San Jose SmartHunts®

San Jose offers a variety of landmarks and culture!

Blending fun, exploration, and corporate teambuilding, SmartHunts® San Jose scavenger hunt is an experience that will have your team buzzing with excitement.

SmartHunts can customize your event to include much of what San Jose has to offer, including museums, theaters, gardens, unique foods, and drinks, as well as highlighting the features of San Jose mix of modern and historic culture. SmartHunts takes your team on a scavenger hunt through this great city where they can discover their own San Francisco style.

Whether your team is local to the area, or visiting from out-of-town, the SmartHunts team can create a fresh experience for your group with a fun corporate San Jose scavenger hunt. SmartHunts offers a unique corporate adventure tailored just for you and can take your group on any combination of San Jose’s great neighborhoods including:

(Hover over names for more detail)

1. Downtown San Jose
   Downtown San Jose is the central business district and the cultural and political center of the city. It is rich with historical and architectural treasures and home to one of the largest tech congregations in Silicon Valley and as such it is a prime location for a SmartHunts’ San Jose scavenger hunt!

   Points of interest include:

   San Jose Museum of Art – a modern and contemporary art museum that specializes in West Coast artists and features paintings, sculptures, new media as well as concerts and events. Of Romanesque style architecture, it was built in 1892 and originally home to San Jose’s first post office.

   Art Object Gallery – showcases various mediums of contemporary art including sculpture, photography, mixed media and paintings from local and international artists.
   The Tech Interactive, formerly The Tech Museum of Innovation – a hands-on science and technology center featuring exhibits, labs and displays designed to inspire curiosity and creativity. The IMAX Dome Theater has a stunning four-story wraparound screen.

   Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose – features 150+ interactive exhibits and activities for kids.
   Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph – a Spanish colonial architecture style church completed in 1885. It is the oldest Christian house of worship in San Jose and features murals, artwork, stained glass, a custom-made Odell pipe organ and is topped off with a stunning domed ceiling.

   San Jose Center for the Performing Arts – was designed by disciples of Frank Lloyd Wright and is home to San Jose Dance Theatre and Broadway San Jose. The Center also hosts touring Broadway shows and concerts.

   The Civic Center – a 1936 California mission style event venue that was originally an arena and now a theater. Countless notable performers have played the venue from boxers Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis to rockstars The Who and The Rolling Stones.

   Montgomery Theater – this historic 1936 performing arts theater hosts musical and cultural events in a charming and intimate (475 seats) setting.

   The California Theatre – this celebrated 1927 theater was originally built as a movie palace and has been lovingly restored to its previous elegant splendor. It is now home to Symphony Silicon Valley and

   Opera San Jose and also hosts concerts, plays, films, lectures and comedians.
   The De Anza Hotel – this historically significant Art Deco style hotel was built in 1931 and has recently been renovated into a Hyatt luxury boutique hotel. It was a jazz hotspot and had many famous guests over the years, including Eleanor Roosevelt, Jack Dempsey, Cab Calloway, Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh.

   Gonzales/Peralta Adobe – the oldest standing building in San Jose, it was built in 1797 by Jose Manuel Gonzales, an Apache Indian who was the 2nd mayor of San Jose and its first resident. It is now a museum.

   Carmel and Thomas Fallon House – an 1850s historic 15 room Victorian home was built by frontiersman, philanderer and early mayor of San Jose, Thomas Fallon. It is now a fully furnished museum and tours can be arranged by appointment.

   The Bank of Italy Building – this celebrated Renaissance Revival building was built in 1926 and at 14 floors, was the tallest building between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
   St. James Park – a 6+ acre public park that encompasses the original 1848 St James Square. It is surrounded by several historic buildings, including the Corinthian Ballroom 1924, Santa Clara County Courthouse 1867, Trinity Cathedral 1863, San Jose City Hall 1889 and the old U.S. Post Office 1892.

   Plaza de Cesar Chavez – a 2-acre urban park and plaza that dates back to 1797. Situated near The Tech Interactive and San Jose Museum of Art, it is an inviting treed greenspace with flowers and fountains and holds community events and festivals.

   Japantown – one of the last three genuine Japantowns in the U.S. serving regional Japanese cuisine and offering karaoke bars, art galleries, markets, gift shops, tea houses and more.

   Guadalupe River Park and Gardens – features a 2.6-mile trailway along the Guadalupe River, the Heritage Rose Garden, public art and a playground.

   San Pedro Square Market – offers 20+ bars and eateries, daily live music and entertainment.
   San Pedro Square – right next door to San Pedro Square Market, this shopping area offers a variety of specialty shops, boutiques and eateries as well as entertainment, services and nightlife.

   More than 200 dining options await you in Downtown San Jose, ranging from quick and casual to upscale fine dining as well as a diverse selection of drinking establishments.

