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All the United States California San Jose

The Atlas Obscura Guide To San Jose

25 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in San Jose, California

Updated January 8, 2025

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Unusual Attractions in San Jose

Winchester Mystery House, with some of its many doors and windows.

San Jose, California

The Winchester Mystery House

A peculiar mansion built by the troubled heir to the Winchester Rifle Company fortune.
Monopoly in the Park

San Jose, California

Monopoly in the Park

The largest permanent Monopoly board makes one of the longest games even bigger.
On the way

San Jose, California

Drawbridge

San Francisco Bay's ghost town.
One of the four mummies

San Jose, California

Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

An extensive collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts and mummies.
Rosicrucian Park

San Jose, California

Rosicrucian Park

The headquarters of a secretive order is also a beautifully-designed park.

San Jose, California

Mark's Hot Dogs

For roadside fast food, pull over at the giant orange.
Grave of Bert Bertram’s arm

San Jose, California

Grave of Bert Barrett’s Left Arm

The rest of him lived another 61 years and was buried elsewhere.

San Jose, California

Lupe the Mammoth

A life-sized mammoth sculpture marks the spot where the remains of a Columbian mammoth were discovered in 2005.
See All 25 Things To Do in San Jose

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in San Jose

San Jose, California

Mark's Hot Dogs

For roadside fast food, pull over at the giant orange.

San Jose, California

Orchestria Palm Court

This restaurant's marvelous musical machines include a self-playing violin.
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

9 Surprisingly Ancient Marvels in Modern California

Long before California was home to tech campuses, freeways, and palm trees, Native inhabitants etched huge designs into the landscape. Even before that, at roughly the same time that the Pyramids of Giza were under construction, a tree that still survives today began taking root. And even farther into the past, glaciers and mammoths created enduring monuments to antiquity. Across the state, the distant past is still within easy reach.

View Itinerary
The Blythe Intaglios are as mysterious as they are massive.

Explore San Jose, California

A
Art 4
Plaques 3
Architecture 3
Unique Restaurants & Bars 2

San Jose Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. James Ricci
    6
  2. dsjas297
    1
  3. Elise
    1
  4. cinapelayo
    1
  5. queenofswing
    1
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Add an unusual place to San Jose.

Places Edited

  1. Avoiding Regret
    6
  2. hetmzr101
    6
  3. SEANETTA
    4
  4. Findingbalance18
    4
  5. Rachel
    3
Join the Ranks!
Improve the Atlas with edits and photos.

Places Visited

  1. dmochizuki
    23
  2. lisahs100
    23
  3. BryanKnight
    18
  4. MikeT19278
    17
  5. brifer22
    17
Join the Ranks!
Visit a place in San Jose.

Recent San Jose Activity

  • madmusician

    has been to Santana Row Chess Plaza

    1 day ago
  • madmusician

    has been to Quetzalcóatl Sculpture

    1 day ago
  • dr4g0nr1der25

    wants to go to IBM Building 025

    1 day ago
  • bigglasses

    has been to Site of the World's First Radio Broadcasting Station

    about 19 hours ago
  • bigglasses

    has been to Quetzalcóatl Sculpture

    about 19 hours ago

Stories About San Jose

Lowriders are generally customized by their owners. The “SJ” on this ‘63 Chevy Impala is short for San Jose. The car owner also chose the color teal to celebrate the San Jose Sharks hockey team.

After a Decades-Long Ban, San Jose's Lowriders Are Ready to Cruise Again

This vibrant culture never faded away in the city's Mexican American community.
by Line Sidonie Talla Mafotsing
November 18, 2022

Podcast: Tree of 40 Fruits

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
November 29, 2021
Green chile everything is the calling card of Albuquerque. That also occasionally extends to their minor league baseball team.

How Minor League Baseball Teams Hype Hyper-Local Food

Root, root root for the...Hartford Steamed Cheeseburgers?
by Anne Ewbank
August 9, 2021

Podcast: Winchester Mystery House

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
August 3, 2021
A pre-1906 view of the house from the south.

Demystifying the Winchester Mystery House

Under new management, the labyrinthine mansion is giving up more of its closely guarded secrets.
by Elizabeth Svoboda
February 1, 2018

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