Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

If you’re even remotely interested in ancient Egypt, the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum is a hidden gem you shouldn’t miss. Tucked away in a serene part of San Jose, the museum offers one of the largest collections of authentic Egyptian artifacts on display in Western North America - from mummies and sarcophagi to everyday tools and religious relics. The standout feature? A walk-through replica of an ancient tomb that gives you a real sense of how the ancients honored their dead. The layout is thoughtful, the signage is educational without being overwhelming, and the architecture of the building itself, inspired by ancient Egyptian design, adds to the immersive feel. It’s not a huge museum, but that’s part of the charm. You can easily explore everything in 1.5 to 2 hours, making it perfect for a half-day visit. There’s also a peaceful garden outside that’s worth a quiet stroll. Tips: • Visit during weekdays to avoid school groups. • Great for families, history lovers, and photographers. • The gift shop has some surprisingly cool finds. Overall, it’s a quirky, well-curated museum with genuine passion behind it. A great way to time travel without leaving Silicon Valley.

This was a fun and inexpensive exhibit. I would say a must-see! I have been to a few, and I learned a bunch at this one. The alchemy area and the replica tomb area were super unique and neat. Kids and adults alike would love this. Unless I missed it, it didn't look like there was a gift shop! I would have supported this place if there was anything, my only recommendation

Free parking is around the back, they have free tours and sometimes workshops. They have a passport you can buy for $1 where you go around and collect stamps. No gift shop though- we wish they had one. The gardens are beautiful with a labyrinth! Full days worth if you actually read all the information in the museum.

We had a long layover in San Jose California. We wanted to get out of the airport for a bit. This place was really close to the Airport so we decided to give it a try. It was really neat to see all of the relics from the past. They have a good selection. We enjoyed it. My youngest was really impressed. We are glad that we stepped away from the airport to experience this.

I really enjoyed this museum. Many interesting exhibits and the outdoor area was really beautiful to walk around. Fyi: the planetarium is closed due to renovations

We got up early on our way to Gilroy Gardens from Temecula, so that we could visit the museum. It's been a staple favorite for a long time! Amazing artifacts treated with the utmost respect. Beautiful grounds and ambiance. I feel they could inject so much life and funds into the place by hosting more events that align with their principles. Having local artists come in and create art based on the grounds and artifacts, having merchandise for sale, Egyptian, Esoteric and Rosicrucian would bring more revenue into the place and provide much needed funds for restoration of the almost 100 year old grounds. So much potential for community and beauty in this space made so beautiful by the combination of grounds and buildings. If available I'd be bringing home pieces to remind me of one of my most favorite museums in the country!

The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum is an absolute hidden gem in San Jose! If you have any interest in ancient Egypt, history, or archaeology, this place is a must-visit. The museum is packed with incredible artifacts, including mummies, statues, and beautifully preserved relics from different periods of Egyptian history. One of the standout experiences is the tomb tour, which is free and gives you a feel for what it was like to explore an actual Egyptian burial site. Beyond the museum, the outdoor gardens are a peaceful retreat, featuring stunning Egyptian-inspired architecture and symbolic design elements. It’s the perfect place to reflect after exploring inside. Overall, this museum is informative, well-curated, and truly unique. Whether you’re a history buff, a student, or just looking for a fascinating way to spend an afternoon, this place won’t disappoint! Pro Tip: Be sure to take the tomb tour!

Really wish I didn’t have to witness this, but here I am taking the time to whomever is in charge; to better the atmosphere of the museum meaning the outside could really use some landscaping cleaning. Also I don’t know if the water is supposed to be green(moss) correct me if I’m wrong. But a lot more can be done knowing what’s inside the museum and how it got to be; where it currently belongs to. This picture was taken June 8th 2025. I encourage charity/donation time given to this place. Because someone has to be held accountable because time is endless. By the way wonderful experience inside the museum.

Buried with a donkey (Funky Tut) He's my favorite honky! Born in Arizona, Moved to Babylonia (King Tut) - King Tut, Steve Martin The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum is located in duh Rosicrucian Park in the Rose Garden district of San Jose, California. The museum is dedicated to artifacts and history of Ancient Egypt. It is a fun visit and the adjacent park is nice as well. While it is not as vast as say the British Museum, it has quite a bit of interesting mummies, hieroglyphs and other aspect of ancient Egyptian life and you can easily spend 3-4 hours here. It perhaps is not enough for a full day but is a nice excursion. There are services here and in the park and plenty of parking is available. Be warned whoever that during the week it is a popular school field trip location and can be over run at times

Visited with a friend from out of town who wanted to show her daughter this place since she loved it back in the day. I decided to join since my own daughter had never been here, and I thought it would be a fun experience. Admission is $10 for kids and $15 for adults, which is reasonable. My daughter, who's a teen, seemed to enjoy it more than I expected. Parking is behind the museum in a free lot, which is really convenient. We took a guided tour of one of the replica tombs, and it was very interesting with lots of cool information. Overall, not a bad place to visit at least once. Plus, there are nice areas outside the museum to walk around and explore.

