I went a bunch of times in my 20-s youth- a lot for the adult booze nIghts they had and always had a blast. I went the other day with my dad who was visiting and hAd sort of mixed thoughts on what the museum as become. On the one hand- about 80% of it is now kid interactive stations- very very similar to the museum of play or the exploratorium. It's incredibly not engaging if you are over the age of 12. The saving grace is that they still have the space/ science room. It's the only displays they have that are interesting to adults. BUT it's great! The earthquake simulator, the good earth screens, all the extraterrestrial stuff. read more

Came here tonight for a company event after hours! Didn't think this would be such an enjoyable place but with only your company employees here, heck it's really convenient. So, consider this place for a company event! P.s. Having a DJ helps... :) read more

The Tech Interactive - Who says you can put Curse Words on the Alphabot machine at the Tech Museum?!?? - Museums Near Me - San Jose, California

So I went here to see star wars on the IMAX. Now the idea of an IMAX on a big screen is amazing, however: -you are so close to the screen that motion is often too fast -hard to see the corners of action and some areas on the sides are blurry. -can be so fast that it causes nausea I would not recommend watching a feature film here. That is better for further back in a real theater. read more

The Tech is a great Museum and has a nice Imax theater. We'll definitely be back another time. Prices seem pretty high -- makes to prohibitive to bring other family or friends. But the museum could use better crowd and facility management. The lines are long and they place can get pretty crowded. The janitorial service is lacking -- pretty dirty. Sadly there are also a lot of homeless people sleeping around the building -- even during the daytime. Hope they can get their act back together so this is a real asset to the community. read more

This place revives my childhood curiosity and I had a splendid afternoon with my SO! We spent a good 4-5 hours here and definitely have a lot of stuff yet to do! We park at the San Jose McEnergy Convention Center. Other locations to park include: 2nd and San Carlos Garage (280 S. 2nd St.) and CityView Plaza Garage (115 S. Market St.) **All of these locations are $5 flat-rate if you get your parking ticket validated at the Tech Museum!** Tip 1: If you have AAA Insurance, you can get $3 off your tickets! Tip 2: If you are a student, you get a discount as well! (Bring your student IDs!) Tip 3: Highly suggest getting the IMAX and Musuem combo tickets. More to explore in one day! Upper level: -NEW! BioDesign Studio // Closed when we got there. However, it looks really fun! -NEW! Innovations in Health Care // REALLY eye-opening! My SO and I had a great time learning about the current medical tools and innovations. -Digital Music // EHHH. Really confusing, and not fun. -Robot Design Basics // Two main sections for this: spell out your name with letter blocks, or have your picture stenciled by the robot. -The Tech Awards Gallery // Fun to read the different awards and innovations, but not so interactive. Lower level: -Exploration Gallery // Really exciting simulation of earthquakes! Also learn about the different planets and our solar system. -Social Robots // Huge section dedicated to building your own robot! At least 30 minutes. -The Tech Studio // Seems like you have to make some kind of reservation beforehand to get in...all the kids were having so much fun! -Body Metrics // Didn't get to try this because the wait was too long for me, but I definitely want to try this next time! -Cyber Detectives // Confusing section that didn't really make sense to me..and the instructions were not so clear. Overall, great place! I would love to come here again when there are new exhibits. Plenty of bathrooms, amazing service and really up-to-date news. read more

