history san jose

yesterday, jane had a new game for her Nintendo DS that she was interested in playing, and I had a book that I was interested in finishing- and we had just finished lunch, and we were looking for a quiet, cool spot to have some reading and game time- we were near downtown and I suggested the history park. we went to the candy shop, ordered some ice cream, and were two happy introverts for quiet awhile.

I love the history park. I love local history. Most towns have a museum, San Jose has a neighborhood. They have taken old buildings from days past, and have brought them to Kelly Park and made a neighborhood out of them. When you step into the park its like going back in time. here are some of the parts that we really love:

of course- the candy shop: (these photos were taken a year or so ago)

the candy shop is a part of a bigger building that houses the bookstore, museum, and offices-











we're also big fans of the trolley- which you can ride around the park- there is also a trolley shop that houses lots of old restored trolleys



this is a super-cool spot: a fully restored one-room school house- its rarely open, but when it was, we made sure to check it out!

this park has lots of gardens and houses in it- and each one is its own little museum that is dedicated to an aspect of san jose's past- each one is restored just like it was in the old days. this place is almost never crowded, and its almost always free- its a good spot for a quiet day with the kiddos. they also have parties for veterans and holidays- and this is fun, because a lot of visitors dress up in old uniforms and costumes. you can check out their site here. its cute. and the ice cream is ALWAYS good.

being a dad is fun.
-rob