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.

This was actually my second time ever at this museum, I came a couple years back when they had a…read morechalk festival. If you ever get the chance to come show up both days so you can see the artist outlines, and when they start everything, and then day two to see the finished product!! This particular day I went with my dad and Brother to check out what new art pieces they had. We spent about an hour walking through and looking at everything. My brother, major in art and could tell us about different types of oil/paint that was used and how it would last over certain decades or fall off and crack ! Lol so I found the history of how well each artist project with withstand the time of life very interesting as well. I will definitely come back when this gallery changes to another theme! It also has a very nice park. I just wish there was a coffee shop or Matcha shop nearby! Hee

Lupe the Mammoth is a cool (not so) little structure on the Guadalupe River Trail about 4 miles…read morefrom Alviso. There's not much around the area, so unless you are biking or jogging on the trail, it might seem out of the way to view such a simple little-known monument. But it has a neat little story behind it for anyone interested in art, science, history, or nature, or even just cool quirky attractions that are free of cost. A guy came across the collection of bones while walking his dog along the trail back in 2005. How awesome is that, it's like finding a dinosaur in your backyard! The actual remains can now be found at the Childrens Discovery Museum in San Jose where they can inspire kids to "dig for fossils" and explore the past, but the unique sculpture on the Guadalupe River Trail marks the setting of this magnificent discovery. And it is far from ordinary. It's beautifully crafted out of bent steel pipes, and almost twice the size of the actual baby mammoth remains. The area and the exhibit itself are not run down by trash or graffiti or shady characters, so it makes for a pleasant experience and worth checking out. The area is actual pretty quiet and scenic, besides the Trimble Road highway (there's an underpass that connects the trail if you're looking to cross the busy street). It's surrounded by business parks, with private parking only. So there is no parking at the exact location of the mammoth statue. However if you're driving, there is free street parking on Seaboard Ave (6am-10pm), next to the nearby 76 gas station, within walking distance... Though the sculpture can easily be viewed from Trimble Road, please don't stop on the street (illegally) and block traffic. This isn't the most exciting attraction in San Jose so you shouldn't have too high of expectations. But if looking for a low-key outing that won't cost you a penny, this is a great option (to appreciate this work of art in person, not just through photos).

Columbia mammoth spotted along the Guadeloupe Trail! Ok, actually it is only the whiff of a memory…read moreof a memory locked in a skeleton fossil over 12,500 years old. A sculpture of a mammoth made of what looks like curved metal bars sits under a tree waving at commuting cars trundling along the street. It is massive and I think quite cool. I hope the city makes it a habit of putting more sculptures and works of art along the trail. There is a small information board that gives you the low-down on Lupe, her discovery, and how old it is. A cool snippet of one of the coolest cousin to elephants that used to wander in Silicone Valley in the Pleistocene period. Tres cool! The large metal structure isn't in the best location, but can easily be visited by joggers, walkers and bicyclists wandering along the Guadeloupe trail where is passes through the city of Santa Clara.

Wasn't able to go due to a schedule conflict and had to cancel the day before. Sandy, their Senior…read moreGuest Relations Host, not only got the tour canceled and refunded, but she emailed me right away to let me know everything was handled. Appreciate the wonderful customer service, looking forward to being able to go visit sometime!

We went over Memorial Day weekend (Sunday) and had a tour at 11:20. Our AMAZING tour guide River…read morewas kind enough to add on people that missed their booked times because it was a holiday weekend and they knew that they had the ability to manage large groups. River was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining and made our trip extra memorable. Our group was so large and not necessarily listening to directions to move all the way into rooms to allow space for everyone on the tour. The tour could ONLY be benefited by a capacity limit with compensation for the guides for tours exceeding that capacity to ensure everyone (guide included!) has the best experience. Either way, amazing experience! Thank you, River!

This park goes hand in hand with the Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum and is situated right next to…read moreit. There are a few plaques and descriptions noting the significance of different pieces on site, ie. the rare hendy lamp posts (created by Hendy Iron Works of Sunnyvale). And informational boards in the Interpretive Exhibit educate visitors about the history of the workers who took care of the orchards. But the most amazing part was viewing the endless rows of apricot trees, which are still beautiful to me even with fallen leaves, minimal blossoms, and lack of fruit during the winter. It was a peaceful outing on a Sunday afternoon, with very few visitors in sight, more opportunity to take it all in while spending time with one of my faves.