I'll admit it- This was my first time at The Tech Museum... and I only came because of the Star Trek exhibit- I am a nerd. The 4 stars I'm giving to The Tech Museum is partly for the Star Trek Exhibit and mostly for the rest of the museum. 2-3 stars for Star Trek, 5 stars for the rest of the museum. I give the Star Trek exhibit 2-3 stars because- well- it kinda stunk. Yes the costumes are cool. Yes the captains bridge and living quarters are cool. Yes, i learned a lot of new things about Star Trek I never knew... but the exhibit is a pretty quick walk through, it's an additional $15 on top of the regular ticket price, and worst of all you can't take any pictures! Whomp Whomp! Yes the exhibit is neat- but where's the fun if i can't take a picture of myself standing next to a Klingon? Geez! The rest of the Tech Museum is quite amazing. If you are a kid, have a kid, or know a kid you should definitely check out this museum! There are so many interactive displays to try out! What is so unique about The Tech are their 'TechTags'. You use a bar code on your ticket stub to save all of your activity throughout the museum so later when you go home you can relive everything you experienced. From getting a 3D headscan to taking panoramic pictures of the museum- From doing your own CSPAN broadcast in front of senators, to riding an earthquake- Almost everything can be saved on your TechTag! Check out my photos here and you'll see several things I did at The Tech! This museum is very innovative- If I had a kid I would try to bring them here often. Mention that you are a STUDENT and save $- The Tech Museum is 5 star awesomeness- The Star Trek exhibit is so-so. If you haven't been here before, go check it out! read more

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So I came back here for 3 reasons: 1. Groupon deal for 2 tickets 2. Star Wars Exhibit 3. Boyfriend's first experience ....mainly for the Star Wars exhibit though D: D: Seeing the actual props used to for filming the movie in real life sounded AMAZINGGG and I literally grew up watching the entire series (and memorized the lines...yeah call me a looooooooooooser), so how could I say "no"? It's been years (since elementary) since I've last been to this museum so I honestly didn't know what to expect. . . Star Wars Exhibit: They secluded it to the side of the museum because, I guess, the exhibit was that huge...There was definitely a lined formed, though the wait time wasn't bad at all..5 mins? The exhibit itself: OMGGG! So much to look at! It was honestly overwhelming. They preferred people to not take any flash photos as expected, so it's a good thing i had my phone with me to capture some photos. Every prop was there, from chewbacca's outfit, to Yoda, to lightsabers, etc. At the end of the exhibit, there was a Star Wars store where you can buy a bunch of geeky memorabilia. Kinda overpriced, I'd rather search for the stuff on Amazon... After the Star Wars exhibit we went back to the main part of the museum to experience more... The Main Museum: Several floors...pretty sad because we didn't get to experience it all. We went to the microchip area and took photos near this cool circuit board background. We came here on the weekend so there was a bunch of families and kids...so we weren't really able to try the activities they had to offer because all the kids would take over. Tips: -Grown ups without kids: I recommend to try coming here during a weekday so it won't be overwhelmingly busy -Arrive early as parking can be difficult to find (we paid like $5 for 3 hours) -Bring food because lines can get long during the weekennds -Don't leave the museum without dropping by the Museum store first! Tons of things to buy! read more

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it's mostly just kiosks throughout. the marketing for the summer festival made it out to be some grand thing but turns out such a sad lowest effort possible. read more

I had the pleasure of chaperoning my daughter's kindergarten class field trip to the Tech Museum. They had a lot of interesting exhibits. The kids had fun scanning their cards at exhibits we visited and touching/playing with exhibits they were allowed to. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. The museum is really clean and a cool place all around to go to. read more

The best experience!!! We were allowed to visit with 35 people from our non-profit organization. We used wheelchairs for free. The staff was amazingly kind. The Cafe's food was excellent.I had a protein style turkey cheese burger and the seasoning was excellent! We built a robot that had motion sensors and led lights amazing. The only thing we noticed was sometimes the touch screens were a little slow, but that happens on many touch screens. Thanks Tech Museum, will be back to see a movie. read more

I wish I could give this place 5 stars because of the Star Wars exhibit alone. First off they have great friendly staff, place is very clean and awesome for kids. The restrooms are kept clean so its a huge plus when needing to take your kid multiple times to the restroom. The Star Wars exhibit was Awesome as a lifelong fan I loved it ! To see the detail of what goes into these movies is great. Now the reason for 4 stars is that this museum is a tech museum but clearly 10 years behind, please update exhibits or fix broken ones, my teenagers came here in 6th grade and now they are juniors and still same things and still same busted exhibits. I will come back for for sure as its awesome for my littles . read more