If you're even slightly into ancient history or Egyptian culture, the **Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum** is a **must-see**. It's incredibly **informative**, with **tons of background and context** that really help you appreciate what you're looking at--not just artifacts, but the stories behind them. The **exhibits are very well maintained**, and the attention to detail throughout the museum is impressive. It's immersive without feeling overwhelming, and there's a great mix of original pieces and educational displays. Located in a quiet **San Jose neighborhood**, it's surprisingly easy to get to--and **parking is super easy**, which is always a nice bonus. Plus, the surrounding grounds and architecture give the whole visit a peaceful, almost mystical vibe. It's a **unique and thoughtful museum** that's perfect for anyone looking to explore something different, right in the heart of the South Bay.

A pleasant date spot. It was $15 for adults and they offer discounts for students. There was no map to hold only maps on the desk. The tomb walk said guided but you go yourself. was nice but short! We were amazed by everything and made for a pleasant Sunday afternoon.

We had so much fun! It was affordable and the museum was very well curated. It is located in such a beautiful neighborhood and within the area are lush gardens with lots of seating and a library. My son enjoyed the tomb walk through. It was so cool!

Mysterious Egyptian museum, the largest on the West Coast and the only Egyptian museum on the planet designed in an Egyptian/revival style of architecture. We came before kids a long time ago and when we were deciding to come again recently we asked the kids if they would be scared of mummies. When they said no we immediately bought tickets online. The museum is funded by the Rosicrucians, the same organization who created the Georgia Guidestines before someone blew them up :( They have many ancient Egyptian artifacts and it's worth the trip if you love this kind of history. They do tours of a mockup tomb at scheduled time that's very well done, you'll feel like an archaeologist. Their signature mummy collection is large and you'll see parts of skin and bone, my favorite mummies were probably the mummified animals. When we went the special exhibit upstairs was on Alchemy and I loved the recreation of the Alchemist lab as well as some of the books and manuscripts they had on display. Around the grounds and inside the museum you'll feel like there is another hidden layer. Mysterious and seemingly out of place statues, artifacts, and carved quotes abound for those willing to explore.

This museum was a nice little side adventure. They have an Egyptian tomb recreation. The tour is included with your admission. The girl was knowledgeable and nice. It took us about 90 minutes to see everything. It could take longer if you like to stop and read everything. There is a mummy with the story of its recovery. It's more of an educational museum than a rare antiquities collection. Staff was friendly and professional. Premises was clean and well maintained. I don't feel the need to go back but I would recommend a visit.

This notable and quaint museum is a great option for those with small children or elementary students, or those that are not super into museums. This place is NOT to be compared with other well known museums. I would describe it as a fairyland children's park as opposed to a major thrill seeking theme park. There is a wide variety of Egyptian artifacts and cast models. They also have a cast model of a tomb which is by guided tour every 1/2 hr. The museum experience can take 2-3 hrs depending on how much one reads and does the interactive activities here at the museum. Parking: on street, Location is across from a middle school Entrance fee: $10 adult The staff was friendly, very helpful and fun tour guides for the tomb experience. Overall recommendation: perfect place for 1/2 day activity or children's educational museum. 3.5 stars

The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose is a great weekend destination, featuring an incredible collection of artifacts. The exhibit includes some replicas from the British Museum (Sekhmet statue), and artifacts mostly from the New Kingdom and Ptolemaic period. I really liked the Alchemy section with Thoth, an AI-driven humanoid robot that answers questions. Another highlight is the life-size tomb replica, meticulously built based on the founders' photos and visits to Egypt. This three-story-high tomb can be toured on your own, with other visitors, or with a guided tour. The serene outdoor garden features a tranquil fountain, perfect for a mini meditation in the middle of San Jose.

This is a very well laid out and interesting museum. They have a unique collection of Egyptian artifacts and it's laid out in a way where things of various functionality go together - like here's the section on family life, here's information about the tax system, etc. The tomb on the lower level is pretty interesting and it really feels like you are going under the earth to see a tomb. I didn't do the audio tour that is available from a phone app. I also didn't walk around the gardens but they said they have six acres of gardens. It's only $10 to get in and there is plenty of street parking and they have a lot nearby. It was easy enough to get a ticket online ahead of time. When I went on a Saturday, there were a good number of people there. I think this would be fun for kids. I also saw that you could rent the area out for children's birthday parties which would be fun.

This is surprisingly a well informative and fun museum. It is a well informed museum of the culture of ancient Egypt among other cultures related to mummifications or other countries inspired by Egypt. They even have a replicated Egyptian tomb you can walk through. I was a little surprised that there was one little section dedicated to Rosicrucianism religion, which I had no idea was a religion until going here. The reason Rosicrucianism is involved is because the museum was founded by Harvey Spencer Lewis who was a Rosicrucian who was interested in Egyptology. There's even a beautiful garden surrounding the outer area of the museum. Highly recommended.

Good parking, excellent collection, helpful staff, reasonable entrance fee, what's not to like? We've visited many times over the years, and the kids still love this place. The garden and labyrinth is a nice little sanctuary in the city, and the museum collection is more extensive than you would think. If you're in the area and are curious, stop in and check them out!

