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