The Tech Interactive - StarWars Exhibit - Museums Near Me - San Jose, California

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Grimmies will love, adults will cringe. As stated several times by Yelpers, the Star Trek Exhibit is overpriced and underwhelming. To observe real "artifacts" behind a display case, and then see the exact item in a package for sale in the store at the end of the exhibit should be quite embarrassing to the promoters. This "exhibit" is less about actual items, and more about posting a whole lotta pictures with whole lotta reading to do. The sets were pretty worn and torn, which again should be embarrassing to the promoters. Missing and/or broken pieces makes it all shabby. And, to deny any personal photos, other than to pay thru the nose for THEIR photographs is a crime in this economy. read more

I came here with my mom on a Sunday around 2 pm to see "National Parks Adventure" in IMAX. The movie was pretty weak, but it was exacerbated by how blurry the IMAX resolution was - granted the domed-screen experience has potential to be really awesome. The location is well-positioned in the middle of downtown SJ, and there are lots of families trickling through the museum, which I haven't visited. It looks like a great rainy day activity if you have a kid between 5-8 years old. It's not very large, so it shouldn't take terribly long to get through. IMAX tickets cost $10 for an adult and $8.50 for seniors. Full-length features (like The Force Awakens) are $16. I wouldn't recommend a full-length film on that screen - I'd probably puke if I'd watched anything longer than 40 minutes! Definitely go to the Metreon in SF for the real deal. Worth a stop if you're in the mood for a relaxed day, but don't get your hopes up. read more

I haven't been here in over 10 years! Great date night idea. Lots of fun and educational exhibits! My favorites were definitely the musical ones. There's also this really cool smelling exhibit where they mix smells and you have to guess which kinds! There's so much to do. We spent 5 hours here and got to meet a robot! Boyfriend and I were looking forward to seeing a space film in IMAX but they were only showing Star Wars... Gift shop was filled with cool stuff. I will admit to walking out with a box of kinetic sand :) The cafe was alright. Got a burger and it was disappointing. read more

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I believe this is the first time I went to the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, unless I went as a kid on a field trip and do not remember that day, haha. Regardless, I had a fun time going through the different sections of the museum and learning new things through simulations and computer games. But seriously, what's more fun than learning than through games?! Some random facts that I learned at the museum include how dogs can sniff out cancer patients, how to detect the amount of security your password has, the difficulties of building a safe roller coaster, and more. There are also employees or volunteers there who help you out if you don't know how a certain booth works. My favorite game had to be the computer hacking and email spam ones on the computer, as I got really into those games and actually ended up being hacked on my virtual computer and fired from my virtual company! Boo! :( The only reason I took down a star was the entire presentation of the museum. Walking into it, it looks a bit plain and each booth contains a huge sign with its respective category on top. Yeah, it's cool how you can easily navigate through the museum with ease, but it was also a bit boring on how everything was presented. Parking-wise, this museum does NOT have a parking lot. You can either find street parking (a bit pricey if you stay too long!) or there is a garage in San Jose that you only have to pay $5.00 for if you validate your parking ticket at the museum. Happy learning! :) read more

The Tech Interactive - Fun train "physics of motion" game - Museums Near Me - San Jose, California

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I took my girlfriend here for our anniversary. We had a good time..but i'm not sure if it was because we were with each other or because of the museum. They had some sick exhibits like the interactive ones and the surgery portion. However a lot of it seemed a bit run down. We also watched an IMAX film about the physics of roller coasters...it was good, but I got a bit of a headache because I was sitting too close to the screen. Tip: Bring your triple A card if you have one because you'll receive a discount off your ticket. read more

