What to do in Downtown San Jose, California
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Let’s be honest, when most people think “dream destination,” downtown San Jose probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind. But maybe it should be.
Whether you’re here on a business trip, tagging along on someone else’s conference, or planning a solo getaway (hello, freedom!), you might be surprised by what this city has to offer once you step outside the convention center, or your drab ol’ comfort zone.
As someone who grew up here, I used to think downtown San Jose was just where you went for jury duty or to see a Sharks game if someone gave you free tickets. But it’s actually full of surprises.
Downtown San Jose is a little quirky, a little artsy, and packed with pockets of charm if you know where to look. In this guide, you’ll find my personal picks for things to do, places to eat, and experiences worth lingering over, whether you’ve got a few hours between meetings or a whole weekend to explore.
Because no matter how you ended up here, you deserve more than just room service and Google Maps.
Theaters and Events
One of the best parts of downtown San Jose is how easy it is to add a little sparkle to your evening without needing heels that destroy your arches. Whether you’re in town for work and want to treat yourself, or you’re carving out space in your solo adventure for a night of culture, this city delivers.
- Center for the Performing Arts – 255 Almaden Blvd. – Broadway shows
- San Jose Civic Center – 135 W. San Carlos St. – Concerts
- California Theatre – 345 S. First St. – Opera, Symphony, Cinequest Film Festival
- San Jose Improv – 62 S. Second St. – Stand Up Comedy
- Montgomery Theater – 271 S. Market St. – Community Theater
- San Jose McEnery Convention Center – 150 W. San Carlos St. – FanimeCon, GalaxyCon
- SAP Center – 525 W. Santa Clara St. – San Jose Sharks Ice Hockey, Concerts
Local tip: Even if you don’t have a show planned, just walking around this area in the evening when the lights come on and the downtown buzz sets in can be a vibe all its own. Grab a drink or dessert nearby and people-watch. It’s entertainment, San Jose-style.
What to See in Downtown San Jose (That You’ll Actually Remember)
Downtown San Jose isn’t really about in-your-face landmarks or postcard-perfect photo ops. It’s more the kind of place where you stumble onto something unexpected, like a vintage neon sign, a 1920s building with a hidden wine bar, or a sculpture that makes you pause mid-scroll.
Here are a few of my favorite spots to explore (and actually enjoy):
San Jose Museum of Art
110 S. Market St.
The San Jose Museum of Art has two floors of exhibits, a coffee shop and a shop. Nice museum to check out. Click the title above to link to their website to see what’s on now.
When I went recently, I dug the painting below left, where people were floating through space. The more you stared at it, the more people you saw. Also, the exhibit in the photo below right, consisting only of paper plates, hot glue, and netting! What the heck? 😀
Sonic Runway
200 East Santa Clara Street, San Jose
If you’re downtown at night, check out this light art exhibit that visualizes the speed of sound. It’s free and pretty cool!
The Tech Interactive
201 S. Market St.
I didn’t revisit the Tech Museum recently, as I visited many times in the past, chaperoning my kids’ class field trips! Even if you don’t have kids with you, though, it’s well worth a visit! There are many clever exhibits featuring anatomy, science, and technology. There is also an IMAX Dome theater here, showing both Hollywood and educational films.
San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles
520 South 1st St.
I don’t want to be a jerk here, but I must say I was disappointed when I visited this museum. Perhaps if I actually was a quilter I would have appreciated it more, or maybe it was just the particular exhibit on display when I went. (A Sustainability exhibit where many of the quilts were made of actual garbage! I can handle learning about sustainability, but I must admit I became pretty grumpy after looking at 20 quilts all “yelling at me” about what a bad person I am! 😀 )
Anyway, if you do have any interest in quilts you should probably check it out! They offer workshops as well as hosting exhibits.
Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph
80 South Market St.
Beautiful St. Joseph’s has been a part of downtown San Jose since its construction in 1803. Restoration was done in 1990 when it was dedicated as a Cathedral. Then, in 1997, it received “Basilica” statues from the Vatican. If you’re wondering what the heck that actually means, so was I, so I looked it up:
A cathedral is the home church for the bishop or archbishop of a Catholic diocese. A basilica is an important church building designated by the pope because it carries special spiritual, historical, and/or architectural significance. In the USA, there are around 215 cathedrals and only 12 basilicas.
Check out the Odell pipe organ, built in 1886 and only one of four in the United States. It’s 22 feet high by 18 feet wide by 10 feet deep!
My parents were married here in 1955! See photo below.
Where to Eat
For more local restaurants and cafes than only in downtown San Jose, check out these posts: Cool Cafes in Silicon Valley and Unique and Cool Restaurants in Silicon Valley!
Henry’s Hi-Life
301 W St. John St., San Jose
Henry’s Hi-Life has been around since 1960. I’ll never forget my dad bringing me here when I was a teenager. He said he was going to take me someplace really fancy. My mouth dropped when I saw Henry’s! I couldn’t believe my dad was actually bringing me into the dilapidated place 😀
Now, it doesn’t look quite as rough as it did back then, but it still has the same vibe. They specialize in bar-b-q: ribs, chicken, steaks, and burgers.
Henry’s is located at the end of San Jose’s Little Italy street, and is only blocks away from the SAP Center. It’s a great spot to grab dinner before a Sharks game.