For wonderful apricots and delicious products that Elizabeth makes you can not pass the Barn up. I…read morego there and stock up on dried apricots, and jams and the chocolate covered dried products. They even have honey from the orchard. Longtime Orchardist CJ Olson is usually there also. Great place. The barn is beautiful.

Keep an eye out for the special events held at this museum as I always have a good time! This year…read moreI have been to the annual yard sale on the grounds and an annual holiday tea in the museum, both of which were very well run. The holiday tea was my first experience inside the full museum. Upstairs was a display of items made and invented in Sunnyvale, which was really interesting! Downstairs, there are historical exhibits about the Murphy family, showing off many of their wares. There are additional exhibits that feature history of the Ohlone tribe as well as information about agriculture and innovation in Sunnyvale. The teas throughout the year are held by the Sunnyvale Historical Society and Museum Association and are run by volunteers as fundraisers, and we had a lovely time. I would highly recommend attending! Lots of easy parking is available in front of the museum. There is a museum store that, in addition to museum merchandise, sells vintage jewelry and other fun treasures.

We enjoyed checking this place out over the weekend. An outdoor courtyard in front of the museum,…read moreas well as two levels of exhibits inside, showcased the history of Sunnyvale and the surrounding area, staged rooms (bedroom, kitchen, living area) presenting plenty of interesting pieces in the Murphy home, old photos of Libby's water tower (the giant fruit can that still stands today), antique instruments such as an 1895 graphophone along with several different pianos, vintage toys and technology with an impressive timeline display that brought a feeling of nostalgia, and of course the temporary Baylug Gingerbread Village Lego exhibit, charming in the details including a model railroad, planes, trains, and boats (with the option of a scavenger hunt too). The staff and volunteers here were helpful and cordial during our visit, and we appreciated getting to explore the various rooms at our own pace. We picked up a few items from the gift shop before leaving, some cool lego glasses and sunglasses for kids, the timing during the holidays working in our favor as they had some quite unique stuff. We also walked around the Orchard Heritage Park and Interpretive Exhibit, adjacent to the museum. We viewed the informational boards on site, about the community who cared for the land as well as apricots! Sure there were plenty of bare trees in winter, but the scenery was still so lovely. It was a great way to end our time here. Days/hours of operation are limited during the week, just Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays (for 2024, closed xmas eve and new years eve, but open an extra day Saturday 12/28). Free parking and free admission.

For a free museum, this place is pretty cool. Especially if you are interested in microchips. They…read morehave a few interactive displays, which I appreciated. The little gift shop is a cool addition, but I was expecting them to have some fun stickers. Parking is easy, just follow the signs. The employees are also friendly and helpful. Not pet-friendly.

With time to kill this past Friday, my bf and I made a stop at this museum to check out the…read moreexhibits while in the area to watch a movie at the theater nearby. The museum offers free admission, easy visitor parking in the Intel lot, and friendly and helpful staff at entry who gave us an overview of the place before we perused the various displays on our own. The entire room was clean and organized, and even for such a small space, it didn't feel cluttered. I'm not really into tech, but I still took my time exploring the various items being showcased, while engaging with some of the interactive exhibits, like learning how Intel makes computer chips. There were quite a few hands-on stations such as the augmented reality photo booth and a card matching game allowing guests to see a processor in action. I also got to wear a bunnysuit and view Intel's gaming history, with video game consoles on display and arcade machines like Space Invaders available for visitors to play. The adjacent Intel store offered blankets, mousepads, and "floating bunny person" pens among other miscellaneous products. And we were able to get through everything (both museum and gift shop) within an hour. Nothing too exciting about this place, but if you're into tech or gaming, you'll probably appreciate it more. Plus, it doesn't cost a thing to visit.

Such a beautiful park maintained jointly by the Montalvo arts center and santa clara county parks…read more It's truly a hidden gem in Saratoga with beautifully maintained lawns, and ample trails. The Great Lawn in front of the main building ie the Montalvo Center allows picnics without reservations - just set up camp under a tree. There's a very well maintained Italian garden right next to the great lawn with varieties of succulents, a pagoda like structure and cedars. Also saw a wedding in progress while we were there and it is such a beautiful location for it! I will definitely visit again to explore the trails. Parking can be a little hard on weekends but you gotta just wait till a spot opens. If the event venue is booked out - that makes parking harder since they reserve a lot for guests. Free entry and free parking