The Tech Interactive - Tech Museum - Museums Near Me - San Jose, California

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Somehow I was expecting a huge museum with multiple spaces and kaleidoscopic experiences. Well, I learned a lot during my after hours visit, but mostly because the topic was very interesting, but the venue was so-so. I like the usage of museums and other spaces as melting pots for diverse people to learn about various interests. I was invited by a friend to some event about knowing your way in San Jose. Hey, i got a free Content magazine (i think is very cool, nice paper, interesting articles of our very own San Jose hipsters, artists and everything in between). Great initiative! I learned that there is a cocktail dedicated to SJ as well as the history of the breweries in here, explained by a local journalist. All that was very interesting, especially for people just arrived in town. The museum itself looks more for elementary schoolers. read more

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Off the bat I picked a horrible Friday to visit since apparently it was field trip day for every damn elementary school in the city. I'm not HUGE on science but I found the exhibits to be a bit boring. They were really interactive but clearly for children. I was annoyed with how little explaining went into each instillation. Just colors, sounds, and buttons. Worse of all a few of them were broken or malfunctioning. A bright side was the cafe. I ordered the delicious Creamy Cajun Pasta. Though it cost more than my admission, it was filling. Also, every Harry Potter film was being played there. How the hell...? read more

The Tech Interactive - Turn down for what? - Museums Near Me - San Jose, California

Compared to other science museums, Tech Tech is lame. The exhibits don't have the right combination of interactivity, educational surprises, and "wow" factor that you find at just about every other science museum. Tip #1: If you have a Bank of America ATM or debit or credit card, use it to get free admission on the first full weekend of every month. Tip #2: For the Imax movies: 4/5: "Island of Lemurs: Madagascar" is quite good. Nice mix of cute lemurs and educational material. The conservation message is only slightly depressing. 1/5: But skip "Journey to the South Pacific." It's less about nature, and more of a human interest story. Tip #3: There is an exhibit of food photography going on until September 1: It's free, and you don't need a museum ticket to see it. It shows photos from Nathan Myhrvold's food lab; very interesting, and worth the price. read more

For the Star Wars exhibit: Awesome. If you're a fan of the movies; definitely take a trip here. Tickets only $13.50 (got the 2 pack from Costco) and that includes admission into the regular Tech museum as well. Lots of props and costumes as well as activities for the kids (building a hovering racer using magnets and legos, building an r2 unit that you can program to move) read more

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I was skeptical of going into the Tech Museum of Innovation, as I thought my ten year old would be bored. Boy, I was wrong! We had an amazing time, so much so that we stayed until closing. We started with the Body World exhibit. It is so amazing. My daughter was not impressed, in fact she got a little sick to her stomach when she realized that the bodies were actual humans at one point. Other than that little hoop to jump, she loved everything. We built robots, broke out of an escape room, did science experiments. It was the coolest day! We paid full price to get in, but if you are a member at an ASTC museum, you can get in free. Check it out! read more