Me and my babe came to see real Egyptian mummies. This place was awesome has so many artifacts, and very detailed to what we were looking at. We enjoyed the layers and layers of tears and tears of ancient memorabilia. It was a wonderful walk we really enjoyed it They even have an audio for people who want to learn more. It's only 10$ to get in which is wow factor super cheap. We also walked through their peace garden very lovely. A lot of Egyptian culture added on the walls and floors we saw everything we wanted to what made us come here was us wanting to get out and see some ancient things so hubby decided to come here which I'm really glad he did.

The smell of the museum was the first thing I noticed but it's a good rainy day activity with a lot of information. Something to note is that many of the larger pieces if not all of them are casts and not the actual thing. However there are some real mummies which is definitely worth it. The gardens are small but nice as well.

I had a great time here. It seems like they have free workshops with employees in the garden area. They also have many artifacts in display, and many replicas as well. They also had a responding robot that entertained the kids for almost an hour. The detail and attention given to thi place was phenomenal. Definitely recommend!

Friendly staff, real Egyptian artifacts. Nice and quiet, miss the gift shop they used to have.

Definitely a must to check out when visiting the Bay Area. It wasn't super big but it was an interesting museum. I recommend.

I made the decision to start going to musuems at least once a month to embrace human history. Rosicrucian Museum was my first escapade, and I rate it 5 stars, Size wize, its around medium length with a good amount of room to navigate. Students or any particiular occupational visitor has a discount but general visitors are held at 10$ entrance fees. So this joint has a large number of duplicates/replicates of original Egyptian Artifacts. Personally I don't have an issue with it as none of them gave off the feeling of a cheap DUP or copy whatsoever. Besides the Artifacts themselves, this Musuem did an excellent job describing each sculpture in short yet compressed summaries. I didn't find myself trailing off, if anything I was impressed there was a general summary next to the list of item descriptions to at least explain the concept behind them. For example: Linen was considered a valuable currency amongst the Egyptian citizens and was often used to barter for goods as this material contributed to mummification. They should of constructed some kind of store for the merchandise, i would of been open to getting a few things due to the impressive construction of this place. I recommend this place to anyone who just wants to get into a refreshing change of environment.

If you're lucky enough to be in the area in May, this museum is very close to the Municipal Rose Garden. To make it worth your while, visit both while the roses are in full bloom. Regarding the Egyptian museum, there are areas of interest both inside and out. Walk the exterior and you'll notice nice architecture with fountains, gardens, and statues along the way. Great opportunities for pictures. If you haven't paid to enter the museum, it's worth visiting once. There are many art displays inside (several floors), a spooky labyrinth-like crypt your kids may enjoy walking through, and a chance to learn of Egyptian history and culture.

I give it a 4.2 An Egyptian museum, let alone in San Jose? Why not go? Surrounding the museum is the labyrinth and the garden all within Rosicrucian Park. I went there about an half hour before the museum opened and it was very calm and quiet to explore. The museum itself is full of ancient Egyptian artifacts, jewelries, and tools. I felt most of the artifacts on display were mostly replicas of the real thing, and any of the "real thing" would be in display cases, but nonetheless still interesting and fun to see. I was told the museum was geared towards children and hence the weekend only operating hours, but the descriptions provided were simple enough for me provide a wonderful history lesson and not to mention, refresh my brain a bit. I also did not realize how extensive the collection were. There was so many information about ancient Egypt and ancient Egyptian lives so fascinating from home life to hieroglyphics to government. While not exclusive to ancient Egypt, the museum also have some artifacts from Mesopotamia (Sumerian, Assyrian, Babylonian) and alchemy. While I did not do a tour, that option is available if you want to learn more about the gardens, cats, etc. If you have at least 2 hours or more, definitely do check out the museum. Admission was super reasonable. $10 for adults. If you have your student ID, it is only $8. Credit cards are accepted only. Interesting facts I learned about cats in ancient Egypt: 1. The hieroglyphic (word) for cat is pronounced "meow". 2. Cats were so revered that anyone who killed a cat, even by accident, was sentenced to death.

