New England Patriots
From scenic green spaces and public art to a culinary trail and an amusement park, there’s plenty to explore.
New Englanders traveling to Santa Clara this weekend for Super Bowl LX can map out plenty of cultural experiences during their downtime.
Levi’s Stadium, where the New England Patriots face off against the Seattle Seehawks on Sunday, is located about 45 miles south of San Francisco in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley. The city, known as a hub for innovation, offers green spaces, museums, public art, shopping, and plenty of restaurants.
Ahead, discover activities other than the Super Bowl — many of them free — taking place in Santa Clara this weekend.
For travelers looking for away-from-the-field fun on a budget (perhaps because their wallets took a big hit on those Super Bowl tickets), there are plenty of free things to do in Santa Clara.
Visitors can explore several green spaces, including the 52-acre Central Park, great for enjoying picnics, the 12.4-mile San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail, a paved scenic path perfect for running, and the Ulistac Natural Area, full of walking paths and native plants.
Santa Clara also has several free museums. Visitors can check out the Intel Museum, which features exhibits about the history and technology of Silicon Valley; the Triton Museum of Art, a contemporary art museum with an outdoor Sculpture Garden; and the de Saisset Museum at Santa Clara University, which features art exhibits and historic collections.
For more art fun, travelers can walk the Santa Clara Art Trail, a curated collection of nine mural projects on the city’s streets and neighborhoods.
Visitors seeking the hustle and bustle of busy local spots can wander the Santa Clara Farmers Market, which includes live music and pop-up eateries (open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.), or explore Franklin Square, a vibrant outdoor shopping mall in the heart of Santa Clara.
Take a self-guided culinary tour
If all that game day excitement makes game goers hungry, Santa Clara is billed as one of the most diverse food cities in the world.
Restaurants near Levi’s Stadium serve everything from Italian to Mexican to Mediterranean food.
Visitors can also follow a self-guided culinary trail called the Global Games Food Trail, which is a curated list of 24 diverse dining options created to coincide with the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer (Levi’s Stadium will be known as the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium and host six matches).
Those short on time can experience several restaurants on the list in certain areas of the city, noted Discover Santa Clara, the city’s official destination marketing organization.
“If you want an easy hub, Santa Clara Square and Westfield Valley Fair are great options,” wrote officials on the website. “A bunch of solid spots are right there, so you can knock out a few stops in one place without overthinking it.”
Ride one of the tallest and fastest wooden rollercoasters on the West Coast
For those seeking thrills beyond the big game, the 112-acre amusement park California’s Great America in Santa Clara is home to Gold Striker, billed as one of the tallest and fastest wooden rollercoasters on the West Coast.
The park, which is owned and operated by Six Flags, features more than 50 rides, as well as food, games, live music, and themed areas such as Planet Snoopy. Guests can also splash and play at South Bay Shores Waterpark.
Gold Striker, which debuted in 2013, reaches speeds of up to 54 miles per hour and has a 103-foot drop.
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