My first time at the Tech Museum, also went specifically for the Star Trek exhibit. Three stories, all with escalator & elevator access but only 2 floors are actual displays/exhibits. The main floor is the gift shop, snack bar, and IMAX theatre (not included in the price of admission of course). Surprisingly, snack bar prices were fairly reasonable: large iced tea & large diet coke (with refills), bowl of chili, & a bag of sun chips for under $9. They had mini pizzas, sandwiches, fruit etc., something to please most, but we weren't there for the food. The IMAX sold popcorn & I didn't catch the prices but I assume as sky-high as regular movie theatres. The earthquake simulator was fun in a strangely creepy way, considering what is going on in Haiti right now. yikes. The arm wrestling interactive was popular too since you get to arm wrestle with other people visiting other science museums across the country. I tried the "Create Your Own Web Page" exhibit but my "Tech Tag" wouldn't work (what's a Tech Tag, read below). Actually, many of the interactive displays weren't working but seeing how rough most of the kids were on them, I'm not surprised. Parental supervision (and responsibility) is gravely absent here. And here I was all excited to give five shiny bright red stars for the Star Trek exhibit, then, I had to go and read all the other Yelp reviews before posting mine. Other Yelpers are right, it wasn't really all that great. First case in point: the price. $25 for (non-member) adults plus a $5 "Web Convenience Fee." They CHARGE YOU an extra five bucks to order online and print YOUR TICKET out AT HOME using YOUR OWN PAPER and YOUR OWN INK and have the nerve to call it a "Web Convenience Fee?" WTF??? Second: even though it includes entrance to the rest of the Museum - which beware if you 'conveniently' buy and 'conveniently' print YOUR OWN ticket - the "Tech Tag" part doesn't scan for the interactive exhibits like it should. What's a Tech Tag? It's the bar code on your ticket stub that saves all of your activity throughout the museum so you can relive everything you experienced when you get home. ***DOH (slapping forehead), that must be what the "Web Convenience Fee" is for!!*** Well, mine didn't work, so I was robbed. Third, as other Yelpers have said, no picture taking allowed. WHAT? You mean, I was on the Bridge of the U.S.S. Starship Enterprise, sitting in Captain James Tiberius Kirk's chair for cripes sake and I couldn't take one freakin picture? Husband was 'energized' into space on the Transporter and they wanted $28 for a picture? I stood next to a Klingon (tlhIngan in Klingon) and a Bird-of-Prey warship and have no pictures to prove it? No proof that I was in Capt Picard's -Ooo la-la- 'private quarters?' Other disappointments include that the uniform displays weren't even the real ones worn by the actors themselves and (almost) nothing was interactive. Lots and lots of reading, which I normally don't mind but it could become painfully slow if the person in front has not taken the Evelyn Wood Speed Reading Course. The "Star Trek Voyager" section for example, made no mention of the character Chakotay so I knew it was flawed. Sure, I learned a little more about Star Trek history and trivia but as a semi-serious Trekkie (I have a Starfleet Academy sticker on the back window of my car) I was a tad disappointed. "Scotty, Absum!" ("Beam me up Scotty" in Latin) read more

I ended up making a night of it with the honey for Abby's CMYE and it was a TON of fun! It was really quite fab to have a nice stroll around and be able to interact with different outdated tech. To amuse yourself and yet if you had a partner in crime to amuse each other. It really took the stress out of the week! The food was good for what you paid for it and the nachos were fantastic! I think my fav section was the thermal photograph. Really really neat :D I'm a little torn on if I'd come back as much of the tech was pretty dated and not all of the sections worked properly or were calibrated right but it was a pretty fun night! More signage would have been fantastic as it was easy to get lost but they had a little bit of everything (personal favs were the water station, the wind tunnel and the earthquake section) and the ability to keep pictures of the night was seriously wonderful! I ended up having to email the tech museum's tech guy as my barcode on my ticket didn't work thus I had no way to find our pictures but 5 or 6 emails later and Mike had my pics all ready to go in both a zip folder as well as on the site. I love me a tech! And I'm not just saying that cause the honey's a sys admin :D A big thank you to Abby for getting us out of the house and big thank you to the tech museum for reminding me why I love Silicon valley! read more

Body Worlds Vital: 2 Stars I've seen the Bodies exhibition in Vegas (which was amazing), but was told that Body Worlds is even better. Thus, when Body Worlds Vital came to San Jose, I was completely excited and planned to check it out. And then Yelp came out with a $19 voucher good for admission for 2 adults, so I jumped on it. I still liked it, but it was way smaller than expected -- just two large rooms that didn't seem to be arranged in any particular order. If you haven't seen anything of this sort, I'd still go for it. But if you have, it's really not worth the money. Tech Museum: 4 Stars Your ticket also gives you admission to the Tech Museum, which is pretty much as I remembered it when I had gone for an elementary school field trip -- lots of hands-on activities. I like the arm wrestling machine where you can arm wrestle someone at a different museum. It's definitely a lot of fun if you're with elementary school-aged kids. read more