The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum is ranked as one of the top 10 museums to go to in San Jose. I've lived here all my life, and I remember going to this museum twice for field trips when I was in elementary school. The last time I went was a little over a decade ago. I'm not the biggest fan of museums, but my bf suggested we go to this place, and I knew he would like it because he's a bit of a history buff. I actually ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. According to top answers on here, you could get through the museum in about 2 hours, but I think that's incredibly short to really appreciate what it offers. We didn't realize how expansive the collection was. It took us an hour and a half to get through the first floor, and we just assumed there was one more floor to get through at the top of the stairs. Low and behold, there was a third floor! Since we got there at around 3:30pm, and it was already around 5:00pm at that point, we were rushing a bit to get through everything as the museum was going to close at 6:00pm. Now that I'm older, I can appreciate the history and the old artifacts that I never could as a child. The accompanying descriptions were informative and concise, and I thought the artifacts were grouped and organized well. I learned quite a bit and found myself engrossed in a few topics here and there. I was intrigued by the mummification process especially and its cultural significance. It was impressive that the museum had actual mummified remains of ancient Egyptians. I think the star exhibit for us, and I assume most people, was the tomb replica which was pretty grand. The second floor also had some tables/seats with senet pieces so you could learn and play. I'm pretty sure my bf and I were playing incorrectly, but then again nobody really knows how the ancient Egyptians played senet haha. We still had a lot of fun. The park outside was just as neat. We were planning on walking to the rose garden, so it's a good thing we walked in that direction otherwise we would have missed it. We took a stroll around the park, and it was pretty cool. We discovered that there is a planetarium, but it was already closed. It's nice that you can still walk around the garden without a ticket. With how small the museum seems to be, it just kept on going and surprised us every time we thought we were almost done. Admission fee was cheap, and we also got a $2 student discount with our IDs. Parking is free which seems like a rarity these days. Overall, it was pretty worth it.

Came here to chaperone a field trip and really enjoyed our time. The staff was friendly, knowledgable, and on top of things. Unless you plan to read through every single artifact, I'd say it takes about 2 hours or so to get through this museum. They have it organized by categories and feature real artifacts and replicas. They also have a large outdoor area and peace garden that the kids really enjoyed.

Gee, the last time I visited this museum was a field trip with my science class in high school. I probably didn't appreciate the Egyptian artifacts because I remember a group of us ditched the bus ride back to go to Round Table Pizza only to be reprimanded by the science teacher in class the following day. Despite that self-inflicted trauma, I found myself on a Nile River cruise many years later. There I saw many of the original artifacts that the curators of this museum gathered like King Tut's gold coffin (photo: https://bit.ly/3EOYpZ3) and the pristine hieroglyphics in an ancient Egyptian rock-cut tomb (photo: https://bit.ly/3S8fsbj). There are several rooms with each focused on a theme like daily life and the afterlife. The antiquities were impressive on their own, but it's really the architecture that's the draw here. It remains the only museum of its kind built in the style of Ancient Egypt without the centuries-old deterioration found at the real places. The gardens and pools were quite nice, too. My friend Carlos and I met there because he had similar adolescent memories of this place, and we spent an hour there tops. We're not Egyptologists after all. Besides I was developing a craving for pizza for some reason. Admission was $10. RELATED - Exploring the South Bay? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2uv12JY

This place is awesome! The grounds are big The museum itself is a medium size but there's plenty of things in there to spend two solid hours of reading and looking at stuff. They have a animatronic that is powered by chat GPT and you talk to it through the laptop and microphone and it answers all the questions with the robot moving. It is quite an amazing application using large language model and robotics. This other awesome thing is the tomb tour where you go into a room that is modeled after two rooms inside a tomb And they talk about the hieroglyphs and some other cool stuff. It reminded me of a Disney attraction albeit I'm a lot smaller one. And that part is free. If you're into Egyptian history this is definitely a place to go and it's really cheap to get in.

Most beautiful, authentic and romantic museum. High quality design and incredible atmosphere! A definite jewel on our peninsula! I've been going there for over 65 years and am always enthralled and amazed! A must see!

Great little museum and a wonderful way to kill some time with a kid. The grounds are fantastic, too. Explore!

Have 2-3 Hours and want a history lesson of Ancient Egypt with loads of cool artifacts with detailed descriptions? This is a neat little gem. The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum (REM) is a showcase of ancient Egypt, found at Rosicrucian Park in the Rose Garden neighborhood of West San Jose near South Santa Clara. The outside of the Museum if lavishly decorated with Egyptian murals and beautiful foliage. Parking is easy and local and the entrance fee isn't very steep. The unguided tour is pretty fun, as you can look at all the relics at your own pace and read everything about everything. There are loads of details and things to learn about Ancient Egypt. The museum is a lot bigger than I thought. It is 3 stories. The bottom floor is an interactive walkthrough tomb. The second floor is the entrance with some displays to the right and the steps down to the tomb floor. The third floor has many relics, some of which include a statue of Cleopatra, one of select few in the entire world. Some mummification displays are also here along with replicas of some pyramids. Overall; for the price, my wife and I are nerds and love culture and history, so we had loads of fun!

The halls and exhibits may be a bit old (no pun intended), but it is still an enjoyable museum for the whole family. It is nice that they have tried to modernize through adding an AI Egyptian robot to talk to upstairs. However, I think that cleaning, updating the faded information boards, or adding new ink to the stamps, would perhaps have made a better overall impression. The people who work here were friendly and helpful and I think it is a nice and affordable local place to visit with the family.

I had a great time exploring and walking through Egypt's rich history and reading the facts behind all the artifacts placed at the museum. Tickets can be purchased online, and this makes it faster to get in. Everything looked and felt exotic here. There's something for everyone, and the tomb is the best part. I loved finding a rare Cleopatra's statue at this museum. I wish they had a gift shop because I love collecting souvenirs, but I would definitely visit again for their beautifully maintained gardens and sitting area.

