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Getting There is Half the Fun

Centrally Located: Once you get downtown, all roads lead to The Tech. Transpo to The Tech By Justin Berton The good thing about finding the way to The Tech Museum of Innovation is that you really can't miss it. With its mango-trapped-in-jail look, the building alone will settle front-seat arguments before they ever get a chance to begin. "There it is, honey," a proud husband will say, as he points from behind the windshield. "Right where I told you." But don't be fooled: Getting there is half the battle, and any good soldier knows better than to leave the house without a plan. Here are a few. Trains, Buses and Light Rails From Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Sunnyvale or Santa Clara: Take Caltrain to Diridon Train Station. From the train station, you can take in the 30-minute stroll by sauntering east on the well-lit Santa Clara Street until you get to Market Street. Turn right, walk two blocks until you reach Park Avenue. Look in front of you. If the walk seems lengthy, and you want to do it all by public transpo, do the following: Exit Diridon Station and take the No. 63 or 65 bus to First and San Fernando streets. Walk one block east to Second Street and catch the light rail going west. Jump off two stops later at the Convention Center on San Carlos Street. Walk back half a block to Market and turn left. Voila. For door-to-door service via bus, catch the No. 23 from as far away as Mountain View. Coming from the east valley, take the No. 85 starting at 10th and Hedding streets. Both buses will drop you off at the Convention Center on San Carlos. From Gilroy and Morgan Hill: Take bus No. 68 to the Diridon Train Station. From inside San Jose: Commuters' Choice--Though the Convention Center light-rail station is closer to The Tech, some commuters may be dying to get off, and they can do so at the Paseo de San Antonio station. Walk up to San Carlos Street, then turn right and walk two blocks. You'll see it from across the park, so cross the street and turn right on Market. Driving From north on Highway 101 (San Francisco): Take Highway 101 south. Exit Guadalupe Parkway (Highway 87). Continue two miles to the Julian Street exit and turn left. Go three blocks to Market and turn right. Go down four blocks, and there it is on the right-hand side--can't miss it. From south on Highway 101: Take Highway 101 north to Highway 280 north; exit at downtown San Jose. Continue four miles to Guadalupe Parkway (Highway 87), and exit north. Take the Santa Clara Street exit and turn right. Go down five lights and turn right on Market Street. Continue down two blocks, and you'll see it on the right. You won't miss it. From Highway 280/680 in either direction: Take Highway 87 north (Guadalupe Parkway). Drive a quarter-mile to the Santa Clara Street exit. Make a right turn on Santa Clara Street. Go five lights to Market Street and turn right. Drive two blocks and look to the right--can't be missed. From Highway 880 going south (Oakland): Take the Coleman Avenue exit and turn left. Drive down three miles, where it will turn into Market Street. Once you cross Santa Clara Street, The Tech will be two blocks down on the right-hand side. You just can't miss it. From Highway 17 going north (Santa Cruz): Take Highway 280 south to Guadalupe Parkway going north. Exit Santa Clara Street and turn right. Continue down the street and turn right when you get to Market Street. Two blocks down, look to the right. It's impossible to miss. Parking Now that you've taken the car, you gotta do something with it. Tech patrons who use the parking garage at Second and San Carlos streets (above the Camera 3 Cinemas) can get a discount with validation. When leaving the garage, walk two blocks west on San Carlos Street, and turn right on Market. If the lot is full, look for the various blue signs with a white "P." Public Transit Information For complete bus, light rail, Caltrain and other regional transit schedules, check out the Bay Area Transit Information web site. Or call any of the phone numbers below. VTA bus/light rail: 408/321-2300 Caltrain: 800/660-4287 Other regional transit info: 408/817-1717 Visitor information: 408/294-TECH [ The Tech | Metroactive Central ]