Was told this, along with the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, are must-see museums. Spent about three hours here going around the exhibits as well as watching the IMAX film in their theatre (they have multiple educational ones as well as Hollywood films like Star Wars). Tickets are $24 (+ $10 for IMAX) for adults but $19 (+ $4 for IMAX) for students. I'll let y'all check out the prices for children and the rest on their website. They have some really cool exhibits. Three floors, ground, main, and second. Two on the second floor. One on Silicon and other semiconductors. There was a timeline of how silicon chip tech has involved in computing and there was a portion dedicated to sound. The other one on the third floor focused on cost-friendly innovations implemented in third-world countries. Inventions as water-powered contacts (liquid vision), water filters used to drink polluted water in Africa, and material-friendly pouch for prematurely born babies that need heat to survive among others (part of the new 'Innovations in Health Care' exhibit). They had additional space devoted to constructing new exhibits. The ground floor talked about space, smells, body weight, and a variety of other topics that are really good for kids. There's a play lab for kids also. The main floor is ground-level floor where admissions, cafe, museum store, and the IMAX is at. The National Parks movie was dope. Took lots of snaps and was worth the cost. You can't miss out on this museum!! read more

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The Tech Museum in SJ is what the California Science Center could be like if they had a bit more funding. Working exhibits, free wifi, and organized/large space for kids and adults to run around. I'm not much of an art museum fan but I love history and science museums. The Tech Museum did not disappoint and had some really great interactive activities for all ages. We had a chance to make our own jellyfish protein and design a roller coaster (and ride it!). All the guides are knowledgeable and friendly. Overall, a great place to kill a couple of hours no matter what age you are. - bring student ID for discounted admission ($10) - they have rotating feature exhibits but those exhibits cost money (when I was there: Star Wars exhibit) - All day Parking ~$7 at nearby lots (you do have to drive around to find a good lot) read more

Went to the Leonardo Da Vinci 500 years into the Future exhibit. http://www.yelp.com/biz/leonardo-500-years-into-the-future-san-jose Got a deal on my tix from work, $20 instead of $25. Went on Friday at 3:30pm and didn't have to wait in line to enter the exhibit next door to the Tech Museum. Easy parking at the SJ Convention Center Parking lot on the corner of San Carlos and Market, next to the Marriot. $5 with Tech museum validation at the Info desk. http://www.yelp.com/biz/csj-convention-center-parking-san-jose read more

The Tech Interactive - Museums Near Me - San Jose, California

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Love the museum, but we made the mistake of watching Dunkirk in the Imax theater. Boy, was it just plain awful. They should warn you that the theater is a dome. Aside from strained necks. We all wanted to throw up. I'm surprised no one mentioned that. The 3 star is just for the museum. read more

This is probably not the place for the average person in their late teen's to mid-twenties. That being said, my friends and I, all just over 30, went today and had a fun time, no kids required. I would suggest that you go at 3pm or before because it closes at 5pm and there's a lot to see. They even have an IMAX theater, last show at 4pm. We all paid the 8$ admission so we had access to all the interactive 'cool stuff' that people say they didn't get to do... Here's a few of the displays that we really loved: The touch globe that showed live cams to different parts of the world; the body heat sensor that takes your pic; the earthquake simulator; the medical section; and the internet quiz. :) There were also a few displays that looked quite new like the Green Cars display. My only observation is that they could really update some of their 'high tech' upstairs sections. We didn't get to do all the areas cause we ran out of time but, we'll be back! Where else can you get that much entertainment for only 8$ per person!? See ya there! read more

