We visited here for a summer activity…read more Staff we interacted with were friendly, approachable, & helpful. There is a lot to see & do on 3 spacious levels with enough for kids & adults to appreciate. They also have an IMAX theater, gift shop, & cafe (reviewed on the Tech Cafe page). Some cool highlights-- Animaker--Design a 3D block shape you can turn into a virtual animal Innovation in Bloom--A huge wall to design ball drop paths (but you have to chase down rogue balls) Wave Atlas--Use hand gestures to create colorful sea life-like creatures on a wall projection The Innovator--Design a roller coaster & then sit in front of a screen that simulates riding it Design for Earth--Create a virtual city you can calibrate to make choices that are environmentally sound Draw Alive--Color a sea character, scan it, & see it swim in a big wall projected scene Dream Garden--Translate your body movements to interact in a whimsical & colorful virtual nature environment Space Exploration--Area had a jet pack chair to ride (It's loud) Cyber Detectives Area Hands-on labs with designing & building--An activity while we were there was to try to engineer a device to score a soccer goal IMAX movie (1 is free with admission)--Concession snacks are sold, we saw a cute movie on Penguins Body Worlds Exhibit was currently there Climate & environmental lessons are taught We did experience some out of order machines & glitches in the middle of doing an activity. Some things weren't clear on how to figure them out. There are a lot of unique, fun, creative, & educational activities to experience.

It's very interactive. I had a lot of fun going here over the years. It's near the art museums and…read morein a good location. I usually go when it's the first weekend of the month but they changed it so first weekend of the month they choose for Bank of America and Merrill customers. The San Jose libraries have free access but you have to book in advance to get free or low cost tickets. For someone who goes for free, it's worth going.

We had an amazing time with my two kids and husband. This place had super interactive activities…read morefor my 4yr old and 18m old. They enjoyed dressing up in fireman gear, playing with water, doing crafts, playing in the pretend food area, building with blocks, making bubbles, and playing outside. This place has a lot to do and we wished we could have stayed longer. Only part that is annoying is the stroller rule. If your child CAN walk, you can't take your stroller in. Weird rule for a place that caters to kids, including younger ones in that in between stage. Even cmy 4 year old gets tired more than average. And sure, my youngest can technically walk but he can't last the whole time walking. Anyway, we had fun but I felt like I couldn't fully relax.

Pretty freaking amazing children's museum, kids loved it (and the adults had fun hanging out too)…read more Kinda a no-brainer if you have kids -- we have a 4yo but there were bigger kids and even teens here bustlin' around.

If 4-6 people are going, might as well get a family membership for a year, it's the same price or…read moreless. Great collection. Takes a few hours to see everything. Recommend downloading the app ahead of time, the audio tour was pretty neat. Gardens are nice too, and open to the public. There's a small parking lot if no street parking's available.

Great museum with friendly staff and interactive exhibits! They do a great job of making each…read moresection super interactive. For example, they have a place where you can play ancient Egyptian games with friends, exhibits that require guests to push buttons / ask questions, and even a passport book where people can collect stamps and write notes! It doesn't just have to be for kids - I was entertained as an adult doing these activities They have a lot of artifacts, model replicas, and even a mock tomb area. It was great for being able to 'visualize' what everything would have looked like back then. It did seem like quite a few artifacts were casts of the real thing though. There was plenty to see and we spent a few hours there. The staff are also very friendly and passionate about the subject. Even when we were just looking at exhibits, they told us about different facts / activities that the museum was hosting. Outside, there was plenty of parking and even a garden you could visit. I really enjoyed coming here and highly recommend visiting if you get the chance!

This review is solely for the Festival Fright Night…read more My husband's never seen the Winchester Mystery House up close so what better time to take him than Halloween time when it's all decked out and spooky? I bought tickets online, but don't be like me and go buy them at Costco for a deal instead. During non Festival Fright Night time they have a parking lot available for customers, but there is also a parking garage across from them if needed. For what was available with our tickets, the place was scary. The jump scares got me good each time, and I enjoyed learning how to axe throw. Overall, the experience was fun and frightful and I'd love to take my husband back here for an actual tour of the house.

Great experience with GREAT GUIDES who really make the visit fun and worthwhile. A must see if in…read moreSan Jose. I recommend this adventure despite my two very serious complaints:. Tour groups are TOO LARGE! they pack over two dozen people into tiny rooms with the people breathing down your neck. Price of the tour is TOO EXPENSIVE: if the groups were smaller so the experience wasn't so rushed and crowded, I would accept the high price. But to charge this amount and then jam you into a too-crowded tour group is simply price-gouging at the expensive of the customer. Really takes away from the positive feeling of the experience. If it weren't for the great guides (maybe I just go a good one?), I don't think this place would do very well on its own. . ..

