by Janet Grischy

Created on: July 11, 2009   Last Updated: July 12, 2009

The Tech is an orange rectangular building next to Cesar Chavez Park in downtown San Jose. The orange seems to frame a blue-violet dome that appears to be bursting out of it. The bright combination is hard to miss, at Market Street and Park Avenue. Inside are interactive exhibits about human anatomy, the internet, natural science, and innovation. There are also a caf, a museum store, hands-on science labs, and an IMAX dome theater. The mission of the Tech is not just to show visitors exciting innovations, but to inspire them to innovate.

The Life tech exhibit is designed to show how medical innovations affect everyone's lives. It demonstrates some of the newest medical technologies, and provokes questions about ethical choices. Another exhibit area, Innovation, lets children use modern techniques to design and create. The Explorations exhibit engages users in the wonders of physical science. Space, seismology, and marine environments are some of the areas covered.

The Hackworth IMAX Dome is astounding. The images are huge and crystal sharp. The sound is lifelike and vivid. This is a truly immersive experience. The theater presents a rotating schedule of exciting, engaging, and incidentally educational films. It's a great family experience.

Some people don't like the museum itself as much as they like the IMAX. The museum can seem small and dark, and to some cutting-edge types, the exhibits can seem dated. The place is often full of children, which seems to surprise some folks. On the other hand, where else can your child design a roller coaster and then take a virtual ride on it, or make her own web page? Plenty of people love the Tech.

It is open every day except Christmas from 10 AM to 5 PM. Admission is $10, which includes one admission to the IMAX Theater. It is possible to see more than one IMAX film during a visit, but additional movies are $5 each. Educators (including home-schoolers) can get free admission to the Tech in some circumstances. Schoolchildren on field trips are also free. Parking is about three blocks away, at Second and San Carlos, or in the Convention Center garage. It is not free, but there is a discount with validation from the Tech. To use the light rail to get to the Tech, get off at the Convention Center stop and walk one-half block towards downtown. Turn left and go one block up Market. The mango and sky colored building on the corner is easy to see.

This is a great place to take kids, especially considering the IMAX. There is a cafe on site, or you can picnic in Cesar Chavez Park, which has a cute fountain. The Children's Discovery Museum is close by too, though you may want to save that experience for your next trip downtown. San Jose prides itself on being a center for technological progress, and this museum is a fascinating guide to the process and products of innovation.

Learn more about this author, Janet Grischy.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.