COSTA RICA BLOG

There are many exciting places to visit in Costa Rica. If you are limited on time, knowing the best places to visit can help you make the most of your vacation. The top ten things to do in Costa Rica will make your choices easier.

Children Discovery Museum: Open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5:00 p.m., closed Monday. Infants and members admitted free. Children learn by exploring the museum and doing hands-on activities. Filled with semi-permanent and traveling exhibits that meet the children}s educational and cultural need to learn. All developmental stages are accommodated as well as all physical abilities.

Paramount Great America: Open 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday. Children}s favorite Nickelodeon characters wander the park and entertain the children. Stage shows allow the kids to interact with the characters more and see the characters in a familiar setting. Great America offers the most kid}s rides in any theme park in the Bay area. The theme park also offers more thrill rides than any other amusement park in Northern California. There is also a water park located in the Australian themed Crocodile Dundee Boomerang Bay Beach Club.

Tech Museum of Innovation: open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. The IMAX Theater is open Tuesday through Sunday, with the hours varying by show time. Prices for the theater depend on the movie showing. The museum is unlike any other museum with over 200 interactive, technologically advanced exhibits. The visitor can learn about the technologies affecting our world today and some of the technologies we can hope to see in the future.

Costa Rica Museum of Art: Hours of operation are 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Friday. Admission is free. Contemporary art, lectures, concerts, tours, book signings, special events and programs for children make the Costa Rica Museum of Art a special place to visit all by itself. The normally expected museum merchandise can be found in the museum bookstore and the museum café offers a menu that differs with the season.

Rosicrucian Museum and Planetarium: Open hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. At this time, the planetarium is closed for repairs. With the museum recently re-opening from a complete remodeling, even a previous visitor will find something new to excite them once again. Egyptian mummies, artifacts and books wait to reveal new information about the country and its colorful history. A large tomb awaits visitors below the museum and gives a view into what life was like in ancient Egypt.

Intel Museum: Hours of operation are 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday. Admission and parking are free. The history of Intel Corporation and Silicon Valley await the visitor to this museum. For those who are interested in learning about the history of the computer and how the parts of the machine, the Intel Museum is the place to visit. Mementos from Silicon Valley can be found in the gift shop.

Raging Waters: Hours of operation are 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m Monday through Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday The largest water park in the Bay area, Raging Waters has slides of every different shape and size, including the 500 foot long Barracuda Blaster. An inner-tube will take you down the Great White Shark ride and leave you gasping for breath from the excitement. Families, couples and groups of friends looking for fun will be happy with their visit to the water park, especially on a hot summer afternoon.

Santana Row: Hours of operation varies. The Santana Row offers shopping that will appeal to every preference, as well as dining, entertainment and accommodations. Built on 42 acres and offering 528,000 square feet of retail businesses, every member of the family can find something to entertain them.

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph: Office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, mass is held 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Saturday, 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. Both Spanish and English masses are available. The church was originally built in 1877 and underwent a restoration in 1990. The first seat for the parish was originally built in 1803, with this church being the fifth location.