Super fun!! If you're into Egypt, pyramids, mummies and all the history then this is the place for you! I'm still shocked we got to experience actual artifacts from history! It's so crazy. I don't want to spoil the fun so please go check it out yourself! There's soooo much to see and experience! There's also a free parking lot in the back side? Lol sorry I'm bad at geography. But there's a lot and also plenty of street parking! You can purchase your tickets online or inside.

This museum is absolutely beautiful. So much history and art will take your breath away. Very clean and staff was friendly

Free parking! You can generally find street parking or park in the designated lot behind the museum. Though the parking lots seemed to be cramped w/ narrow spots, but it'll do unless you are driving a large vehicle. They are open Fridays-Sundays and is $10 each. If you have a student ID or children between the ages of 7 through 17 then admission will be discounted to $8. What a great price to discover and learn something new! I came here to complete my class assignment. I am thankful that I took this class. I am very dense and was never interested in art, but looking at history through art is something I never appreciated until this semester (fall, 2022). You can take a virtual tour, join their volunteer or internship programs, attend their workshops, or simply be immersed in the various exhibits that this museum holds. I was there when they showed a real cat mummy. I also believe in the after-life so this act resonated w/ me. Though I will cremate my pets when they pass, it is to keep them near me, safe at home, and to provide food and water until the day I die.

If you are interested in Egyptology, a great spot. I was wanting to see more Rosicrucian/occult info & the excellent Alchemy exhibit partially quenched this hunger yet that was it. The structures/architecture/grounds are interesting but the meeting rooms are closed during museum hours with the exception of the library which sadly was closing at the moment of completing touring the main museum. Am impressed that the operation isn't pursuing an enrollment quota, their low key stance appears to be that if one is drawn towards the offerings of AMORC, that they then pursue exploration. Fair enough. No gift shop, gentleman at the ticket counter said they cannot compete with Amazon. A sad statement about the times we live in.

While visiting an area, I usually like to explore at least one museum. The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum is the largest Egyptian museum in the Western region of the United States. They are an educational institute with the mission to increase knowledge of the past present and future, especially through diversity and relationships in nature among cultures. H. Spencer Lewis was the founder of the Rosicrucian order AMORC, which back in the 1920s supported the excavations in the Egypt Exploration Society. Lewis encouraged members to contribute to the collection and that was the genesis of the museum we are blessed to enjoy today. Admission Prices: $10/general $8/students, teachers, youth (7-17), seniors (65+) Free/children under 7 *discount $1 off for members of the military, AAA, AAM, KQED I have AAA so Yay! The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum has an app so I recommend you download that if you would like to do the self guided tours of the museum. Bring headphones to not disturb others. There are also laminated text around each exhibit to provide additional context to each section. The interior of the museum is divided into 4 main galleries: Gallery A - Afterlife During the time of my visit there was a live tour for their tomb. The tour guide was explaining to us how Egyptian writing can be read. It can be left to right or right to left, and you can tell by the way the characters are facing. It can also be top to bottom, but never bottom to top. Super interesting... but I am not brave enough to go into a tight space with a bunch of strangers. Between California earthquakes and the pandemic, I rather not. The overall afterlife space had many mummys, both humans and animals. Gallery B - Daily Life The Egyptians were a culture who enjoyed beauty and you can tell in their day to day tools that even the tools were beautiful. The women's job in the household was to tend to the house, the children and the deities. Many women were priestesses regardless of their marriage status. The men were in charge of hunting and more laborious job, as you would expect of ancient general roles. There was a birthing area in this section of the museum where I was able to see the set up of the birth bricks since Egyptian women gave birth standing. In their culture the mother and baby would stay in the house for about a month before rejoining and getting celebrated by their community. Gallery C - Rulers and Religion Rulers and religion were intermingled in ancient Egypt, as the pharaoh was considered to be the living God. Priests also has significant influences. This gallery displayed ritual objects for worship and objects related to significant rulers from Egypt. Gallery D - Polytheism and Monotheism Many gods and goddesses were worshipped in ancient Egypt. Half of the exhibit features polytheism, the belief in multiple gods while the other half focused on monotheism, the belief in one God. The sole god was Aton, represented by the Sun. While I was there, they also happened to have an A­­lchemy exhibit upstairs and a garden in the exterior. The garden was meant to be designed after how it would be in Egyptian times, however it was a bit unkept. I honestly thing they museum needs a serious modeling, but I am still able to see its' value and appreciate the history and culture. The visit is so affordable, I highly recommend the trip if you are visiting the area. It is truly a gem.

So glad we have a local museum dedicated to Egypt so we don't have to venture too far off to enjoy some learning and adventure. This place is street parking as a fyi to everyone out there so come early if you can and park in the neighborhood around it. The exhibits are intimate and clean. They have neat buttons to push to explain the section loud enough for the room to hear. Everyone was nice and helpful and the bathrooms are convenient to get to if needed. Its a cute spot, just missing the gift shop, otherwise it would have been the full deal.

Had a wonderful time at the Museum. The staff was very nice and great things to look at. Really enjoyed it.

