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Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A partnership between the City of San Jose and San Jose State University, the King Library opened in 2003 as the largest new library west of the Mississippi, with and 1.5 million items. No ID is needed to use materials within the library, but if you want to check them out, or use public-access computers or WiFi, you must apply for a free library card (available to residents and non-residents alike, but you need a photo ID). Special non-circulating collections on the 5th floor (with limited hours, M–Sa) include, among others: Beethoven Center, housing historical keyboard instruments and the largest collection of Beethoven materials outside Europe; Center for Steinbeck Studies, with more than 40,000 items—manuscripts, letters, films, photos, etc.— of writer John Steinbeck.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library is an 8-story public library and university library, located in downtown San Jose, California, which had its grand opening on August 16, 2003. As of 2018, it is the largest library building in the western United States built in a single construction project, with over 475,000 square feet of space on eight floors and approximately 1.6 million volumes. The King Library is a collaboration between the City of San José and San José State University: it is the main library for both San José State University and the San José Public Library system. In 2004 it was honored as Library of the Year by Library Journal and Thomson Gale, for its collaborative combination of the two functions as well as for the building. On its tenth anniversary in 2013 it was still the largest joint university-municipal library in the United States.
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Designed by architects Richard Meier & Partners, the City Hall, opened in 2005, consists of a free standing glass rotunda at the center, a council chambers wing to the south, and a separate tower to the east. Tours are available.
A downtown venue showcasing well-known comedy acts, they have a full restaurant and bar. The club is also great for group outings for 10-400 people.
A four-block pedestrian-only space, lined with shops, hotels, casual and fast-food restaurants, and the Camera 12 Cinemas. At the Market Street end, an oversized bronze table features memories and writings of Mexican immigrant, activist, and SJSU professor Ernesto Galarza.
Recognized for its contemporary collection of modern art, which highlights movements on the West Coast as well as national and international pieces. The museum started as a small civic art gallery in 1969 and has grown in step with its city.
Robert Graham's 1994 sculpture of the Mesoamerican feathered-serpent deity was criticized for its $500,000 price tag, its composite-cement construction, its unimpressive 8-foot height, its religious significance, and its resemblance to coiled excrement.
Museum of Science and Technology
A great interactive experience for all ages and backgrounds. The Tech Museum allows visitors to see how technology affects their daily lives through 130,000 square feet of hands-on activities, exploratory labs and design challenge experiences. Permanent exhibits focus on the Internet, the human body, and innovation. You'll also find an IMAX Theater, a cafe, and a retail store featuring merchandise unique to the Silicon Valley.