In-Person Walking Tours

Tours - Spring 2024

We have concluded our in-person tour offerings for this year. Thank you for those who attended! We reached 120 community members & enjoyed showing you around downtown San Jose. If interested in other free or lowcost events offered by the College of Humanities & the Arts, check out our events calendar and sign up for our weekly Monday Mailer. 

Welcome to the third year of the free and in-person Public Art as Resistance in San Jose Walking Tour! Thanks to generous support from the City of San Jose, Office of Cultural Affairs & Economic Development, we are once again able to support offering free tours to any and all community members. 

WALKING TOUR REGISTRATION  - concluded for this Spring

Six in-person tours are available April-May 2024. Though they are free, registration is required. Please register for any available tours - see registration form (closed):

• Sat, April 27, 10am-1pm 
• Sun, April 28, 10am-1pm 
• Sat, May 4, 10am-1pm -- CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER
• Sun, May 5, 10am-1pm
• Sat, May 11, 10am-1pm
• Sun, May 12, 10am-1pm

The full tour of 12 works of public art begins on SJSU's campus with the history of the Cesar Chavez Arch of Dignity and the Victory Salute statue. Then, the tour moves off campus into downtown San Jose to visit public art that memorializes and commemorates the Japanese American Internment, Muwekma Ohlone, Vietnamese culture, Oaxacan-Mexican dreams, American activism, Chicano Mural Movement, and civic leadership. 

The tour of 12 works of public art takes 3 hours and is accompanied by 2 student tour guides, an SJSU faculty leader, and an SJSU logistics leader. The team will discuss the neighborhoods from the perspective of art, art history, urban geography, and cultural development. We supply you with a print copy of the tour map, tour guides with portable mics and speakers who are well versed in the 12 works of public art, and a logistics guide who will oversee all logistics for the tour. 

To preview the list of public art works on this tour that represent a story of resistance in San José, see here.

 Tour: 3 hours + 3.4 miles (5k+)

If you don't have time for the Full Tour, the self-guided tour allows you to use either the Linktree or the GPSmyCity mobile app for an abbreviated tour. Below, you'll find an overview of the path as well as the artwork. We suggest, if you don't have time to amble about downtown for 3 hours, to try out the Northside or Southside shorter tours in a self-guided tour.

  Southside Tour: 2-2.5 hours
  2.6 miles 

  Northside Tour: 2-2.5 hours 
  2.6 miles 

FAQ

• REGISTER HERE! 

  • Registration for the April & May 2024 Walking Tour has now concluded. Please consider taking our self-guided tour.  

• Can I join a tour even if I'm not an SJSU student?

  • Yes!! Everyone is welcome to register for an in-person tour. We will limit each tour to 20 people.

• Is there an age limit for participating in the tour?

  • The in-person tour is for ages 12 and up. You might enjoy taking your kids on a shorter self-guided tour.

• Where and when do we meet?

  • On the day your tour is scheduled, meet at the Arch of Dignity (Cesar Chavez Memorial), San José State University. Download [pdf] the campus map and meet at the area circled about 20mins prior to your tour. We will check in everyone based on their registration.

• Do you know the way to San Jose (State University)?

  • Check out the directions to main campus.

• Where can I park for this tour?

  • SJSU garages (using ParkMobile app) are open to anyone (see our Parking Solutions) for a nominal amount ($5 on weekends for all day). Please be sure to pay before you leave the parking garage using either ParkMobile app or one of the kiosks in the garage. 

    Street parking is also available via metered parking on Saturdays. All street parking is free on Sundays!

• Can I get to SJSU without driving? 

  • Yes, see our Transportation Solutions for commuting information.

• What is the cost of the tour?

  • FREE! The Spring 2024 tours are supported by a grant from the Office of Cultural Affairs & Economic Development, City of San Jose. In Spring 2022, the tour was supported by a grant from the California Humanities Council (see more here). During Spring 2023, the tour was supported by a grant from the City of San Jose Abierto grant (see more here).

• What is the max number of people per tour?

  • 20 attendees at each tour group.

• How long will the tour take to complete? 

  • 3 hours

• What is the distance of the tour?

  • 3.2 miles. There are opportunities to leave the tour early. 

• What should I wear and bring?

  • The tour will run rain or shine. Wear comfortable walking shoes. Since SJSU is a sustainble campus, we strive to reduce waste every chance we can get; for this reason, please bring a water container for refilling at water fountains.

• Can I bring a friend?

  • Everyone should be registered under their own names so we can maintain our limit of 20 attendees. If bringing a child who cannot register for themselves, please indicate this in your registration. 

• What's good for a post-tour lunch?

  • There are so many amazing restaurants of all types in downtown San Jose. Check out the list from Visit San Jose or visit some of the places around the SoFa District where our tour concludes.

• I didn't get into one of the in-person tours! What now?

  • Take the self-guided tour! Use the GPSmyCity free mobile app or print map and use the Linktree for information about each artwork. See more about how to take this tour on your own time.

Don't forget to add your images about art as resistance at each location using #SJResistArt on Instagram!