Silicon Valley/Bay Area/Northern California Attractions

Discover Downtown NASA Research Center Winchester Mystery House HP Pavilion Santa Clara University Tennis

Looking for fun things to do, exciting attractions, entertainment, and history in the Mountain View/ Silicon Valley area? Explore Silicon Valley's hottest tourist attractions, theme parks, museums, shopping and outdoor activities just minutes from our front doors. From blockbuster concerts at Shoreline Amphitheatre to pulse-pounding coasters and family shows at Paramount’s Great America, Northern California is a captivating destination chock full of amazing sights and sounds . . . all within easy reach for our guests.

Top Attractions in Silicon Valley & the Bay Area

Discover Downtown Mountain View. In the heart of Silicon Valley, 10 miles north of San Jose and 34 miles south of San Francisco, Mountain View is a vibrant, diverse city with a plethora of recreational activities, world-class arts and entertainment, wonderful restaurants and shopping, historic buildings, fun festivals and exciting attractions including the world’s largest outdoor amphitheatre - Shoreline Amphitheater - and the Center for the Performing Arts. The heartbeat of town, Downtown Mountain View offers beautiful pedestrian streetscapes, restaurants, shops, theaters, sidewalk cafes, pubs, the civic center, festivals like the Annual Art & Wine festival, a weekly farmer’s market, and concerts. Lining Castro Street, you’ll find wonderful eateries, bookstores and bars.

Shoreline Amphitheater. Experience the Bay Area’s largest outdoor concert facility, featuring state-of-the-art technical, visual, and sound systems. Shoreline Amphitheater’s featured artists are showcased in an award-winning, high-tech concert facility that delivers an amazing sonic experience. Located in Mountain View, Shoreline features craft booths, eclectic foods, diverse beverages, a friendly staff and one of the world’s largest tent structures. For a list of exciting Shoreline events, visit www.shorelineamp.com.

Paramount's Great America. At Paramount's Great America, you’ll encounter a day of excitement and family fun at Northern California's largest family theme park and entertainment attraction. Experience thrills and adventure on exciting rides and hair-raising roller coasters, enjoy live stage shows and concerts, meet Nickelodeon TV characters, see the many sights high above the park on Eagles Flight and enjoy the wet and wild water rides of Boomerang Bay. For more information, visit www.pgathrills.com.  [Top]

NASA Ames Research Center. Located at Moffett Field on 430 acres on the border of Mountain View at the southern end of San Francisco Bay, NASA Ames Research Center was founded in 1939 as an aircraft research laboratory by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and in 1958 became part of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Today, NASA Ames enhances the knowledge and skills of its NASA faculty and offers educational activities to stimulate interest in science, mathematics, and technology. NASA Ames hosts federal, civilian and military agencies on the adjoining 1,500-acre former naval air station, known as Moffett Federal Airfield. NASA's vision is to examine the content, structure, origin, and evolution of the galaxy and universe, and to understand the relationship among the Sun, Earth, and hemisphere. Visit www.arc.nasa.org.

Space Camp. Your mission is calling at Space Camp! Want to train like a real astronaut? At Space Camp, you fly on a realistic, simulated shuttle mission, even experiencing weightlessness, and a space walk. Space Camp is a fun, educational way to spends 5 days learning about the physical, mental and emotional demands that astronauts.

Moffett Field. Originally the Naval Air Station’s home base for the Navy dirigible U.S.S. Macon, Moffett Field is home to NASA Ames Research Center. Moffett Field’s two runways, three aircraft hangars, and 3.5 million square feet of facilities is a shared federal facility known as Moffett Federal Airfield. Exciting annual air shows thrill spectators with exciting aeronautics by the country’s top civilian and military aviators. NASA celebrates more than 100 years of flight at Moffett Field. Visit www.airshownetwork.com.  [Top]

Winchester Mystery House. An architectural marvel both beautiful and bizarre, Winchester Mystery House is an amazing tour or historical and paranormal intrigue. Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester rifle fortune, lived in this unfinished house for 38 years during its perpetual construction. The magnificent Victorian mansion is filled with many unexplained oddities like a staircase to the ceiling and a door that opens into a wall, as well as working elevators, 47 fireplaces, rambling roofs, exquisite parquet floors, gold and silver chandeliers, and Tiffany art glass windows. Many believe the house is haunted. Visit www.winchestermysteryhouse.com.

Intel Museum. Enter into the micro-miniature world of computer chips. Learn how they are designed, manufactured, and ultimately placed into thousands of products in our everyday lives. The Intel Museum has 3,500 square feet of hands-on exhibits that appeal to both children and adults. While designed as a self-guided experience, guided tours may also be arranged in advance for groups and tours. Visit www.intel.com/intel/intelis/museum.

