10 Things To Do At Night In San Jose, California

things to do in San Jose at night
Maria Cristina
Maria Cristina 
Updated
| 5 min read

When Dionne Warwick recorded the iconic song “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” she hadn’t been to this city. After the song became popular, she visited San Jose, California in the 1960s when it was filled with farms and orchards. Nowadays, this Silicon Valley capital is well-visited for its world-class shopping malls, active nightlife, and numerous dining selections from the usual American favorites to Indian restaurants. You can also enjoy outdoor activities and spectacular landscapes that include the wineries, vineyards, and hiking trails. Though San Jose residents are very active during the day, they have several nocturnal activities that start at sundown. Below is our list of things to do at night in San Jose, California. Once you’ve read our list, like Dionne, you’d want to come back to this lively city.

1. Watch a movie at West Wind Capitol Drive-In

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Friday #FunFact - Tickets are first-come first-served. To get the BEST spot and AVOID the line - get here up to 2 hours before showtime - when gates open!

Posted by West Wind Drive-In and Public Market on Friday, August 14, 2020

Watching movies is one of the best ways to bond with your family and loved ones. In San Jose, they watch movies in style and in their cars. “Rain or shine, the show must go on!” is the slogan of West Wind Capitol Drive-in and Public Market. This historic drive-in theatre that first opened in 1933 continues to serve the community with great entertainment at very reasonable prices.

West Wind Capitol Drive-In

Address: 3630 Hillcap Ave, San Jose, CA 95136, USA

Website: West Wind Capitol Drive-In

Opening hours: 6:45pm - 11:45pm

Price: 8 USD

Visited this place?

2. Join San Jose Bike Party

Coleman Street & Taylor
Source: Photo by Flickr user Richard Masoner /... used under CC BY-SA 2.0

If you’re going solo, this bike party allows you to meet with a huge group of biking enthusiasts every third Friday of the month at a designated time and place which serves as your start off point. The party is open to all ages, skill levels, and bike styles and together you ride through the city while meeting new people, traversing all sorts of streets, getting a good exercise, and learning new biking skills. The organizers are volunteers who think of a different theme each month to spice up the party. Donations to the organization are shared with their allies like urban planners and environmentalists.

Looking for more activities you can enjoy by yourself? Check out these best things to do alone in San Jose.

San Jose Bike Party

Website: San Jose Bike Party

Opening hours: 8 PM (every third Friday)

Price: any amount is accepted as a donation

Visited this place?

3. Enjoy bowling at Bowlero San José

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Bowlero is not your run-of-the-mill bowling alley with their state-of-the-art bowling lanes and various arcade games. There’s a lounge where you can chill, sample their popular menu offerings or play billiards and a sports bar where you can drink while watching sporting events on wide-screen TVs. Their resident team of event organizers can help you plan a bowling party for any occasion with your loved ones or a corporate event or teambuilding activity with your colleagues according to your preferences. There’s an area for bump cars ideal for the young and young-at-heart to drive around.

Bowlero San José

Address: 5420 Thornwood Dr, San Jose, CA 95123, USA

Website: Bowlero San José

Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 4pm - 12am; Fri: 2pm - 2am; Sat: 11am - 2am; Sun: 11am - 12am

Price: 4 USD

Visited this place?

4. Enjoy roller skating at Aloha Roller Rink

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Posted by Aloha Fun Center on Monday, June 15, 2015

Yes, there’s plenty of kid-friendly activities in and around the city but for a quick fun, try the Aloha Roller Rink. It is found in its new home in the Eastridge Mall. It’s a massive concrete skating rink where you can rent roller blades and quad skates starting from skate sizes of toddler 7 to men’s size 16. You don’t need experience or skill to skate for they offer skating lessons for beginners. Come in and watch for 2 USD. You can arrange for an exclusive skating party for any occasion and for corporate events as well.

Aloha Roller Rink

Address: 2190 Eastridge Loop, San Jose, CA 95122, USA

Website: Aloha Roller Rink

Opening hours: Mon: 7pm - 10pm; Tue - Thu: 6pm - 10pm; Fri: 1pm - 12am; Sat: 11am - 12am; Sun: 9pm - 10pm

Price: 2-13 USD

Visited this place?

5. Enjoy live music at Café Stritch

Editor’s note: Establishment is permanently closed.

In the mood for music? Then drop by one of San Jose’s liveliest hot spots where the good vibes, great food, handcrafted beer, and great music is overflowing. The crowd is warm and diverse drawn to the wide selection of music played live every night until the wee hours of the morning. They accept reservations for private parties.

Café Stritch

Address: 374 S 1st ST. San Jose, CA 95113

Website: Café Stritch

Opening hours: Wed - Sat: 5pm - 2am; Sun: 5pm - 12am (closed on Mon & Tue)

Price: 11-30 USD

Visited this place?

