Jade Museum

This modern museum near the Plaza de la Democracia holds the world's largest collection of pre-Columbian American jade. Run by the national insurance institute, its striking cube-shaped building displays jade pendants, axe-gods and ornaments alongside ceramics, stone and gold. Interactive galleries explain how ancient artisans carved the hard green stone and traced trade routes across the region. Opened in its current form in 2014, it is among San Jose's leading cultural attractions.