Il Fornaio Cucina Italiana
302 South Market Street
Though Il Fornaio is a California chain restaurant, I include it here because it is located within the ultra-cool St. Claire Hotel, right next to the Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Be sure to check out the lobby and elevators of the St. Claire Hotel (now actually called the Westin San Jose, though they still have the classic St. Claire neon sign in front).
Il Fornaio serves good food (including wood-fired pizza) and has a great atmosphere! You can get breakfast, lunch, and dinner here, and they have a small bar area.
Orchestria Palm Court Restaurant
27 E William St
I was amazed that after living in the area my whole life I just now found this cool place which has been in business for 11 years!
Orchestria Palm Court serves “Continental European dining,” featuring grass-fed beef and dairy and organic vegetables. The food was excellent, but the real star here is the atmosphere!
The walls (and open loft) are lined with various player pianos, antique jukeboxes and even a player violin-piano combination! There are also several “Orchestrion” instruments which look like player pianos but actually also play violin and an assortment of percuassion instruments! So cool and fascinating what people in the past invented!
The instruments play, one by one, at various times during the night. The whole experience is like stepping back in time to 1900!
One of my favorite parts was seeing the “Motion Lamps”! I remembered that my grandparents had one of a train, and I used to spend ages staring at it. I looked online to see if I could find one to buy, and they now go for hundreds of dollars on eBay. The Orchstria Palm Court has a wonderful collection of them scattered around.
Another super fun feature is an old time telephone at the bar counter in the back of the restaurant connected to a phone in a phone booth just inside the restaurant entrance. Kids had a ball talking to each other over these!
Note: The Orchestria Palm Court is only open on Friday and Saturday nights. Be sure to make a reservation.
Original Joe’s
301 South 1st Street, San Jose
Original Joe’s has been a downtown San Jose classic since 1956. Delicious, authentic, traditional, homestyle Italian food is made before your eyes if you choose to sit at the popular counter. Otherwise, you can feel like you’ve stepped back in time in a roomy booth or the retro cocktail lounge, “The Hideout.”
Be prepared to wait to get in. They don’t take reservations, though you can call to get on a waitlist at 408-292-7030.
San Pedro Square Market
87 N. San Pedro St.
San Pedro Square Market is a fun place visit with a group, or even on your own. They have nearly 20 food stalls to select from, as well as a half dozen bars. They feature live music every day.
The Gonzales/Peralta Adobe House is also on site. The adobe was built in 1797 by José Manuel Gonzeles, an Apache Indian who was also the first resident and second mayor of San José. The second occupant was Luís María Peralta, who held the highest office in the community as commissioner.
Across the street, you can tour the Fallon House, which was built in 1850, and see its 15 rooms furnished in the Victorian style of its time.
Whispers Cafe and Creperie
150 S. Second St.
You can grab breakfast, lunch and dinner food all day here (well, they are only open from 8AM-3PM daily). Since they specialize in crepes it’s a good excuse to have ice cream at breakfast :D.
There was a long line to order, but it moved pretty quickly. The food was good, especially the “Half Moon” crepe (peaches, honey orange glaze, cinnamon, and brown sugar) with ice cream!
It is rather loud in this restaurant, so beware of that!
Where to Stay
Hyatt Place San Jose/Downtown
282 Almaden Blvd.
I stayed at the Hyatt Place recently, and I give it a thumbs up overall. See my Positives/Negatives breakdown below.
Positives:
- Spacious room and comfortable bed
- Nice little couch sitting area (couch folds out into a bed)
- Included breakfast buffet
- Location was great for reaching downtown theaters, Christmas in the Park, and the convention center
Negatives:
- The parking garage was confusing. You need to check in before you can enter, and you should hang on to your room key when leaving the garage (even after you check out) because that key will open the garage gate.
- The Hyatt app indicated I could check-in online, but it didn’t work. When I arrived at the hotel I went to the desk and they just said “Oh, this hotel doesn’t do online check-in”. : /
- My room faced San Carlos Street, so I could hear the light rail’s “ding, ding, ding” each time it went by. I actually didn’t mind it much; it reminded me of a San Francisco cable car bell, but if you’re sensitive to that type of noise, be sure to ask for a room on the other side of the building.
Check out my video tour below:
Signa by Hilton
170 S. Market St.
This beautiful and pricey hotel is right across from Cesar Chavez Park. (This used to be a Fairmont Hotel until the pandemic did it in.)
Hotel DeAnza – Important Note
I would have included the historic Hotel DeAnza in my list of recommended hotels, but it’s actually closed. It is very deceiving because Hotel DeAnza still shows up as available on sites like Booking.com, hoteldeanza.com, Expedia.com, tripadvisor.com etc! The Hotel DeAnza Instagram does indicate that they are under new ownership and reopening soon. I tried calling the hotel today, and though a recording answers, when you select either an option to book a room or speak to someone, it just rings and rings.
In Conclusion
As someone who’s called this area home for decades, I hope this guide helps you see San Jose the way I do: not flashy, but full of layers. Culture, charm, good coffee, unexpected art, and moments that stay with you long after your visit.
If you found something here that made you smile, or sparked the itch to explore, consider it your sign. Book that trip. Wander that side street. Let downtown San Jose show you what it’s made of.
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