Tucked away in a San Jose neighborhood, at Naglee Ave x Park Ave, is the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. It's exhibition rooms are filled with displays of ancient artifacts, and plenty of educational information. Some items are authentic, and some are replicas. Exhibits cover everything from everyday life, the Afterlife, Burial Tomb, Religion, Alchemy, and Mesopotamia. On Aug 8, 2021, there were no guided tours. There's museum app you can open on your smartphone, and listen to a guide using your ear buds or earphones. But every display has an information card to tell you what it is. There is an underground replica Tomb. You just enter the narrow passageway to the Offering Chamber, and then onto the Burial Chamber. It's really dark, and you feel like Indiana Jones searching for a tomb. The actual burial site is cool, but the empty hole in the ground is a little creepy. Now, I want to mention something for your information (FYI). This museum has alot of stairs! In fact, as soon as you enter the lobby, you need to either go up or down stairs to go to any exhibit room. I didn't see any public elevator. When I was there, there was a man in a wheelchair, and they had to use a lift to get him up the stairs. So if you have difficulty using stairs, you might have a problem at this museum. There are public restrooms on the 2nd level. Also, free visitor parking at Chapman St x Naglee Ave. But you enter the museum on Park Ave. Actually, I was there at 2pm on a Sunday, and there was plenty of street parking along Naglee Ave. Free parking! Aren't you glad this museum isn't in San Francisco? You can take your time in the museum, then relax in the park. How much are tickets? On Aug 8, 2021, Adult (18-64) was $10. I bought my ticket online, and got a $1.00 discount for being a AAA member. You printout your ticket, then present it when you walk in. They didn't ask to see my AAA card. Consult the museum website for current prices and hours. Currently, the museum is only open Fri-Sat-Sunday. A truly unique museum and park in San Jose, CA. Near I-880 ---------------------------------------------- In Aug 2021, Covid-19 restrictions required wearing a mask inside museum.

Suuuuuper cool place !!! There is an actual mummy and they made caves you can walk thru and it looks like you're stepping into a totally different world ! Self guided . Super worth the low price !!!

The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum is definitely a unique spot to check out here in the South Bay. Apparently the museum is the largest Egyptian museum in the West Coast, but that may be an overstatement. Having grown up loving the culture, I was really excited to check this out for myself. My friend and I got reserved tickets online prior to our visit date. As they begin to slowly reopen their doors, they cap the number of visitors to 250 during their opening days of Friday-Sunday. Be sure to purchase a ticket online before visiting. The museum offers a variety of exhibits related to King Tut and his legacy to modern-day culture along with some spiritual 'temp' exhibits related to ideals set forth by the Rosicrucian. Look them up if you haven't already to see what we're talking about. The Egyptian portions were well maintained, informative, and has something for everybody to explore. With that said, I thought that the museum was decent but could have been better. My friend who is an Egyptian aficionado and has frequented the country on many trips for both work and leisure was less than impressed with the museum. We both found mistakes written in the descriptions and some outdated information. It didn't ruin the experience for me but it was apparent that there needed to be some updating involved. The museum is attached to a beautiful garden where we saw lots of people doing photoshoots in the hot sun. It's a great spot even if you don't enter the museum and free parking is available in the lot towards the back.

Great museum of Egyptian artifacts! There is a tomb to tour also. Don't miss the gardens in the back. Plan to spend at least 2 hours here as lots to see

This is a great and inexpensive location to have a museum date or outing with your family and friends! I brought my boyfriend here for his birthday and we both got the teacher discounts (we were asked if we were teachers and I thought it was funny that we just had that Teacher Look (we are teachers though hehe)). There's a free parking lot behind the museum but I've seen people park on the street. We came on a weekend and while there were multiple families there, it never felt crowded and we easily found parking. I'm not sure if they stop people from coming in when they reach capacity based on covid regulations. Each display had detailed explanations about what the display is about and its history. The replication of a tomb was so fun and it's great that you could do your own self-guided tour and go at your own pace. I've been here before pre-covid where there was a tour guide and I definitely did enjoy that more because it was more detailed. When we came, there were a few tables where we could learn and play "Senet," a game that was played in ancient Egypt. It was a simple game but my boyfriend and I really enjoyed playing and see who would win. There are so many details here that you could spend hours here if you plan on looking at every single thing. Definitely a great place to teach about ancient Egypt or if you just want to see cool artifacts!