   Food options include:
   American – Californian – Soul Food – Asian Fusion – Chinese – Vietnamese – Korean – Thai – Japanese – Ethiopian – French – Hawaiian – Mexican – Spanish – Cuban – Latin – Mediterranean – Greek – German – Italian – Indian – Seafood – Vegetarian – Vegan.
   Drinking establishments include:
   Saloons – Bistros – Sports Bars – Brew Pubs -Cocktail Lounges – Wine Bars – Irish Pubs – British Pubs – Gastropubs – Tiki Bars – Taverns – Piano Bars.

   Nearby in the Rose Garden District:

   The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum – 1660 Park Avenue – dedicated to preserving the art, science, and spirituality of ancient Egypt, it is home to an expansive assemblage of artifacts including mummies, sarcophagi, and statues.

   Municipal Rose Garden – 1649 Naglee Avenue – a 10-acre garden featuring over 180 varieties of roses and 4,000 rose shrubs, an arbor with a fountain and a reflection pool, all surrounded by Redwood trees. Great place for a picnic!
2. Santana Row
   Santana Row is a stylish Mediterranean-style outdoor shopping, dining, and residential district located in San Jose. Built in 2002, Santana Row is known for its tree-lined, cobblestone streets and European-inspired architecture complete with fountains and outdoor seating areas is a perfect area for SmartHunts’ San Jose scavenger hunt.

   Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, this 42-acre planned upscale neighborhood features a wide variety of nearly 100 shops, restaurants, bars, lounges, art galleries and luxury hotels. It is a popular destination for locals and visitors and the perfect location for a SmartHunts San Jose scavenger hunt!

   Santana Row shopping choices include Kate Spade, Sephora, H&M, Tommy Bahama, lululemon and Crate & Barrel.

   The Westfield Valley Fair, just across Stevens Creek Blvd, boasts an additional 200+ stores including Burberry, Cartier, Chanel, Dior, Coach, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Nordstrom, Prada, Versace, Anthropologie and Bloomingdale’s, just to name a few.

   Dining options are plentiful and include:

   Vintage Wine Bar – offers a relaxed garden-like ambiance, an extensive wine and whiskey menu and serves cheese plates and sandwiches.

   The Yard House offers over 100 beers on tap and American food made from scratch.

   Asian cuisine is a popular choice in Santana Row and includes Vietnamese, Japanese, Singaporean fusion and Chinese.
   Italian, Mexican, Mediterranean, Indian and Seafood are also represented as well as the ever-popular American favorite, Pizza.

   Points of interest include:

   Winchester Mystery House – an architectural wonder just a few blocks from Santana Row. It was an eight-room farmhouse when purchased in 1886 by Sarah Winchester, the widow of the inventor of the Winchester rifle. She then renovated it for 36 years and the end result in 1922 falls heavily into the “must see” category. 7 stories, 24,000 square feet, 160 rooms, 10,000 windows, 52 skylights, 47 stairways and fireplaces, 13 bathrooms, 6 kitchens and 2,000 doors, secret passageways, staircases that lead nowhere and ghosts. It’s so cool.

   Santana Row Farmers’ Market – takes place each Wednesday from 4pm to 8pm and features local produce, artisanal foods and live music.

   CineArts Santana Row – features reclining luxury seating, state of the art projection, a full bar and screens the latest major releases as well as independent, foreign and art films.

   Santana Row Park – is located in the heart of the district and features seating areas amongst lush greenery and fountains.
3. San Jose Factoids:
   San Jose is the oldest city in California, founded in 1777.

   San Jose was the first capital of California.

   San Jose is the third-largest city in California.

   San Jose is the tenth largest city in the U.S.

   San Jose is often referred to as the “Capital of Silicon Valley”.

   San Jose is home to the largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam.

   San Jose is one of the safest U.S cities.

   40% of San Jose’s residents are immigrants and over 56 languages are spoken.

   San Jose has the highest median income in the U.S. and leads the nation in patents.

   San Jose has an average temperature of 60 degrees and 300 days of sunshine annually.

   San Jose is the birthplace of Eggo waffles, hard drives, floppy disks and The Wave.

   San Jose was inhabited by the Ohlone Indian tribe for thousands of years before being “discovered” by European explorers.

   San Jose was known as Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe in 1821 when it was a Mexican territory.

   San Jose was a supply hub for gold miners heading to the Sierra Nevadas in the 1850s.

   San Jose was a major player in the agricultural arena from the late 1800s to the early 1900s which led to a plethora of canneries and a thriving transportation industry.

   San Jose and the surrounding area became a technology and innovation hub in the mid 1900s which led to the development of Silicon Valley.

   The San Jose Earthquakes soccer stadium boasts the largest outdoor bar in the nation.