Museums in Santa Clara County

Section: MuseumsmuseumSave Public Mining Museum Tour at Almaden Quicksilver County Park

Public Mining Museum Tour at Almaden Quicksilver County Park

Where: Casa Grande - Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum, San José, CAMap of Public Mining Museum Tour at Almaden Quicksilver County Park (opens in new tab)

On a one-hour tour at Casa Grande, discover how local cinnabar impacted the California gold rush, how it was mined and processed into mercury, and the lives of the miners and their families.

Dates

Fridays, November 6 and December 4, 2026

Hours

10-11:30am

Section: MuseumsmuseumSave First Fridays at SJMA: Celebrate the Holidays with Pride

First Fridays at SJMA: Celebrate the Holidays with Pride

Where: San José Museum of Art, San José, CAMap of First Fridays at SJMA: Celebrate the Holidays with Pride (opens in new tab)

An evening of live music, storytelling and drag performances kicks off the holidays and celebrates the talents of San José's LGBTQIA+ community, with open galleries and free admission after 6pm.

Dates

Friday, December 4, 2026

Hours

6-9pm

Cost

Free admission after 6pm

Section: MuseumsmuseumSave Anderson Collection at Stanford University

Anderson Collection at Stanford University

Where: 314 Lomita Dr, Stanford, CA 94305Map of Anderson Collection at Stanford University (opens in new tab)

A free museum of modern and contemporary American art. Visitor parking is paid via ParkMobile.

Hours

Thu-Mon 11am-5pm; closed Tue-Wed

Cost

Free

Section: MuseumsmuseumSave Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose

Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose

Where: 180 Woz Way, San Jose, CA 95110Map of Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose (opens in new tab)

Children's museum with Museums for All access.

Hours

Tue-Fri 9:30am-1pm; Sat-Sun 9:30am-4:30pm (also open Veterans Day, Wed Nov 11, 9:30am-4:30pm)

Cost

Child (1-17) $22; Adult (18-59) $22; Senior $20; under 1 free

Section: MuseumsmuseumSave Computer History Museum

Computer History Museum

Where: 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, CA 94043Map of Computer History Museum (opens in new tab)

Museum of computing history, with exhibits including Chatbots Decoded: Exploring AI.

Hours

Wed-Sun 10am-5pm; closed Mon-Tue

Cost

Ticket prices not listed

Section: MuseumsmuseumSave History Park

History Park

Where: 635 Phelan Ave, San Jose, CA 95112Map of History Park (opens in new tab)

History San José's History Park; hosts seasonal family events.

Hours

Daily 9am-4pm; historic houses open Sat-Sun 12-3:45pm

Cost

No entry fee listed

Section: MuseumsmuseumSave Lick Observatory Visitor Center

Lick Observatory Visitor Center

Where: 7281 Mount Hamilton Rd, Mount Hamilton, CA 95140Map of Lick Observatory Visitor Center (opens in new tab)

Visitor area on Mount Hamilton. The East Grounds and Shane Gallery are open 9am-5pm daily; the main building and West Peak area remain closed. Free for all visitors.

Cost

Free

Section: MuseumsmuseumSave Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

Largest collection of Egyptian artifacts on exhibit in western North America. Currently open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Hours

Fri 9am-4pm; Sat-Sun 11am-6pm

Cost

Ticket prices not listed

Section: MuseumsmuseumSave San José Museum of Art

San José Museum of Art

Where: 110 South Market Street, San Jose, CA 95113Map of San José Museum of Art (opens in new tab)

Downtown art museum, open until 9pm on Fridays. No ticket needed for the store or cafe.

Hours

Tue-Thu and Sat-Sun 11am-6pm; Fri 11am-9pm; closed Mon

Cost

Adults $20; seniors 65+ $15

Photo: The Tech Museum of Innovation / CC BY 2.0

Section: MuseumsmuseumSave The Tech Interactive

The Tech Interactive

Where: 201 S. Market St, San Jose, CA 95113Map of The Tech Interactive (opens in new tab)

Hands-on science and technology center; admission includes one educational IMAX film.

Hours

Vary by season; see daily schedule

Cost

Adults $38; children 3-17, students and seniors (65+) $28

Section: MuseumsmuseumSave de Saisset Museum

de Saisset Museum

Where: 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95053Map of de Saisset Museum (opens in new tab)

Art and history museum at Santa Clara University.

Hours

Tue-Fri 10am-4pm; Sat-Sun 12pm-4pm; closed Mon

Cost

Ticket prices not listed