I make efforts to try visit museums once a month so I came here by VTA Line…read more A small entry fee for a medium sized area across 3 floors. In terms of quality, this specific joint is one of the better ones. They have an allocated area of permanent exhibits and they rotate every year? I asked someone as he said they have over 100+ pieces and a panel of judges choose which ones to show or not to show every year I was surprised to see a lot of "recent" art pieces. I always assumed the prices themselves are super old yet I was shocked some of them were as new as 2 years ago? Additionally I admire how some artists made prices addressing the evolving tech world of digital life. This is the first museum which is addressing the way humans go about with phones everyday. In terms of transportation, while driving is possible you are highly encouraged to explore other options like the VTA.

What a fun Art Museum. We are really glad we made the time to explore this museum. We explored for…read morearound an hour or maybe more. They have 3 rotating exhibits upstairs where we started as the permeant collection will be here next time we visit. The elevator didn't appear to be working, but they mentioned they have an employee elevator that you can enter in though the cafe. We didn't try it, so we're not sure if this was true or not. Upstairs had an exhibit about women who are behind the scenes in the technology field. I enjoyed the video of women making mechanical sounds as a choir. They had several interactive features, such as movies you can sit on the provided bench and watch. They have a really dark exhibit behind closed doors so you wonder if you should go in or not. It's about the ocean. They have a unique video playing with a person in a mask with the backdrop of a dam. I enjoyed the resin pieces of art work. Downstairs was their permanent collection. They had earphones set up on a bunch of benches. I didn't listen, but there was a great opportunity to. They had a cool maybe icy cart with an umbrella. I enjoyed the Mobil that moved slightly over time. So slight that you could barely see its movement. The museum gift shop is wonderful. Thy have so many good things. Wool Flowers, fun socks, bags, jewelry, books, notebooks, cards, and so much more. I really wanted one of their journals, but resisted as I have too many at home. The last two places we traveled to I got new ones and I have yet to break one open. Adults can see the museum for $20 or you can join NARM, North America Reciprocal Musuem Program and the price of admission is included. If you like visits museums this is the way to do it. Instead of paying out of pocket for each individual Musuem you pay one upfront fee and you can see as many as you like. So.. What you want is their family membership. FAMILY - $180 (fully tax-deductible) All Dual benefits, plus: Free admission for four on each visit Reciprocal admission at over 900 museums in the Western Reciprocal Network (WRN) and North American Reciprocal Museums (NARM) 10% discount and priority enrollment for Kids Summer Art Camp Get it you won't regret it. We love our NARM membership and use it all over the USA. We've paid for it many times over. We've used it all over California, Michigan, New Orleans, and soon to use it in Arizona.

Took our GS Troop here for the Taylor Swift night--so fun!…read more I've also been for the Daft Punk night with my husband. Always a fun experience, and I love that they have cool themed shows. Would love an emo night! Easy to find, lots of parking.

I came here for the Taylor Swift laser show and it was a fun way to spend an hour. It was just fun…read moremusic, lots of screaming kids singing the lyrics, and some cool lasers to look at. I did have to close my eyes a few times to give them a break from all the colorful lights. You can choose where to sit when you come into the planetarium room. The presenter did a good job. The visuals were a bit older, but it was still fun and the ticket prices were pretty reasonable/affordable. There were lots of parking available in I think Lot E.

ICA is a large cool funky art space that also hosts events…read more Among the many cool restaurants and bars along south First Street are the cool artsy venues. The Institute of Contemporary Arts (i.e. ICA) is fantastic. It showcases local Bay Area artists' works among others. Super friendly staff are on hand and have the latest scoop on upcoming happenings. Go online to see upcoming events at the ICA. You may discover some cool-funky talks and art shows. Happy adventures!

Feeling arty-farty, I decided to go check out the Institute of Contemporary Art. It's located in a…read morereally cool area of First St. Admission is free which is always nice. I wanted to donate and the friendly guy asked if I wanted to sign up to get information, but I declined. I was the only one in there. The exhibit was called "Allegedly the Worst is Behind Us" which featured 12 artists and their work expressing intergenerational trauma. The work was very personal and moving and inspiring too. The work was much more interesting than the San Jose Art Museum. I felt the work would definitely resonate with others who may have experienced the same thing. Since I saved $20 on the last museum, I put it in the donation box in the front. Great place to come to!

5 stars because it's free and I enjoyed my time…read more Pretty chill art museum I liked all the variations of soccer balls and one painting really caught my attention. I appreciate that it is free. They close early so go before 5pm. I was late and only had 30 minutes to end it that was enough time. I ended up sitting outside and just journaled about my day. Such a relaxing evening.

