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Photo: EugeneZelenko, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Agnews Historic Park preserves three buildings from the old California Hospital for the Chronic Insane. Founded in 1889, the facility's original buildings collapsed in the "San Francisco Earthquake" of 1906, killing 117 people. The new buildings, including the still-standing auditorium, clock tower and superintendent's residence, are good examples of early twentieth century Mediterranean Revival architecture, heavily influenced by the Arts and Crafts style. The new buildings represented a more modern attitude toward the mentally ill. The smaller buildings with larger windows were designed to comfort and stimulate the mentally ill, rather than imprison them. The state of California moved the last few hundred residents out in the mid 1990s, and sold the campus to Sun Microsystems, who promised to preserve the grounds and buildings, and make the auditorium and executive mansion available for public events. Unfortunately, you cannot get inside to see the very impressive interiors of the buildings, unless you've got a Sun employee badge or are lucky enough to slip in during a meeting or public event. Neither tours nor docents seem to be available. You can visit a small shelter that has public restrooms, as well as historic photographs and information about the hospital. As of July 2020, the property is owned by Oracle, that bought Sun Microsystems.
Agnews Developmental Center was a state institution located on two campuses in the U.S. state of California; one in Santa Clara and one in San Jose. Founded in 1885 as a psychiatric facility for the mentally ill, it operated for over a century before closing in stages between 1998 and 2011. Over time, its mission expanded to include people with developmental disabilities, which became its sole focus after psychiatric programs were discontinued in 1972 following deinstitutionalization.
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Learn a bit of local and technological history, and see what it takes to enter a cleanroom. Allow 1–2 hours.
Nestled among the office buildings is one of the Bay Area's largest amusement parks. Open seasonally. Yes, from their cubicles they can hear you screaming on the roller coasters.
The museum offers a variety of rotating exhibits. Classes and special events may require a fee.
The grounds surrounding City Hall include a statue of Santa Clara, fountains, "Stroll Into the Past" plaques, other public artwork, and a set of flagpoles featuring all the flags that have flown over Santa Clara. Inside City Hall hangs a collection of historical photographs. City Hall is across the street from the Triton Museum and worth a stroll around the grounds if you are visiting the museum.
This museum occupies the historical Santa Clara railway depot building near the Santa Clara Caltrain station. It features a variety of historical railroad artifacts and elaborate model railroads at HO and N scales.