First, it was El Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe; then it was San Jose; then it was the Capital of Silicon Valley (okay, this one was for a 1988 publicity campaign). Whatever name it goes by, San Jose has a rich history, being one of California’s first cities as well as the state capital from 1849 to 1852.

With about 7,000 tech companies calling it home, San Jose is the most concentrated tech center in the world. It’s no wonder many famous inventions have come out of this sprawling city; Steve Wozniak, “The Wave” (you know that thing that crowds do at a sports game), the first computer hard drive, fruit cocktail.

Another San Jose oddity is The Winchester Mystery House. This 160 room house is an architectural phenomenon/nightmare that is a must see.

Speaking of other odd structures – San Jose has the world’s tallest rat statue of Chuck E Cheese (it’s almost 30 feet tall!) as well as a 930 square foot Monopoly game board that you can rent out to play, complete with a specially trained to “run a giant sized Monopoly game” referee.

San Jose has a lot to offer in history and attractions. We will leave you with one more (for all you classical fans): The Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies at San Jose State University owns a lock of Beethoven’s hair and the remains of his skull!

Things to See and Do