About Santa Clara

  Santa Clara is located in the San Francisco Bay Area in the Silcon Valley.  There are many things to do in Santa Clara and it is also a quick trip to San Francisco. Plan on coming early or staying after the conference to experince this wonderful area.  Here are some of the many attractions.

Museums and attractions


The Winchester Mystery House
525 South Winchester Boulevard
San Jose, CA 95128
(408) 247-2101
www.winchestermysteryhouse.com

Tour through 110 of the 160 rooms in this unique house built by Sarah Winchester and look for the bizarre phenomena that gave the mansion its name: a window built into the floor, staircases leading to nowhere, a chimney that rises four floors, doors that open to blank walls, and upside-down posts. A visit to the Winchester Mystery House is not complete until you have strolled through the beautiful Victorian gardens that surround it.

The Tech Museum of Innovation
201 South Market Street
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 294-TECH
www.thetech.org
The Tech Museum is singularly focused on inspiring the innovator in everyone it reaches. Hands-on and interactive exhibits, the Hackworth IMAX Dome Theatre and numerous themed galleries offer guests a truly memorable experience.

Intel Museum
Intel Corporation's Robert Noyce Building, Main Lobby
2200 Mission College Boulevard
Santa Clara, California 95052
(408) 765-0503
www.intel.com/museum
An interactive museum which introduces visitors to the micro-miniature world of computer chips. Open Monday through Saturday.

Roaring Camp Railroads
P.O. Box G-1
Felton, CA 95018
(831) 335-4484
www.roaringcamp.com
Roaring Camp's steam engines date from 1890 and are among the oldest and most authentically preserved narrow-gauge steam engines providing regularly scheduled passenger service in America. Travel over trestles, through towering redwood groves and up a winding narrow-gauge grade to the summit of Bear Mountain as conductors narrate the history of Roaring Camp, the railroad and the forest on this one-hour roundtrip.

Triton Museum of Art
1505 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, California 95050
(408) 247-3754
www.tritonmuseum.org
Since 1965, the museum has exhibited contemporary and historical works of art by artists of the Greater Bay Area, and continues to provide innovative educational programming.

The de Saisset Museum at Santa Clara University
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara CA 95053
(408) 554-4528
www.scu.edu/deSaisset
The de Saisset Museum at Santa Clara University exists to collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret objects of art and history for the educational and cultural enrichment of all people. Visit the museum's Web site for a list of current exhibits.

The Berryessa Adobe
373 Jefferson Street
Santa Clara, CA
(408) 615-2488
www.ci.santa-clara.ca.us/events/berryessa_adobe.html
Tour this simple adobe house built in the 1840s, when Silicon Valley was "The Valley of Heart's Delight," a cornucopia of fruit and nut orchards. This house is one of the last remaining adobes in the Santa Clara Valley,  and exhibits the changes in the structure over time while telling the stories of the families who inhabited it.

Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose
180 Woz Way
San Jose, CA 95110
(408) 298-5437
www.cdm.org
Visit the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose, where you can expect to test, crank, listen, prod and tinker. One of the largest museums of its kind in the nation, the museum's 150 interactive exhibits lead visitors to explore, understand and enjoy the world in which they live.

Theatre Works
P.O. Box 50458
Palo Alto, CA 94303
(650) 463-1960
www.theatreworks.org
Voted "the best repertory theatre in the Bay Area" by San Francisco magazine, the theatre encompasses staged readings, workshops, special events and main stage world premieres. Visit its Web site for upcoming season information.

Alcatraz Island
The Blue and Gold Fleet
PIER 41 Marine Terminal
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 705-5555
www.blueandgoldfleet.com
The Blue & Gold Fleet offers three unique ways to experience Alcatraz:
Alcatraz Day Tour -- Tour the infamous and notorious former federal prison
Alcatraz Evening Tour -- Includes special tour, programs and activities not offered during the day
Island Hop Tour - A 5 1/2 hour combination tour of Alcatraz and Angel Island


Day trips to San Francisco

Chinatown
The entrance to Chinatown at Grant Avenue and Bush Street is called the "Dragon's Gate." Inside are 24 blocks of hustle and bustle, most of it taking place along Grant Avenue, the oldest street in San Francisco.This city within a city is best explored on foot; exotic shops, renowned restaurants, food markets, temples and small museums comprise its boundaries.

North Beach/Little Italy
North Beach, rich in Italian heritage compresses cabarets, jazz clubs, galleries, inns, family style restaurants and gelato parlors into less than a square mile. Bakeries and delicatessens serve up traditional Italian delicacies and is the perfect spot for cappuccino and espresso. NorthBeachis transformed into one of San Francisco's most electric playgrounds by night; live music and dancing keep the streets swinging.

