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    Sunol Water Temple

    3.9 (14 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Sunol Water Temple Photos

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    Alana S.

    Have your wedding ceremony here! It costs $150 and you get the place all to your self on the weekend. We got married here 10/27/12 and it was gorgeous! The pictures came out beautifully. Everyone commented on the nice dramatic drive up to the Temple. It was all around just amazing. They only allow weddings spring-fall (I think October is the last month), but $150 for a wedding ceremony venue! It was a great deal. Oh, one other recommendation, since they only let you rent the venue for 2 hours, we did a standing ceremony and only had a few chairs for elderly and family. It sounds strange but was totally not and t made it easier and faster to setup and take down. Also, there is no private room for the bride or groom to wait before the ceremony, so we arrived in limos and were dropped off during the ceremony, which had a dramatic effect. All around I absolutely LOVED IT!!!!

    Scotty D.

    i was always amazed as a child at the water tower! my mom used to take me here all the time to see the landmark sculpture and awesome paintings. and to listen to and watch the water run way below the ground. it's not really anything you must go out of your way to see but if your ever in the area it's really pretty and has alot of history. take my advice also and look for info on the "secret sidewalk". to this day i always think of that scary sidewalk, the white witch that roams niles canyon since her accidental death. and the deep and eerie water tower that still stand to this day. besides all the scary the water tower is also a fantastic place to get that very first kiss from that special person you always wanted to get closer to. this place is pure magic! it has been a treasured landmark since the early 1900's and water runs out as far to the san francisco bay. unfortunately it was hit hard and damaged severely with the big earthquake in 1989 so i'm really glad i got to see it in it's original state. since then restoration has been done to improve and fix what was lost and is open to all to see.

    So pretty!
    Montara V.

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Water Temple. I grew up in Sunol, and attended the restoration ceremony in September 1997; also in attendance was SF Mayor Willie Brown. I missed it's 100th birthday celebration last year, though. It is beautiful, peacful, and it will probably be the venue for our wedding ceremony.

    I too always wondered what this spot was. One day I set off with camera in hand and began exploring. It's a neat spot to visit and takes pics.

    Found a nest!

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    13 years ago

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    17 years ago

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    18 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    19 years ago

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    17 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Water Temple is closed; the sign outside says 'due to the maintenance yard renovation, the water temple is closed from 2017 to 2022'.

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    15 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    19 years ago

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    14 years ago

    A nice place to take a walk and admire nature. Just try to forget that a nuclear plant is a few miles away.

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    10 years ago

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    Sunol Regional Wilderness Area - Flowers

    Sunol Regional Wilderness Area

    4.5(360 reviews)
    5.7 mi

    Came on a Saturday in February around 10:45am and there was no parking fee that day. Most of the…read morelots were pretty full, but we were able to find parking in the overflow area. We did the Canyon View to Little Yosemite trail and I recommend downloading the map ahead of time as there was no service in the park. Trail was well maintained and the views of the green hills were very pretty! Came across some very friendly cows as well. Just be aware if you are going during the summer that there are no trees so limited shade. We did the trail clockwise, which starts off with a somewhat sharp incline and finishes with a gradual decline. I would recommend this direction so that you tackle the difficult portion first and then recover at the end with the descent. We also did part of the McCorkle trail, which was pretty tiring, so we decided to skip Little Yosemite using Cerro Este Road - appreciated how there are shortcuts available. Canyon View trail was not too busy, and we ran into more people (+ dogs/kids) on the Camp Ohlone Road heading toward Little Yosemite. Overall, it was a great, moderate hike and I would definitely come back to see Little Yosemite next time!

    A group of 5 of us decided to do Rose Peak Trail from Sunol. This is a brutal 17.8, 9.5-10 hour…read morehike and up to 20 miles depending if you start from the visitor center. Started late at 9 am with few breaks and got to 3k elevation and still didn't reach the peak at 1:30 pm. A lot of hills and valleys with climbing/walking for 4.5 hours straight. Going back wasn't as easy since there's still some hills to pass. All in all, we did 18 miles for 8.5 hours of hiking. At least know what to expect for next year. The trail markers are numbered decently with not all marked. Bring a map and plenty of water! 2.5-5 liters is recommended by people who finished. Start right at 8 am. Saw 3 tarantulas and there are rattlers/mountain lions from the signs. Definitely one of the hardest hikes in the bay! Not much to see on the trail or views.

