Children's Discovery Museum, San Jose

Children's Discovery Museum has two floors' worth of exhibits and activities, including a history of bubbles, face painting and all sorts of things to keep children busy and thinking. The museum is a giant, structure straddling the Guadalupe River Park, so picnics are a common for visitors. It is right on the light rail station, which makes public transportation a snap. The museum offers facilities for birthday parties and special events for small gatherings of 10 or large groups of 1,000.