A dear friend is a member of Montalvo Arts Center and grateful for her to provide me some needed…read moreescapism as her luncheon guest. All proceeds support Montalvo Arts Center with the aid of a battalion of volunteers, young and old. From the first hello by Gail when greeted at check-in to exiting venue, high touch experience. Thoughtfully coordinated and seamlessly orchestrated, including redirecting exiting auto traffic due to nearby auto accident. Meal was delightful including iced tea and coffee. Can upgrade to wine and bubbly for a fee. There were roaming models (Sunny - a Tita from the Philippines - was in our area) showcasing outfits from a local Los Gatos boutique. Raffle for a 10 person dinner onsite. Gift shop with crafts to buy. Have more time can explore grounds. Was encouraged to take home the floral centerpieces which had plastic floral bags to aid with transport. If don't have a generous friend to treat you to luncheon, can purchase tix for $75. I was excited to learn they host Sunday high teas in November before Thanksgiving. Will add to my Yelp! High Tea collection.

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!

The Rosicrucian Museum has the finest collection of Egyptian artifacts in the country. The docents…read moreare knowledgeable and helpful. The stone tomb is atmospheric. I felt like I was in ancient Egypt. A person can learn a lot about Egyptian history by going there. The garden grounds are lovely. I enjoy walking through them. Be sure to bring a camera. There is ample parking so there is no need to worry about parking on the street. Visitors from outside the area will delight in the experience.

Avatar is a memorial honoring Steve Unangst who was the chief city zoning planner for the city of…read moreMountain View when he passed away in 1987. A plaque at the foot of the statue reads "To recognize his contributions to the design of our community". The artwork was created by L.C. Shank, and portrays a tall figure releasing a bird into the sky, perhaps symbolizing freedom. A simple yet uplifting monument worth checking out at Eagle Park.

Apparently this has not been reviewed in about 10 years, so I'm happy to provide an update: it's…read morestill great! I took a 6 week class and truly loved it. I am not a natural at pottery so I took the class again. I had a different instructor for the first round of classes than the second and both were really talented potters and teachers, clearly masters of their craft, and clearly deeply passionate not only about ceramics but about teaching it. I have since been going to open studio for about 1.5 years and it's such a special place! The kiln techs and instructors are truly passionate and there's even a local celeb potter there regularly as a tech who is an absolute wealth of knowledge and quite truly a master. There are a wide range of skill levels from more beginner (me) to intermediate to highly advanced folks, which is a really lovely blend in studio and everyone is so incredibly kind and supportive. I adore the ceramics community here and have made life friends from it! The studio itself: they have tables if you need to sit, a slab roller and LOTS of molds and patterns for slab building, several clay options (bmix, t2, porcelain), and a variety of glazes that they make in house, as well as commercial underglazes. They provide all the tools you would need, but if you need any specialty tools I recommend bringing your own. The wheels are well maintained electric wheels (and one kick wheel!) and there are options for folks in wheelchairs as well. It's a well maintained and cared for supportive space. I couldn't be more thankful. AND the wheels overlook a beautiful pond! What more could you want? If I could hope for one more thing it would be more glaze options, but they do already offer quite a few crowd-pleasers in the more neutral family of glazes.

I started taking pottery wheel lessons here about a year ago. On Saturday mornings at open studio,…read moreI'm pretty sure there's no where else on the planet I'd rather be. The studio is a great place to spend a four hour chunk of your life -- good light, about 15 electric potter's wheels (I've never had to wait for one), a plaster wedging table, a slab roller, and most of the tools you could ever need. You can choose between three high fire clays (porcelain, B-mix, and brown); each is $16 for a 25 pound bag. With its high fire gas kilns and beautiful glazes that make even slightly wobbly bowls look artistic, it's about as close as the general public is likely to get to a professional studio. Instruction is casual and provided on an as-needed basis. The main teacher is Danny Sheu, who is terrific on the wheel and a great instructor, too. Unlike other pottery teachers I've had, he won't waste time telling you that you have 'an interesting technique' if you're doing it wrong, but he's always happy to show you how to do it right. Just catch his eye if you need help. Beginners might prefer his more structured six week classes, but if you're a quick learner, you can just show up at open studio and ask for a lesson in the basics of centering, opening, and compressing. Some of the open studio regulars are professional or near professional potters, but everyone is friendly and willing to lend a newbie tools and advice. That said, no one is there to socialize, so there's plenty of space and quiet to concentrate on your own project. I consistently come out of open studio covered in clay and beaming. Cheaper and better than therapy any day!