    Photos
    Sunol Regional Wilderness Area - Hill side scenery

    Hill side scenery

    Sunol Regional Wilderness Area
    Sunol Regional Wilderness Area

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    Rubino Estates Winery - White wine flight

    Rubino Estates Winery

    4.3(275 reviews)
    5.8 mi
    $$

    What an awesome place! My cousin found this Italian winery after we had some Burmese food that was…read morelocated just a few miles north in Pleasanton. I loved the entry way like and old italian villa with palm trees. Service was nice and the staff attentive but not bothersome. We did a tasting and then I bought a bottle for my cousin and I to share and for one to take home which we eventually shared too lol! The seating area is comfy and has views of the winery and where they make the wine. Totally cool out door seating that was full but not so close that you feel tight. The wine was nice and my cousin gets to pick as she knows more about me in regards to wine and I trust her choices. She is like my sister so I trust her. We both liked what we got and what we got to taste. Overall we both Liked Rubino and we would go again. Highly recommend visit if you like a nice intimate place, beautiful sights and awesome wine.

    Service needs help! Not very accommodating. Even in situations where there is nobody around - it's…read morehard to get chairs and tables put together. We are having a chill time but there is a time limit even tho it's not full. Weird concept. Totally understand if it's full and need to be mindful of timing, but it's NOT full. There is more but I'll just leave it to this! Anyway. Not a fan, won't be back. There are plenty of welcoming options in Livermore and Pleasanton.

    Photos
    Rubino Estates Winery - Some wonderful reds

    Some wonderful reds

    Rubino Estates Winery
    Rubino Estates Winery

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    Shinn Historical Park & Arboretum - Main gated entry

    Shinn Historical Park & Arboretum

    4.1(60 reviews)
    5.4 mi

    Came to this place to walk around after having a heavy dinner and fell in loooooooooove. I stumbled…read moreacross a tree you simply can't miss when you come here. It's amazing! It's gargantuan! It's historic! It's the most beautiful tree I've ever seen in a city. Highly recommend visiting and falling in love food yourself.

    Peaceful and quiet garden with Japanese style aesthetics on the grounds of a historic Victorian…read morestyle home in the middle of a nice neighborhood. House tours are on the 1st Wednesday and 3rd Saturday of the month, from 1 to 3pm. What I liked about this spot is that there's about 2 gazebos in the enclosed Japanese garden with bench seats (no tables) where you can sit and meditate or quietly enjoy the calming ambience of petite Japanese maple trees and rock formations. There's also a tall tree near the front which was apparently planted in 1878, as well as some old olive trees with cool trunks in the periphery of their small and enclosed Japanese garden. There were quite a few bees and butterflies fluttering around during my visit - all signs of a good garden sanctuary for these insects. In the front and center lawn, there's a couple of picnic tables where I saw some locals sitting and having a nice conversation and enjoying the atmosphere. Towards the back is a much bigger barn and open space, which seems like it would cater for events, like an outdoor wedding reception or BBQ style party. During my visit in the late afternoon I saw a few people taking fashion and engagement photos here too. The parking lot looks like it could hold about 10-15 cars. I stopped in here for a quick stroll and visit after running errands in the area, so that I could enjoy some quiet relaxation and wait out the early rush hour traffic before my drive home.

    Photos
    Shinn Historical Park & Arboretum - Red Rose

    Red Rose

    Shinn Historical Park & Arboretum
    Shinn Historical Park & Arboretum

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    Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum - Window Display

    Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum

    4.5(105 reviews)
    5.2 mi

    Cool look at the silent film industry! You can tell there was a lot of significant history in this…read morebuilding and they did amazing work to preserve it. Some original pieces were shown, such as the original bench from the Edison Theater. It's the only remaining original seats from there! Many types of cameras, equipment, and items. Several nods to Charlie Chaplin - his background, movie posters, cardboard cutout, mural, and merch. They have knowledgeable and friendly staff that give guided tours. They are huge fans, so excited to describe everything and share stories. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. On the right side, there's a gift shop of museum souvenirs as well as shelves of silent films you can buy to watch at home. They also have silent film showings with piano accompaniment on Saturday evenings. You can buy popcorn, candy, and drinks. There's a small theater at the back past the center aisle. It would be a fun date night or family activity!

    Basically the only tourist attraction in Fremont…read more Criminally underrated place that I only heard about through a chance mention from an Uber driver. They have all kinds of screenings of great films. I just caught It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and intend to come back for Wild Strawberries (1957) and maybe The General (1926) next week. The theater seats are somewhat uncomfortable and the patrons are mostly really old white Boomers, but the latter is understandable given the subject matter and the usual demographic of people interested in this sort of thing. (Plus the general exodus of younger whites from California over the past 10 years and especially since COVID. It's a bit of a bummer for me because it's now much tougher for me to get a white girlfriend. Not that non-white girls aren't wonderful, but you know, I could just go abroad for a better and frankly higher-quality selection. I'm in America for my white girl.) The husband-wife team who run this place (Tony and Rhonda) are great, and everyone's extremely nice. I wish the gift shop had a better selection of old books though. Most of the Blu-rays on sale are superfluous with a Criterion Channel subscription, and the books on sale are pretty boring and seem to be ad hoc sales from people's used book collections. I haven't actually been to the museum proper yet (they're only open weekends 12-4 and I tend to only really wake up on weekend evenings/nights), but I love any theater that airs old films. Those are few and far between these days. The only other ones I know of in the Bay Area are in San Francisco. Once again, I'm totally shocked something like this is in Fremont.

