Free & Affordable Activities in San Jose, CA

The San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art is a free-admission contemporary arts gallery in San José's downtown district that presents up to 12 rotating exhibitions each year, open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays. The gallery was established in 1980 and moved into its current 7,500-square-foot space in 2007, attracting 20,000 annual visitors. Exhibitions showcase the innovative, cutting-edge works of emerging and mid-career artists, with more than 300 regional artists serving on its member board. In addition to its standard exhibitions, the museum also showcases the Sandbox Series, which presents unique site-specific major installations, and facilitates public programming such as film screenings, lectures, and gallery crawl-related events.

The San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, 560 S 1st St, San José, CA 95113, Phone: 408-283-8155

History Park is a living history park and museum located at the southern edge of San José's Kelley Park, showcasing 32 preserved and replica buildings, businesses, and landmarks that detail the 19th and 20th-century history of the Santa Clara Valley. The park offers free admission to walk its grounds and meander through historical exhibits and demonstrations, including reconstructed doctor's and dentist's offices, a fire house, a blacksmith shed, a print shop, and several preserved houses and hotels. Photography and artifacts related to the region's agricultural history are showcased at the complex's fruit barn, while rotating art exhibits are showcased at both the Leonard and David McKay Gallery and the Arbuckle Gallery. Visitors can also stop in at the restored O'Brien's Ice Cream Parlor and Candy Shop and purchase turn-of-the-century sweets and milkshakes.

1650 Senter Rd, San José, CA 95112, Phone: 408-287-2290, History Park Video, Map

Rosicrucian Park is a five-acre public park and museum complex that serves as the headquarters for the American branch of the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis, a philanthropic and cultural organization similar to Freemasonry. The park was established in 1927 and has grown to encompass an entire city block, home to the organization's English Grand Lodge for the Americas, as well as the world-famous Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, which presents the West Coast's most spectacular collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts. Other attractions within the park include the Akhenaton Shrine, the Rosicrucian Planetarium, and the organization's research library. Visitors can explore the park's grounds for free daily during daylight hours, including its beautiful Peace Garden, which is constructed according to Egyptian tradition and showcases plants that can be used for food and medicinal purposes. Visitors should note that while the park and peace garden are free to explore, other attractions may require a ticketed upcharge.

Rosicrucian Park , 1342 Naglee Ave, San José, CA 95126, Phone: 408-947-3635

Japantown Walking Tours explore one of the United States' final three surviving Japantown urban neighborhoods and the only neighborhood of its kind to remain in its original location. Experienced tour docents lead private groups around the neighborhood's historic sites, including its Issei Memorial Building, which originally served as a Japanese hospital, and its Buddhist Church, which operated as a shelter following the release of Japanese-Americans held in internment camps during World War II. Other attractions showcased include Japanese-American and Hawaiian restaurants and the nine-foot Japantown identifying sculpture, designed by Eugene Daub and Lou Quaintance. Visitors can contact the Japanese American Museum of San Jose directly to schedule free private tours for small groups and organizations.

Japantown Walking Tours, 535 North Fifth Street, San Jose, California, 95112, Phone: 9408-294-3138

Affordable Activities for Nature Lovers:

Alum Rock Park is the oldest municipal park in California, originally established in 1872 within San José's Alum Rock district. The 720-acre park showcases the beauty and splendor of the Alum Rock Canyon and the foothills of the nearby Diablo Range, offering ample opportunity for outdoor recreational activities. Visitors can view remains from the turn-of-the-century period of time when the park was a nationally-renowned health spa and mineral springs, which was connected to the city's downtown via the Alum Rock Steam Railroad. 13 miles of nature trails offer opportunities for hiking, cycling, and horseback riding, while day-use picnic sites offer barbecue grills and public restrooms. The nonprofit Youth Science Institute Science and Nature Center offers after-school activities and a public museum, while guided nature walks of the park are offered by the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority. Free parking is available at the park's Eagle Rock and Rustic Lands parking lots.

Alum Rock Park , 15350 Penitencia Creek Rd, San José, CA 95127, Phone: 408-794-7275

Almaden Lake Park is a beautiful 32-acre lake and surrounding 65-acre recreational area that is open to the public daily between 8:30am and sunset, with the exception of major winter holidays. Visitors can fish at the park's lake with valid California fishing permits and can rent seasonal pedal boats from the park between Memorial Day and Labor Day, though personal watercrafts are currently not permitted at the lake due to drought conditions and mussel infestation concerns. The 3.9-mile Los Alamitos Creek Trail connects the park to nearby Santa Teresa County Park, offering a fitness course for public use. Visitors should note that parking at the park requires an upcharge, though additional street parking can be found nearby.

Almaden Lake Park , 6099 Winfield Blvd, San José, CA 95120, Phone: 408-277-5130

Guadalupe River Park is a quaint San José city park that offers a wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities, including 2.6 miles of visitor walking and cycling trails. Large open spaces create urban oases and allow for the region's natural ecology to flourish, including the expansive Discovery Meadow, the Arena Green, and Confluence East. More than 3,700 varieties of beautiful roses are showcased at the park's Heritage Rose Garden, while drought-tolerant landscaping is displayed at the Courtyard Garden. The park is also home to the world's largest Monopoly game board, allowing groups to rent tokens and play communal Monopoly games within the park.

Guadalupe River Park, 438 Coleman Ave, San José, CA 95110, Phone: 408-298-7657

Emma Prusch Farm Park spans 43.5 acres throughout East San José, originally opened to the public in 1962 following land donations by area resident Emma Prusch. Today, the park preserves Prusch's former farm and showcases the region's agricultural history, including the city's largest preserved barn, which is utilized by the area's 4-H groups and the Future Farmers of America organization for urban livestock populations. A rare fruit orchard is maintained in cooperation with the California Rare Fruit Growers Association, highlighting more than 125 rare tree species. Other attractions include the Veggielution community farm, which strives to create sustainable urban agricultural solutions for the San José region. In October, visitors can attend the park's annual Harvest Festival, which features multicultural dance presentations, hay wagon rides, and a 4-H animal exposition.

Emma Prusch Farm Park, 647 King Rd, San José, CA 95116, Phone: 408-794-6262