A 30-foot play structure with enclosed slides plus a rock-formation splash pad that switches on whenever it hits 70 degrees, next to Cottonwood Lake (fishing) and the Coyote Creek trail. Permanent restrooms; $6 county parking.
San Jose's first all-inclusive play space: a $6M Rotary-built playground where kids with and without disabilities use the same structures, expanded in 2023 with more shade and play pieces. Free, right on the Guadalupe River trail.
Two playgrounds by the lake, including the new all-inclusive 'Playground of Possibilities,' plus bocce, a seasonal snack bar, and permanent restrooms on both sides of the park. The lake loop is stroller-friendly.
California's oldest municipal park (1872): 720 rugged canyon acres with a small mid-canyon playground, creekside picnic lawns, and real hiking.
A working city farm in San Jose: barns with goats, chickens and rabbits, an orchard to walk, and no entry charge.
A 14-acre village of 30+ historic and replica buildings (print shop, schoolhouse, ice cream parlor, candy store) with free weekend trolley rides. Admission is free.
Tall tube slides, a rock climbing wall, monkey bars and ropes for energetic kids, with a separate 2 to 5 area for the younger ones.
Six acres of koi ponds, bridges, and waterfalls inside Kelley Park, patterned after Okayama's Korakuen Garden. Free to enter, next to Happy Hollow.
A free, flat, five-acre rose garden with thousands of bushes, best April through June. Flat paved paths make it stroller-easy.
A free museum in the Casa Grande mansion telling the story of the mercury mines, with period rooms kids can wander and mine trails in the surrounding county park.