Fisherman's Wharf
Most of San Francisco's visitors include Fisherman's Wharf on their itinerary. Waterfront marketplaces include The Anchorage, The Cannery, Ghiradelli Square and PIER 39. The Wharf's working hub, "Fish Alley," sells thousands of tons of sole, shrimp, salmon, sea bass, squid and other deep sea delicacies annually. Stroll along the wharf as you take in the sights and sounds of San Francisco's  waterfront neighborhood.


Shopping opportunities

Union Square
Union Square is one of the most popular visitor shopping destinations in San Francisco, offering the convenience of mall shopping in a historic open air setting. This 32-block area is home to some of the city's finest retail space and luxury shopping, and also boasts many great restaurants, live theatre, and a wonderful concentration of fine art galleries, luxurious salons and day spas.

Santana Row
355 Santana Row, Suite 2000
San Jose, CA 95128
(408) 551-4611
Much more than a collection of stores, Santana Row is a vibrant community of luxurious apartments, distinctive condominiums, exciting shops, pampering spas and a full-service hotel. Dining options range from casual outdoor cafes to sophisticated international cuisines.

Stanford Shopping Center
680 Stanford Shopping Center
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1400
One of the nation's most successful shopping centers has an award-winning landscape design that surrounds the stores and restaurants. The open-air retail center is anchored by five department stores and over 100 specialty shops, and is located just 20 minutes north of Santa Clara in Palo Alto. 

Great Mall of the Bay Area
477 Great Mall Drive
Milpitas, CA 95035-8041
(408) 956-2033
Northern California's largest outlet mall, the Great Mall has over 185 outlets, off-price and specialty stores all under one roof, along with numerous restaurants and two entertainment centers. It's located at the intersection of Montague Expressway, Great Mall Parkway and Main Street in  Milpitas.

Gilroy Premium Outlets
681 Leavesley Road
Gilroy, CA 95020
(408) 842-3729
Located south of Santa Clara in Gilroy, this outlet center features 145 stores and an impressive selection of leading styles and brands available at factory-direct savings of 25% to 65% off everyday.

Ghirardelli Square
900 North Point St.
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 775-5500
Although its oldest building - the Woolen Mill - dates back to 1864, Ghirardelli Square is most famous for its years as a chocolate factory from 1893 until the 1960s. In 1964, Ghirardelli Squarebecame the country's first manufacturing complex renovated into a festival marketplace. In addition to fabulous views of the bay, landscaped gardens and a self-guided historic walking tour, it boasts more than 50 shops and award-winning restaurants.

Wineries

Byington
21850 Bear Creek Road
Los Gatos, CA 95033-9438
(408) 354-1111
www.byington.com
The Byington Vineyard & Winery, nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, provides a perfect setting for sipping wines. Byington specializes in the creation of chardonnay and red Bordeaux-style wines.

Cinnabar
23000 Congress Springs Rd.
Saratoga, CA 95070
(408) 741-5858
www.cinnabar.org
Situated between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, Cinnabar's vineyards overlook Silcon Valley from the east rim of the Santa Cruz Mountains.Cinnabar produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as well as Merlot, Monterey Chardonnay and Mercury Rising, a proprietary blend made in a Bordeaux style.

The Mountain Winery
14831 Pierce Road
Saratoga, CA 95070
(408) 741-2822
www.mountainwinery.com
This spectacular property was originally purchased and planted in 1901 by Paul Masson, one of the forefathers of the Californiawine industry. Today, The Mountain Winery proudly presents the Reserve and California Series wines, and features an incomparable setting with impressive vistas, landscaped gardens and redwood groves.

Thomas Fogarty Winery
19501 Skyline Blvd.
Woodside, CA 94062
(650) 851-6777
www.fogartywinery.com
The Thomas Fogarty Winery and Vineyard is one of the San Francisco Pennisula's  most respected wineries. Twenty-five acres of Burgundian-style varietals are planted on the 325 acre estate. The mountaintop setting also boasts sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay Area.

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Getting Around

VTA Light Rail

VTA station located at the Santa Clara Convention Center on Tasman Drive near the Great America Parkway. Riders can purchase tickets from machines located at light rail stations. Service is offered 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Light rail vehicles run every 10 to 15 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays, and every 15 to 30 minutes on evenings, Sundays and holidays. For a map, rates and additional information, visit www.vta.org.


For more area information

Silicon Valley Tour Guide Association
www.svtourguides.com

Silicon Valley Tour Guide Association
P.O. Box 6605
San Jose, CA 95150
Santa Clara Visitor's Guide
San Jose Visitor's Guide

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