I love having such a unique museum so close to home, a great place to experience art and history at the same time, so much to see well-spaced throughout several floors. It's the perfect setting to spark conversation with family, friends, or a significant other... a great outing for a date. I've been here a couple times, and it's still just as fascinating. My last visit was during the first weekend it had reopened from COVID closures, so it was by reservation only online, for one-hour slots. I think to really get the full experience without feeling rushed, it takes a little more than an hour. Luckily, they gave us complimentary passes so we could return later in the year, hopefully when COVID restrictions are lifted. The service and employees were outstanding, the workers friendly, energetic, and eager to provide a wonderful experience. I personally prefer self-guided tours where you can do things at your own pace, but I appreciated that employees offered to share more information about the history of artifacts and exhibits, and were available to answer questions... though I felt this was unnecessary since all of the exhibits are numbered and have detailed but concise explanations that are easy to understand. Our favorite exhibits are the Rosetta Stone, Egypt's first pyramid (architect later worshipped as a god), and of course the tomb that you can walk through and explore... but seeing everything mummified was cool too, and examining items I could relate to was interesting, ie. the sandals the Egyptians used made of papyrus fiber and leather, or the clay tablets used for tax records around the same time as Egyptian hieroglyphs. They have QR codes throughout the museum to obtain more information, an audio tour with artifacts to look for in the museum, and also free wifi. They also have a free parking lot in the back (on Chapman Street), and outdoor seating within the beautiful gardens surrounding the museum, including a Peace Garden with fish. Overall, an awesome place for all ages, and great value for what you pay (they even offer discounts for kids, military, AAA, etc.).

One of my highlights during the short Christmas weekend vacation time to San Jose, California was visiting the Rosicrucian Egyptian museum on the day after Christmas Day 2021. I had sought to find something to do on my last full day in San Jose, when I looked to Google for something. Out popped the Rosicrucian Egyptian museum. Upon learning that it was open the day after Christmas and the admission fees were quite good and reasonable for adults, I decided to buy online a month before arrival. I arrived around 11am after my friend dropped me off and there was already a line going in. It must've been popular, I thought. I entered with a face mask, which is required for anyone who enters. Once I got to the admissions desk, I told them I paid online. They asked for the QR code on my confirmation email and they scanned it. Once they did that, I was free to enjoy the 3 levels of exhibits and things they had available for us inside. They have restroom facilities there as well, which is awesome, if you plan to spend a lot of time there during museum hours. My favorite park was their rock cut tomb exhibit. They try to simulate a real Egyptian pharaoh tomb with passages and tunnels, although there was only 2 main rooms before the exit to civilization. It was pretty amazing to be in there and immerse myself into a mock Egyptian tomb. For me, it was an experience to be here, much like visiting the Titanic museum in Missouri and got to experience some parts of the 1997 movie - but at an ancient Egyptian theme to it. Many objects on display is from tombs, which is where we get most of our knowledge from these times. It was creepy and interesting to see that they had a real mummy there too. Fun and exciting, but all a educational experience too. The overall experience here at the Rosicrucian Egyptian museum in San Jose, California was very spiritual, educational, and just amazing. I've always been interested in the ancient Egyptian culture and how this was the birth of civilization of the world. The museum has about three stories, with two stories above ground I think. It was a bit interesting to see the mummy of a woman behind glass. Although she wasn't someone from the noble class, it was interesting to see the mummy there. I guess they do take care of everyone, not just the royals and the nobles of ancient Egypt when it came to end of life services. I took part in the mock rock cut tomb tour, even though I went thru the tomb 15 min earlier thru self exploration. It was nice to hear and learn more about the rock cut tomb and the ways of the ancient Egyptian burial customs and hieroglyphics on these ancient walls. My time here spent was about 2 hours here on a Sunday morning. It was cool to see a lot of people here having an interest in the ancient Egyptian culture. It's very interesting and hope to be back soon, If they have any new exhibits down the road. The prices are cheap, with adults priced at $10 for regular entry. Thought that was good. If you're in the area and need something to do or interested in ancient Egyptian life and death, consider coming to the Rosicrucian Egyptian museum in San Jose, California. You'd be glad you did. The Rosicrucian Egyptian museum is located at 1660 Park Avenue in downtown-ish San Jose, California. They accept major credit cards as well as cash. Best bet would be to get your admission online so that you don't need to dig around for your payment option upon arrival. Just need to scan the QR code from the email you got upon completing payment. The museum itself is very organized and it felt good to be here, especially when that downtime was definitely needed. Not sure if they have a private parking options here, but I'd check to see what their options are. If you prefer public transportation, consider the routes you need in order to come to here and experience ancient Egyptian life and death in San Jose. This museum is definitely a hidden gem for anyone who loves to check out. Usually is a lot of things that deal with death and the dying process, but there's also jewelry and other things that was left behind also. Lots of these jewelry items were worn by royalty or noble families in ancient Egypt. Whispered to me that they have preserved a lot of the statues that we normally see in there is sure about ancient Egypt. Makes me feel like I'm actually in Egypt already, but not really. If you are a history buff or want to do something in San Jose California, consider coming here and spend the day in reaching your mind and your body while inspiring your spirit. Definitely well worth it. 5.0 stars for the overall experience. Support local! A+

