# Hakone Estate and Gardens

> Place to go for families in the San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara area (CA). Times are Pacific Time.

- When: Winter hours Oct 31, 2026–Mar 15, 2027: Monday–Friday 10:00 am–4:00 pm (last admission…
- Where: Hakone Estate and Gardens, 21000 Big Basin Way, Saratoga, CA 95070
- Ages: All ages; children 4 and under free
- Price: Adult (18-64) $15; senior (65+) $12; youth (5-17) $10; children 4 and under free; Museums for All free for up to four
- Schedule: Winter hours Oct 31, 2026–Mar 15, 2027: Monday–Friday 10:00 am–4:00 pm (last admission 3:30), Saturday–Sunday 11:00 am–4:00 pm (last admission 3:00). Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
- Organizer: Hakone Foundation
- Official page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hakone-gardens-winter-daytime-admission-ticket-tickets-1969893790355
- Last checked: Sat, Oct 24

Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Oct 24, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about
Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-10-24), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/san-jose/activities/hakone-estate-and-gardens--listing-7aad1492da881cf5e6b78ddb

## About

Hakone Estate and Gardens in the hills above Saratoga is one of the oldest residential-style Japanese gardens open to the public in the Western Hemisphere, begun as a private summer retreat in 1915. Families can wander 18 acres of hillside paths, ponds and traditional buildings, strolling the hill and koi pond garden among historic buildings crafted in Japan more than 100 years ago; rotating art exhibits fill the Cultural Exchange Center. A garden-view picnic area with five tables is open first come, first served (no food elsewhere in the formal garden). Because the historic estate sits on a steep hillside built with stone and gravel, some areas are not fully ADA accessible and strollers may need carrying in places; ADA parking and restrooms are on site and the garden map shows accessible routes. Museums for All visitors with an EBT card and photo ID get free admission for up to four people. Note that free admission for all Santa Clara County residents ended in January 2026 (Saratoga residents still get the first Tuesday of the month free).

## Similar picks in San Jose

- [The Great Big BOO! Halloween at Gilroy Gardens](https://grassyknees.com/san-jose/activities/the-great-big-boo-halloween-at-gilroy-gardens--listing-a7bdf3e87a11afa2269ad40f) — Sat, Oct 24 (+4 more dates) · 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM · Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park · All ages · Paid · checked Oct 24. Gilroy Gardens' Great Big BOO! is a family Halloween event on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights through November 1, with trick-or-treating and shows starting at 5 p.m. Children…
- [Family Fun Zoo Class at Happy Hollow](https://grassyknees.com/san-jose/activities/family-fun-zoo-class-at-happy-hollow--listing-ec64c3ed307c40e275c7cc6f) — Sat, Oct 24 (+4 more dates) · 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM · Happy Hollow Park & Zoo · From $40 · checked Oct 24. Family Fun is Happy Hollow's Saturday-morning class for a whole family group, held inside the park and zoo in Kelley Park. Each session has its own nature theme: the Fall…
- [Guadalupe River Park & Gardens](https://grassyknees.com/san-jose/activities/guadalupe-river-park-and-gardens--listing-e226c456694ceeedf93c438a) — Daily, sunrise until one hour after sunset; the river trail opens one hour before… · Guadalupe River Park & Gardens · All ages · Free · checked Oct 24. Guadalupe River Park & Gardens is a ribbon of parkland along the Guadalupe River through downtown San José. Families can ride, walk, run or skate 2.6 miles of trails, look for…
- [A Mystery of Skulls Nature Pop-up at Metcalf Motorcycle County Park](https://grassyknees.com/san-jose/activities/a-mystery-of-skulls-nature-pop-up-at-metcalf-motorcycle-county-park--listing-14498187b654885ea9c20727) — Sun, Oct 25 · 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM · Metcalf Motorcycle County Park · All ages · Free · checked Oct 24. A drop-in nature pop-up run by county park interpreters: stop by any time during the three-hour window to handle animal skulls and pelts and work out what they reveal about how…
- [Quicksilver History Hike at Almaden Quicksilver County Park](https://grassyknees.com/san-jose/activities/quicksilver-history-hike-at-almaden-quicksilver-county-park--listing-c7a7e32689d26f179e00ad24) — Sun, Oct 25 · 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM · Almaden Quicksilver County Park – Wood Road entrance · Ages 10+ · Free · checked Oct 24. A park interpreter leads a 3–4 mile history hike through Almaden Quicksilver County Park, tracing how a once-busy mercury mining enterprise became a park and how changing values…

## More for families

- [This weekend in San Jose](https://grassyknees.com/san-jose/this-weekend) (Markdown: https://grassyknees.com/san-jose/this-weekend.md)
- [Things to do with kids in San Jose](https://grassyknees.com/san-jose) (Markdown: https://grassyknees.com/san-jose.md)