Tech Museum of Innovation. San Jose’s Tech Museum is a unique technology museum that inspires the innovator in all of us. With interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, and exciting programs about modern technologies, The Tech reveals how technology affects our daily lives. The Tech’s 132,000 sq. ft. features four theme galleries packed with fascinating exhibits. Visit www.thetech.org.  [Top]

HP Pavilion. Located in downtown San Jose, this state-of-the art arena presents up to 180 events and concerts annually, including Grammy musicians, Olympic athletes, world-class shows and theater, exciting family shows and spectacles, and sports exhibitions and competitions. Cheer for the NHL’s San Jose Sharks as they heat up the ice for 41 home season games at the HP Pavilion. Enjoy upcoming concerts, boxing events, tennis tournaments, and sports competitions. Visit www.hppsj.com.

Santa Clara Convention Center. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, the Santa Clara Convention Center is one of the most high-tech, well equipped convention centers in the country. A flexible 262,000 square foot state-of-the-art meeting, trade, convention and banquet complex, the Santa Clara Convention Center complements the dynamic energy of the city of Santa Clara. Visit www.santaclara.org.

San Jose McEnery Convention Center. Framed by a 125-foot abstract tile mural, San Jose McEnery Convention Center is a state-of-the art convention, conference, trade shows and event facility with over 425,000 square feet of functional and versatile meeting space. The Center offers 143,000 square feet of prime, column-free exhibit space, an elegant 22,000 square foot ballroom, 30 meeting rooms capable of seating up to 2,400 theater-style, and banquet space for up to 5,000. The beautiful San Jose Civic Auditorium across the street is a Mission style auditorium that hosts performing arts, concerts, and sporting events.  [Top]

Santa Clara University. California's oldest institution of higher education, Santa Clara University is a private university with 4,643 undergraduate and 3,417 graduate students. Santa Clara University offers a diverse and rigorous undergraduate and graduate curriculum in the arts and sciences, business, and engineering. SCU offers nationally recognized graduate and professional schools in business, law, engineering, pastoral ministries, counseling psychology and education. For admissions, visit www.scu.edu.

San Jose International Airport (SJC). Fly into Northern California's largest city? Located 6 miles from Mountain View, Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) is the San Francisco Bay Area’s largest and busiest airport, offering easy access to Silicon Valley/Bay Area industries, companies, hotels and tourist attractions. SJC averages 384 commercial and 156 general aviation departures and landings every day, and non-stop flights to destinations around the world. For flight information and tickets, visit www.sjc.org.

Golf Courses. Hit the greens and fairways on a beautiful California afternoon. Within a few miles of our hotel, you'll find several excellent golf courses and clubs with challenging terrain and beautiful landscapes.

• Sunnyvale Municipal Golf Courses: 408-738-3666
• San Jose Municipal Golf Course - www.sjmuni.com
• Pruneridge Golf Club - 408-248-4424
• Santa Clara Golf & Tennis Club - 408-980-9515
• The Ranch Golf Club - www.theranchgc.com
• Coyote Creek Golf Club - 408-463-1400 or www.coyotecreekgolf.com
• Cinnabar Hills Golf Club - www.cinnibarhills.com
• Shoreline Golf Links-650-969-2041
• Sunken Gardens Golf Course - 408-739-6588.
• Santa Teresa Golf Club - 408-226-9598 or www.santateresagolfclub.com
• Stanford University Golf Course - www.stanfordgolfcourse.com.  [Top]

Tennis. Swing into action on the many tennis courts located within minutes of our property. Here are a few public tennis facilities nearby.

• Sunnyvale Municipal Tennis Center, Phone No. 408-732-2130
• Cuesta Tennis, Phone No. 650-967-5955  
• Santa Clara Golf & Tennis Club, Phone No. 408-980-9515

City Information

• California For Visitors - By Betsy Mallow (About.com)
• Local weather - Weather.com
• City of Mountain View
• City of San Jose - (Convention & Visitors Bureau)
• City of Santa Cruz - (Beach and Boardwalk)
• City of San Francisco

Airport/Airline Information

• San Jose International Airport
• San Francisco International Airport
• Alaska/Horizon Airlines
• American Airlines
• America West Airlines
• Continental Airlines
• Delta Airlines
• Mexicana Airlines
• Northwest Airlines
• Skywest Airlines
• Southwest Airlines
• United Airlines   [Top]