1. Step Into History at Mission Santa Clara
Start your Santa Clara visit with a self-guided guided tour of Mission Santa Clara. Mission Santa Clara began its life as a Franciscan mission church in 1777, north of where it sits now on the grounds of Santa Clara University.
The mission church, now the university's student chapel, is open seven days a week. You can find brochures for self-guided tours near the entrance. You can see artifacts and remnants of the mission era.
500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, California 95053, Phone: 408-554-4000
2. If You’re Seeking Creative Inspiration, Visit the Triton Museum of Art
Next check out the Triton Museum of Art which displays local, regional, and national art, with an emphasis on art and artists from the Bay Area.
The building itself is a piece of art. Enjoy high ceilings with with pyramidal skylights, and a graceful curved glass wall overlooking its seven acre sculpture garden.
The Triton Museum of Art emphasizes education, and teaches about art and the creative process. You can also visit the historic 1866 Jamison-Brown house on the museum grounds.
1505 Warburton Avenue, Santa Clara, California 95050, Phone: 408-247-3754
3. Play at California’s Great America
If you are traveling with kids, head to California's Great America, a large and exciting theme park with rides, attractions, a water park, and dining opportunities.
You can ride a wide range of roller coasters at the park, as well as the twenty-two story drop tower, and the Xtreme Skyflyer, which mimics hang gliding and skydiving high above the park.
For younger kids, you will find child-friendly rides including a miniature roller coaster, kid-sized swings, and an adventure playground. Boomerang Water Park is fun for all members of the family, with many water slides, a lazy river, a wave pool, and cabana rentals.
4710 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, California 95054, Phone: 408-988-1776
4. Celebrate Gridiron Glory at the 49ers Museum
The 49ers Museum is housed in Levi's Stadium, the home of the San Francisco 49ers.
Visit the museum with its eleven unique gallery and exhibit spaces.
There is a twenty minute introductory movie near the entrance of the museum, a large exhibit of 49ers memorabilia which includes balls, jerseys, cleats, helmets, and Super Bowl rings, and an interactive area where you can try on jerseys and helmets, throw a football, and learn 49ers cheers.
Lifelike statues of players past and present and a timeline of the 49ers history make great photo opportunities for fans. <
Levi's Stadium, 4900 Marie P. DeBartolo Way, Santa Clara, California 95054, Phone: 415-464-9377
What to do if you are traveling with kids:
5. Have a picnic in Central Park
Central Park is the hub of recreational activity in the Santa Clara community. At its heart are the 30,000 square foot Community Recreation Center, and the George F. Haines International Swim Center.
The park has two lighted tennis courts, and a eight more in the Santa Clara Tennis Club, two softball fields, basketball courts, a children's play area, an exercise course, a lawn bowling green, and an amphitheater.
There are both family and group picnic areas with barbecue pits and public restrooms, and a lake. The Saratoga Creek divides the park into two halves. Parking is available.
969 Kiely Blvd., Santa Clara, California 95051, Phone: 408-615-3140
6. Hike in Ulistac Natural Area
Ulistac Natural Area is a 41-acre open space dedicated to the preservation of native Californian vegetation and wildlife.
It has several distinct natural habitats, including grassland, coastal scrub, savannah, riparian woodland, and wetlands. You can see the Guadalupe River running through the park.
Don't miss the bird and butterfly garden containing nectar plants such as fuchsia and monkey flower, which attract hummingbirds and a variety of butterflies.
The park has nature trails with interpretative signs where you can hike and enjoy nature.
4910 Lick Mill Road, Santa Clara, California 95054, Phone: 408-615-3140
Activities and Attractions for Couples:
7. Experience Railroad History at The South Bay Historical Railroad Society
The South Bay Historical Railroad Society is run by railroad enthusiast volunteers who staff the society's library, buildings, and the Edward Peterman Museum of Railroad History.
The museum is housed in the old Santa Clara railroad depot, and has a large collection of historical artifacts, including signals, locomotive headlights, and a velocipede, which is a three-wheeled hand-pumped cart used for track maintenance.
The museum maintains a business class car from the Oregon-Washington Railroad, and has two superb operational model train tracks, one in HO and one in N gauge, which depict various eras in railway history.
1005 Railroad Avenue, Santa Clara, California 95050, Phone: 408-243-3969
8. If You Love Charming Heritage Homes, Visit the Harris-Lass House Museum
The Harris-Lass House Museum is the last farm property in the city of Santa Clara, and is named for the two families who lived in it over a 125 year span.
Built in 1865 in symmetrical Italianate style, it was significantly enlarged and remodeled in the 1890s.
The museum consists of the farmhouse, a classic California barn, a tank house, a summer kitchen, a landscaped garden, and a Heritage Orchard.
1889 Market Street, Santa Clara, California 95050, Phone: 408-249-7905
9. Learn about history and art at de Saisset Museum
de Saisset Museum is located on the grounds of Santa Clara University, adjacent to Mission Santa Clara. Founded in 1955, the museum began as an art gallery showing about one hundred works by the painter Ernest de Saisset.
The museum now has a dual focus on art and history, and has a mandate for education through diverse and accessible exhibits.
The de Saisset Museum concentrates on art from the San Francisco Bay Area and the Santa Clara Valley, but also houses European and American art works from the Renaissance forward.
The historical part of the museum has an excellent collection of Mission-era liturgical vestments and an exhibit on California history.
500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, California 95053, Phone: 408-554-4000
If you have more time to explore, check out nearby attractions in San Jose, CA.
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