I've been to the Tech a few times over the last few years. I can break it down for you: 1. The Tech's main exhibit is geared towards a younger audience and is a tad dated. It's not really that exciting for adults at all. 2. The secondary special exhibits can be cool if they get a good one that catches your fancy. My favorite experience was the Mythbusters special. It was relatively new and I think the subject matter lended itself naturally to The Tech. Star Wards was ok in that it was once in a lifetime to see some of the memorabilia but the exhibit itself was kind of rundown (the hands-on stuff for kids) and not updated (the educational references to things from 5-10 years ago). Overall, not the greatest thing evar. Even if I had a kid, it's not worth coming back for unless they get a cool exhibit to come by. It's OK. EDIT: The TECH does do adult night time things these days, where you can drink and do other adultish activities. So what I said still stands -- the daytime stuff is for kids and is getting dated. read more

Lots of exciting new things to see at The Tech. Bring your family and friends and check out: - new upgraded 4K IMAX dome (first in the world) - Body Worlds Decoded (plastinated human bodies coupled with augmented reality experience - Reboot reality - experience AR/VR and fly over NYC with Birdly - BioDesign Studio - synthetic biology, bioengineering, biological design and DIY biology - Social Robots - build your own robot! - Tech Studio - fun collaborative maker space - Tech for Global Good - hear the story of 5 laureates helping the environment and battling the threat of climate change. read more

The Tech Museum had a lot of cool exhibits and was very informative. The ground floor had a gift store, a cafe, and that was pretty much it. The exhibits were on the top and bottom floors. There was the earthquake simulator and the jet-pack seat on the bottom floor. Those two were probably the highlights of the bottom floor. The roller coaster simulation and the robot that spells your name were probably the highlights of the top floor. I was here a few years ago for the History of Video Games or something and that was really fun to see the years of video game progression. The IMAX theater was a dome and the only one in Northern California. I got a little sick while watching the Star Trek in the IMAX dome because I was really close to the screen. The movie was actually made for a regular flat-screen IMAX theater but since it was in the dome, there was a little distortion with the edges barely cut off. If you get motion sickness, then you might want to think twice about watching a movie in the IMAX theater. I think I got sick because there were a few action-packed scenes in Star Trek. I usually don't get motion sickness with the exception of this one time. I still give them 5 stars because this place was fun regardless of whether I got sick or not! read more

I was a chaperone for a high school field trip- sophomores and freshmen. We arrived around 9am, and were supposed to meet for lunch at 12pm. That was too long for the kids to be entertained by the museum. There just isn't enough there, to keep active kids entertained for that long- so make sure you make your time there reasonable. It's an interesting place, but there are really only two floors with exhibits- and those are fun, don't get me wrong, but don't spend too long there. The cafe was nice- I had a great Cobb salad. But it's pricey (10 bucks for a salad- but good ingredients.) We had to let the kids go to the gift store for a while, because we had so much extra time. I found some great stuff on sale, but the regular prices are steep- and out of the price range for our lower income students. All in all, it's an interesting place, but I'm not sure it's worth the money. read more

When I came here as a kid, I loved it. Good place to introduce kids to science and technology. Recently came here for the Star Wars exhibit. You can get a deal from Costco for $30 for two. Fun exhibit, lots of props and models from the movies. Also lots of interactive things for kids, such as programing a robot to move, learning how difficult the motion of walking is, and creating magnetic forces. For those older Star Wars fans, plenty of informational videos and descriptions. You can also get in the Falcon event if they have a short line and buy from the lady managing the line the day of. read more

I came here and found out there was this Body World Vital exhibit going on. My girlfriend wanted to check it out, luckily she paid. I was disappointed because they didn't allow cameras as I bring my camera with me wherever I go, even to the bathroom (jk). The exhibit was a little on the creepy side, although I've never seen anything like, I don't think bodies like that are my cup of tea. I tried to rush past the exhibit but my girlfriend had to take her sweet little time and examine everything! Viewing this exhibit cost about 9 dollars, as the exhibit was small. The main museum was a little small, but I didn't expect much for 9 dollars for this section alone. There were a couple little interactive things that I liked about this tech museum, but for some reason this museum seemed a little on the empty side. We didn't stay here long cause the museum was small and we finished looking at everything within 2 hours. read more