If you don't want spoilers, stop reading and just go. I highly recommend this museum. I have been raving about it to all my friends who will listen. It even inspired me to post a rambling review like old times. My friend warned me that the museum is geared towards children so it has tons of information on the walls in simple language. Oh boy, that was the start of my excitement. I am many years out of school so my brain has degraded. I still love learning things so please, do explain things to me like I'm a middle schooler. I did zero research before going (I'm a no-spoilers-please person) and am so happy I didn't. I got to fully experience the museum. The museum has 4 wings: daily life, afterlife, rulers, and religion. My absolute favorite part was what I thought was a facade of a tomb entrance. "Oh, cute, a photo background. I bet the Instagram crowd loves it." I forgot that this museum opened to the public in 1966, years before social media. I noticed that we could enter it so I did. It's cute, with stone walls and ceilings, dark with fake torches for illumination. How adorable. Oh there's more. If you walk further, there's some stone wall carvings. Oh, how immersive. Wait, there's more. If you keep going down hallways and stairs, there's an entire freaking tomb!!! Painted to look like a tomb, from floor to ceiling to walls. I have been judgey of Egyptologists, a.k.a. graverobbers, but this made me understand why they did it. There is a sense of wonder and amazement to walk through a dark tunnel and plain stone walls, then to be greeted by a gorgeous and colorful room. (After I finished with the tomb, I realized the entrance had a sign and there were self-guided tour handouts.) My second favorite part was the baboon mummy. People buy an animal mummy at the temples as an offering to the gods. Temples start to run low on sacrificial animals. So the priests started selling "mummies " which were one bone wrapped in cloth. When the museum x-rayed the baboon mummy, it turned out to be zero bones; it is a vase wrapped in cloth. It makes me laugh that people have been scamming each other for millennia. Humans have always been human. Another favorite were the statue fragments of Ishtar, a Babylonian fertility goddess. Some of the pieces and information repeat throughout the museum. The first time I saw Ishtar, the fragment was a bit worn down, but I could've sworn she was cupping her breasts. Another case I saw it later held many fragments of Ishtar. She is shattered and buried at the threshold as a good luck ritual for newlywed couples. It looks like she is often depicted as cupping her breasts. It entertains me because some people want to go back to "good ol'fashioned" values when humans have always been a lusty bunch. The first fragment I saw is from 2500 BCE which makes 4,500 years ago. I always enjoy finding the connections between "modern" humans, and humans in the past, and the museum offers plenty of that. (These are my thoughts, not the museum.) The ancient Egyptians had vanity like us where they have makeup, removed all body hair, and owned mirrors. The class divide existed, even in death, in which rich people buy shabtis to do their work for them in death. A royal pissing off his people when he created an economic downturn by trying to change their society into a monotheist one. We spent four hours here. There is so much to look at we could have stayed longer if we had not run out of energy and time. The museum has original pieces, pieces casted from other museums, models, an underground tomb, a recreation of a birthing room (no birthing depicted), and real mummies. I adore the written form so I also want to point out the cuneiform, Rosetta Stone (casted), and pieces of writing on papyrus. It always amazes me to see pieces that are thousands of years old. This is a great museum and I highly recommend it. Admission is only $10 for adults, $8 for children (7-17). If you don't want to spend money, there is still plenty to see on their grounds. A labyrinth, a peace garden, and some cool structures. (I don't know how historically accurate the exteriors are. No informational plaques outside. The museum was founded by a group called the Rosicrucians. Per Wikipedia "Rosicrucianism is a spiritual and cultural movement that arose in Europe in the early 17th century after the publication of several texts announcing to the world a hitherto unknown esoteric order.") Note that since their primary focus is educating children, they're closed on weekdays. Their hours are Friday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday 11:00 am - 6:00 pm. Enjoy!

Each time I visit this museum, I learn something new. I swear I've thoroughly wandered through all the rooms, only to find an area seemingly never explored. It's not a huge museum, but it holds a lot to take in. My daughter finds it fascinating except the last bit where we enter the tomb - and then it's as if a scene from The Mummy has come to life and she's terrified a mummy is going to come out and snatch her away. But along came a woman who worked at this place and she held her hand and walked her through. Not only is the museum chock-full of information, the people who help run it are amazing as well!

This Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum is currently open to the public Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Located on Park Avenue in Downtown San Jose, this beautiful exhibition is full of many kind of Artifacts, hold the largest collections of ancient Egyptian Antiquities, with buildings constructed in Ancient Egyptian Architectural Style, showcasing many Displays of mummies, tombs, and mystical symbols. Their Entrance and Outdoor areas are free of charge to all visitors. They held the group tour with a small fee of about 10 bucks a person to explore the History, the entire buildings and there beautiful fish pond here within this exhibit. I Absolutely love this place! The surrounding of the Museum, the Gardens, the trees, and the plants here are definitely Delightful! My experience here is quite exquisite! I am looking forward to returning to this Museum soon so I can go on the group tour, see the beautiful blooming Gardens,explore the charming Fish pond, and some History behind it.

When we first visited the museum, we paid only $20 for just the two of us. The museum was very informational and it was cool seeing how some of the replicas of the tomb was portrayed of the real tombs in Egypt. The tomb is downstairs and they have a lot of stairs in the museum, so bringing a stroller would not be ideal here however, they do have a wheelchair accessible machine that would bring someone that needed to be brought up by.

It was very fascinating to see so many one of a kind artifacts ... I haven't seen anything like this in any of the museums. Definitely recommended!!!

Great place and good collection so spend decent time and learn about Egyptian culture