Small museum but friendly staff. Studios in the back of the park. Catering available. Sculptures in…read morethe park and free to walk around.

I have visited other computer history collections, including the National Museum of American…read moreHistory in Washington, D.C. I also went to school learning to program on some of the types of computers displayed here and later worked in software engineering. So I came into the Computer History Museum with a bit of a "seen it, done it, why do it again?" attitude. My husband and I ended up spending five hours here. Does that make us nerds? Probably. One of the highlights for me was the live IBM 1401 demonstration. When we visited, demonstrations were offered Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. and Saturday at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. I even got to create my own punch card and have it used during the demonstration. I'd learned about punched cards, but watching cards physically being fed into the IBM 1401 to program the computer was something I had never actually seen before. It made an important piece of computing history suddenly tangible. There are also live demonstrations of the PDP-1 on the first and third Saturdays at 2:30 and 3:15 p.m., and a Spacewar! Tournament every fifth Saturday at noon. You may even get the chance to play Spacewar!, one of the earliest video games. If you can attend a guided tour, I highly recommend it. Rather than simply walking past rows of old machines, the guide helped bring the history alive, including the ENIAC and the enormous changes in computer technology and chips over the decades. There is a replica of a World War II Enigma cipher machine on display, along with early census machines. The collection progresses through vintage computers such as UNIVAC, the IBM System/360, minicomputers and desktop computers, as well as the technology surrounding them: hard drives, mice, printers, computer chips and much more. Eventually, you arrive in the age of artificial intelligence and Ameca, the AI-powered robotic head and shoulders. You're supposed to be able to speak with her using a microphone, although during our visit she didn't seem to be able to hear what anyone was saying into it. There is also a café with coffee, other drinks, and grab-and-go food including sandwiches, hummus and pizza. There is seating both indoors and outside, which made it easy for us to take a break before continuing through the museum. One parking warning: we visited on a Saturday when a Vintage Computer Festival was also taking place. By the time we arrived around 10:40 a.m., the museum parking was full. Parking attendants redirected us to a Microsoft visitor parking lot about 0.45 miles away, and there was no shuttle, so we had to walk between the lot and museum. I expected this to be a relatively quick visit because I had already seen plenty of historic computers over the years. Five hours later, I had created a punch card, watched an IBM 1401 come alive, revisited computers and technology from my own past, and discovered quite a few things I had never seen before. Apparently, even for a couple of computer nerds, there was still plenty left to learn.

I absolutely loved visiting the Computer History Museum! There is so much to offer here for both…read morekids and adults alike. If you have any interest in learning how computers were invented and how they've evolved over the last century, this is the perfect place to explore. It's incredibly well-curated and engaging. A few tips for your visit: Time: Personally, I would recommend setting aside at least 2 hours to fully explore the exhibits and really soak it all in. Food & Drink: They have a wonderful cafe on-site that serves great hot chocolate, coffee, and light snacks--perfect for a quick energy boost mid-tour. Parking: No need to stress about parking. They have a massive lot that looks more than capable of handling even the busiest weekend crowds. Highly recommend checking this place out if you're in the area!

There are TWO listings here on Yelp for this great place. Same place, different address. I write on…read morethis listing as it shares the same address as the official website. (Can someone please consolidate the two somehow?) Great historical living museum of aircraft that served in various conflicts and battles. Not huge so happily, it's packed with wonderful archives and exhibits but does not require hours and hours to soak in. Any aeronautical enthusiast (or history buff) will surely enjoy a visit here. In addition to planes and parts, there are authentic uniforms, photographs, and documents to help with a better understanding of the times. Lastly, be sure to check out the train room, which is a lot of fun, too. It's easy to get mesmerized by the train cars of another era -- with double tiered tracks to follow along. Though it may not be a place you would hear a lot about, Moffett Field Museum is a well-cared for and important museum with much to enjoy. Note: Be prepared with your I.D. and check it out! (There are a few food options nearby -- so before you leave, ask the volunteers for recommendations and/or check Yelp!)

The Moffett Field Museum is located right next to the famous blimp hangar at Moffett Field. The…read moremuseum has a lot of interactive things to enjoy including a cabin of a Harrier airplane, a WW1 walkthrough immersion exhibit, tanks, planes and helicopters. The docent's at the museum are very knowledgeable and absolutely love talking about the history of Moffett Field. Wifey and I spoke with one for nearly 2 hours as he guided us around the museum. The museum stays open with donations and most everything inside has been donated by people who was at Moffett field or their loved ones. If you want to learn some great history about our area and the war effort of years gone by then this is your place. And you get to see the newly revitalized Google hanger a too. :-D