    Photos
    Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum - Entrance to theater and cold drinks

    Entrance to theater and cold drinks

    Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum - Charlie Chaplin Lookalike Contest

    Charlie Chaplin Lookalike Contest

    Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum - Charlie Chaplin Lookalike Contest

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    Charlie Chaplin Lookalike Contest

    Old Mission San Jose - Inside

    Old Mission San Jose

    3.6(58 reviews)
    4.1 mi

    Was in the area, and got some free time plus we visited 5-6 missions in California so far so might…read moreas well visit this one. Very nice and grand looking. It's not original since the original was burned down back then. We came around 3-4pm so not much of visitors. Parking is easy and staff are nice and accommodating. Grand service area with high ceiling. Good & glad that we visited.

    As a 4th grade teacher, I unfortunately would not return for another field trip. The mission itself…read moreis historically interesting, but the tour structure was not well suited for elementary students. Much of the experience involved long lecture segments in a quiet, echo-heavy church environment, and many students struggled to remain engaged or even follow portions of the presentation clearly. The larger issue was logistics and time management. Our tour was scheduled to end at noon but was still actively running around 12:30, which compressed lunch into only a few rushed minutes before buses needed to depart. Departure became chaotic because the gift shop remained fully active during bus loading, making it extremely difficult for teachers to regroup students and leave on time. I appreciate the historical importance of the site, but future elementary field trip groups should be aware that the pacing, scheduling, and transition management may not align well with the realities of supervising large groups of 4th graders on a tight school schedule.

    Photos
    Old Mission San Jose - Inside

    Inside

    Old Mission San Jose - Spanish organ concert inside church (Mission San Jose's 227th anniversary)

    Spanish organ concert inside church (Mission San Jose's 227th anniversary)

    Old Mission San Jose

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    Niles Canyon Railway

    Niles Canyon Railway

    4.3(194 reviews)
    0.6 mi

    10/10 -- Worth Every Penny (Parlor/Dome Car Experience)…read more If you're considering the Niles Canyon Train of Lights, do yourself a favor and splurge on the Parlor Car or Dome car. It completely transforms the experience. From the moment you board, you're treated like a VIP: dedicated seating in a fully enclosed caboose, attentive service throughout the ride, and complimentary warm drinks and sweets that are perfect for a cold, wet winter night. Being waited on while rolling through a glowing canyon? Yes, please. One of the biggest perks is having your own reserved space, while still being free to explore the rest of the train--knowing your seat is secure and shared only with fellow Parlor Car Riders. It strikes the perfect balance between comfort and adventure. I've done both the 4:30 pm and 7:30 pm departures, and while both are enjoyable, 4:30 pm is the clear winner for me. You get to take in the scenery before the sun fully sets, which adds a magical transition from daylight to twinkling lights. The 7:30 pm ride feels more social and cozy--great for lingering conversations with family and friends--but the earlier ride lets you truly appreciate your surroundings. As for the cost, it's important to note that this railway is 100% donation-funded and entirely volunteer-operated. Knowing that every dollar goes directly toward preserving the historic railway, maintaining the trains, and supporting the volunteers who make this experience possible makes the price feel even more justified. You're not just paying for a ride--you're supporting a piece of living history. Bottom line: Cozy Thoughtfully curated For a great cause Perfect for winter evenings If you're on the fence about the Parlor Car or Dome Car upgrade--it's absolutely worth it.

    All aboard! If you…read moreare looking for a low key outing that's suitable for all ages then consider booking a ride on Niles Canyon Railway. Enjoy a slow ride Sunol to downtown Niles and back, approx 1.5 hours. A docent will share tid bits of history during the ride. There are snacks for purchase and you can bring your own. I prepared a simple charcuterie for me and mom, gotta have something to nosh on as we enjoy the view. It's June and the hills are brown already but oh well it's still pretty. I was a little worried about whether my mom would struggle boarding the train as I didn't book ADA as she is not in wheelchair. The steps are slightly deeper than ours at home but she made it up without difficulty, there is a railing for support. Conductor did offer us to go to the car with the lift if we wanted. My next anxiety was holding up the boarding as mom navigated the stairs slowly and there quite a few people behind us. Everyone was patient thankfully and no one scoffed. Would love to do their holidays lights ride sometime but I haven't been successful in last few years to get tickets, they go fast.

    Photos
    Niles Canyon Railway
    Niles Canyon Railway - Outside of train

    Outside of train

    Niles Canyon Railway

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    Sunol Water Temple - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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