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I took 25 students here for a field trip. I thought that I wouldn't have anything to do with them for 4 hours and boy was I wrong. Almost every exhibit was interactive. They have a 3-D simulation that shows you a picture of your head. The museum also has 3 floors. The top floor is earth related Computer Graphics. The middle floor is where the IMAX theatre is. And the bottom floor has visual graphics and hands on art. My favorite was the hands on art that lets you graffiti or draw art by yourself. I saw my student's eyes light up. We watched the IMAX show "Sea Monsters." It was my first IMAX experience. I couldn't get through the show! The IMAX movie gave me motion sickness. It was about these archaeologist who uncover fossils and it retells the stories of one of the fossils. I had to put my head down half way through the show. Other than that, it was a unique experience for myself and all my kids. read more

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I'm a bit on the fence with this place so to give a star rating is a little tough. Great information/education for kids. Our daughter is in 7th grade and she enjoyed the things that were more interactive. Our 8 year old was not as entertained because he didn't understand some of the exhibits... I personally was lost on some of them as well (how to make it work because the instructions weren't clear or because the exhibit was broken). I just think, for the amount of money it costs to get in, there should be more interactive stations to enjoy- which less me to the second issue... when the place is busy, you are pretty much standing in lines in order to use most of the exhibits. Overall it as a good experience but we won't be back.. I'd rather attend the Exploratorium or the Academy of Science. Just sayin. read more

The Tech Interactive - Upper level display - Museums Near Me - San Jose, California

I don't know, maybe it's me, but 'm finding museums more and more boring as I get older. Maybe due to the over-stimulation of my web-drenched brain? Not sure, but they just don't seem to have to "pop" I'm looking for. I went to see the "Star Wars" exhibit...big MEH! Thirty minutes of wandering around the ice box (yes, it was really cold in the gallery) and I was ready to leave. The highlights of the exhibit? Some of the costumes were cool...uh...? Tried to squeeze out a bit more out of the tickets and visited the regular part of The Tech. It was mildly interesting. Honestly, it is in severe need of a makeover! Old incandescent flood lights? Hello?! Tech museum, ever hear of LED lights? Maybe this place is set up for kids? I don't know, but not dazzled here. 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3. read more

As a lifelong Star Wars fanatic, it is with great pleasure that we checked out the new Star Wars exhibit at the San Jose Tech Museum. On display were some of the original models that were used on the films, including the Millenium Falcon, X-Wings, Y-Wings, TIE Fighters, Star Destroyers, and a life-size landspeeder. Also on display were Wookies, Jedis, Yoda, Stormtroopers, Wampas, and a giant Droideka. Also, lightsabers from all the major players in Star Wars were on exhibit. Of course, what exhibit would it be without Darth Vader making his presence felt!!! The Star Wars exhibit is a wonderful addition to the Tech Museum, and everyone should visit. May the Force be with you! As for the regular exhibits at the Tech Museum, they're also quite wonderful, as you can learn all about Sound, Genes, technology, an worldwide innovations. Great for kids and the family! read more

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We came for the IMAX movie about the ocean. You don't have to pay for admission to the museum if you were just going to the IMAX. The IMAX seats are incredibly uncomfortable. There is no legroom. The seating at the top is the best. I was a little surprised at how loud it was, and also how poor of the resolution was it times. That being said it's an awesome experience for the nature movies. I wouldn't go to see a regular movie there, it would be very uncomfortable for a longer period of time. Staff was pleasant and helpful, and if you park in the convention center garage and bring in your ticket they will validate it giving you a dollar off. Somehow the machine can read it and will give you $1 discount When you go to pay. I'll definitely come back to take my kid to the museum. read more