6. Dance the night away at the Avery Lounge

Editor’s note: Establishment is permanently closed.

There’s plenty of fun things to do in the downtown area and it surely doesn’t end at sundown. Drink, dance, and dine will be your mantra at Avery Lounge tonight. With DJs like Remedy and Goldenchyld playing on the decks, you can’t help but get up and dance to the beat. Welcome to one of the trendiest nightclubs in downtown San Jose where you’d like to see-and-be-seen. Get VIP treatment when you reserve a table or bottle service for your posse.

Avery Lounge

Address: 399 S 1st St, San Jose, CA 95113, USA

Website: Avery Lounge

Opening hours: Thu - Sat: 10pm - 1:30am (closed Mon - Wed)

Visited this place?

7. Drink a beer at Five Points Bar

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

The bar's open With over 300 spirits and liqueurs to choose from, Five Points has a drink for everyone! Whether it's...

Posted by Five Points on Tuesday, February 15, 2022

This bar is the favourite hangout place in San Jose where handcrafted beer, cocktail drinks, and bar chow is at its finest. It is inspired by the iconic melting pot originally from New York serving America for over 70 years. Here traditional speakeasy interiors and cultures mix and meet in the walls of their saloon. The bar caters to all sizes of events and parties and offers mixology classes, after-work drinks, dinner pairings, or spirit tastings. Need a “one for the road” with your friends? Then meet up with them at Five Points Bar.

Five Points Bar

Address: 169 W Santa Clara St, San Jose, CA 95113, USA

Website: Five Points Bar

Opening hours: Thu - Sat: 4pm - 1:30am; Sun: 6pm - 12am; Mon: 5pm - 12am; Tue: 5pm - 1am; Wed: 5pm - 1:30am

Price: 6-20 USD

Visited this place?

8. Sip coffee at Caffe Frascati

Editor’s note: Establishment is permanently closed.

Have a taste of Italy in San Jose whenever you sip Caffe Frascati’s cappuccino or have a bite of their panini. You’ll be entertained all night with live music way beyond Happy Hour with your friends. The iconic Italian Piaggio Ape, the 60-year old utility van custom fitted with high-tech espresso machines, is imported by the café so you can drink the best cappuccino produced on a vehicle with three wheels! Book them for your next event or party to give the occasion a unique Italian touch.

Caffe Frascati

Address: 315 S 1st St, San Jose, CA 95113, USA

Website: Caffe Frascati

Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 7am - 10pm; Fri: 7am - 12am; Sat: 8am - 12am; Sun: 8am - 7pm

Price: 30 USD

Visited this place?

9. Experience a musical night at The Ritz

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Posted by The Ritz on Saturday, March 14, 2020

Be among the glitterati as you enjoy the night in one of the best nightclubs, event spaces, and music venues in downtown San Jose. Right in SoFA District, it serves the best beer and liquor selections in their two top-drawer bars while you dance to music played by world-class bands and artists with the latest high-tech DJ sound system. It’s the perfect place for art shows, movie screenings, private events, and corporate parties.

The Ritz

Address: 400 S 1st St, San Jose, CA 95113, USA

Website: The Ritz

Opening hours: Tue - Sat: 8pm - 2am

Visited this place?

10. Catch a performance at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts

San Jose Center for Performing Arts
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user JaGa used under CC BY-SA 3.0

The Center for the Performing Arts is in San Jose downtown area walking distance to the City National Civic, California Theatre, and Montgomery Theater. These theatres are operated, maintained, managed, and marketed by San Jose Theaters. The huge theatre features 2,608 seats in continental-style seating without a centre aisle, a vast stage, two chorus rooms, several dressing rooms, a rehearsal area, and a VIP lounge. The venue is ideal for press conferences, meet-and-greet events, and cocktail parties.

San Jose Center for the Performing Arts

Address: 255 S Almaden Blvd, San Jose, CA 95113, USA

Website: San Jose Center for the Performing Arts

Visited this place?

San Jose at night

SAN JOSE CALIFORNIA PALM TREE 2010
Source: Photo by user Michael used under CC BY 2.0

San Jose comes to life at night with the several nocturnal activities that the city offers. These activities are so unique that you’ll only find them in this city. Speaking of unique, you can also time your visit right and check out the popular festivals that happen on different months every year. It’s a must try so that your visit will be unforgettable.

Visited this place?
Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

History


Get Trip101 in your inbox

Unsubscribe in one click. See our Privacy Policy for more information on how we use your data

Tina is a free-spirited writer and traveler. She likes to experience unfamiliar places, cuisines, and scenery. She prefers beaches to mountains though as she is afraid of heights. Visiting museums,...Read more

 Want to contribute as a Local Expert?
Explore San Jose
Looking for accommodation?
x
Good things are meant to be shared!
Back to top
Visited any of these places? Click this button to activate our "Add a Tip" feature to share your experience.