Santa Clara, California, the city that hosted this years Super Bowl, may lie in the shadow of San Francisco, but it deserves a place on your travel list for many reasons.
One of California’s oldest cities, Santa Clara recently stepped into the spotlight as host of this year’s Super Bowl LX 2026 final held at Levi’s Stadium. The stadium became world-famous within hours, flooding our screens thanks to the Halftime Show featuring Bad Bunny’s performance. The city is expected to steal the show again this summer when it hosts matches of this year’s World Cup.
Santa Clara was founded in 1777 with a Spanish mission, one year after San Francisco, which lies just 45 miles away. From the land of the Indigenous Ohlone and later a fertile agricultural area of orchards, Santa Clara has grown into a city of nearly 130,000 residents at the heart of Silicon Valley. Bordering San Jose, it uniquely blends technological innovation and California history with fun-filled attractions.
What to see in Santa Clara
Levi’s Stadium
Levi’s Stadium is home to the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. This state-of-the-art venue has hosted some of the world’s biggest sporting and music events and concerts, from this year’s Super Bowl LX 2026 final and the one in 2016, to performances by U2, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Coldplay and the Rolling Stones. This summer it is also expected to host matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The stadium also houses the 49ers Museum, where the team’s Vince Lombardi trophies are displayed from its run as five-time Super Bowl champions.
California’s Great America
Before Santa Clara became a sports-focused destination, theme park lovers flocked here with their families to California’s Great America. It’s a theme park with thrilling rides and family-friendly activities, perfect for adrenaline seekers. The tradition that began in 1976 continues today with RailBlazer, a groundbreaking coaster with three inversions and speeds up to 84 km/h, as well as at the South Bay Shores water park, where the seven-story Pacific Surge offers six water slides for even more action.
Triton Museum of Art
If you want to learn more about California art, visit the Triton Museum of Art, with free admission to exhibitions and many of the events it hosts. Beyond exhibitions, the museum also offers educational programs that champion a broad spectrum of contemporary California art. Here you’ll have the chance to meet the area’s artistic community up close.
Intel Museum
In Santa Clara you’ll have the chance to discover the roots of technology in Silicon Valley, as the world of the microchip industry unfolds at the Intel Museum. Inside Intel’s headquarters, you’ll learn all about the legacy of the company founded in 1968 by two scientists, Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore. At the interactive museum, children and adults go behind the scenes of Silicon Valley’s high-tech world and connect with technologies that offer new ways to work, learn, play, and communicate.
Mission Santa Clara de Asís
The historic Mission Santa Clara de Asís will transport you to the 18th century. It remains an emblematic part of the Santa Clara University campus and is the eighth of California’s 21 missions founded by the Franciscans. Established in 1777, it was moved five times before settling at its current site in 1822. It is the only mission located on a university campus, and its grounds impress with a 140-year-old wisteria vine and a rose garden. At the Mission you can attend theater and dance performances, as well as athletic events across 20 different sports.
Shopping and dining
Westfield Valley Fair and Downtown Santa Clara
For those who love shopping, Westfield Valley Fair is the ideal destination with over 200 stores. It’s one of Northern California’s largest shopping centers, with luxury brands, local boutiques, and a wide variety of restaurants. Also, downtown Santa Clara is perfect for a stroll and shopping at local stores with coffee stops, and to catch community events.
