Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

Address:	1660 Park Ave, San Jose, CA 95191, USA
Phone:	+1 408-947-3635
Site:	egyptianmuseum.org
Rating:	4.4
Working:	Closed Closed 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 10AM–6PM 10AM–6PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 6

don willey

Interesting both as a repository of many things Egyptian, but also as a glimpse into Rosicrucians, a secret religious order. They had a video that described it, claimed many famous adherents, but I wasnt clear about how it related to Egyptology. I was surprised at the size of their facilities. The tomb replica was pretty cool, as was the replica of the Rosetta stone and the obelisk with the code of Hamerabi. There were cool statues and busts of Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and Cleopatra, and of course they had a mummy and embalming jars to hold the organs that were removed. I would have been interested to get more commentary about social implications of expending tremendous resources on burial places to provide for continued success in the afterlife of the rich and powerfull. The exhibition on alchemy was interesting and while it showed some shortcomings of practicing chemistry without a good theoretical basis, it was what they had available. Much of what they "knew" about earth/water/air/fire must have held back science. It seems like they codified and institutionalized some of their technology and controlled how it was shared. However, they seemed to have a bunch of gear for experiments, and must have found some useful and repeatable processes despite reliance on superstition and analogies instead of periodic tables. While goals like conversion of base metals to gold were misguided, they did some complex and for the age, sophisticated stuff like distillation that had useful applications.

Joe G

What a nice museum. They are closed Monday and Tuesday, but the entry is free from 4 until they close at 5 when they are open on Wednesday to Sunday. Entry is not expensive if you want to really take your time and see it all at your leisure, which we have done several times. But thanks to the generosity of the Rosicrucians, you can visit this museum for a quick look during the free hour, and thats what we did today because we were in the neighborhood. Its really cool to be able to see real mummies and actual artifacts from Egypt. The museum staff is low key and very knowledgeable. There is even a reproduction tomb you can see by going down into a simulated pyramid. Definitely go on the tomb tour so you get the full information, but this is only available during the paid period, so come back later for that. The museum has several floors, and there is even one section dedicated to alchemy. You will see statues, cuneiform writing and other artifacts and dioramas from Egypt. There is also a small planetarium where they do a short presentation. The outside of the building is also really cool and there are places to sit and gardens walk around and enjoy. Parking is smallish, but you can easily park out in the street. The neighborhood is upscale, very safe and not far from dining and shopping. This is a good little museum off the beaten path, combine it with a visit to the rose garden and make a day of it. Recommended.

Cherry Summers

This is a small, strange museum and very poorly maintained. There are some interesting replicas of statuary and some small artifacts like beads, pottery and jewelry as well as some small mummies. There are a few beautiful pieces and it is a relatively cheap museum to see, and its small enough to go through in an hour or two, depending on how much time you like to spend looking at objects under glass, many of which are poorly lit and most of which are poorly described. It was set up by amateur collectors and it shows. The information about various objects is often vague and sometimes inaccurate. The groupings of artifacts seems quite haphazard. The Rosicrucian Order itself is a somewhat mystical group, so there is also a large space devoted to alchemy and a small reading room with shelves of books on various mystical and "new age" topics. Near the museum entrance you can watch a small video about the order. If you spend the time there, you should know what to expect of the reading room. Overall, it might be worth visiting this museum for the novelty of the building and the grounds more than the contents, but if you have some time and dont mind giving about $12 to a fringe religious group for the experience, it can be an interesting way to spend a couple hours. Just dont expect to come out of it significantly more informed about Egyptian art or history (or even about the Rosicrucians).

Katherine Heicksen

The mixed reviews on this place made me hesitant to go, but Im glad I did. I took my two kids ages 9 & 11 and we spent the afternoon wandering the museum. It was a rainy Friday and it wasnt crowded. All of us enjoyed it very much. We should have come earlier in the day to be able to thoroughly explore all of it and I feel the need to return to do so. It houses an impressive collection of mostly authentic ancient Egyptian artifacts as well as some replicas and castes of artifacts housed elsewhere - mostly its the real deal. Lots of indepth descriptions with each item allow for a deeper understanding and appreciation of the exhibits. It is highly educational. The composit tomb replica is fun and the tour worth while. The whole place has a lovely and pleasant atmosphere, including the gardens, though we didnt make it to the planetarium. I also enjoyed the educational exhibit about the history of alchemy and learning about the founding society of the museum. If you are interested in Archeology, Ancient Egypt, Alchemy, The Rosicrucians, or just enjoy museums, this is a must. Its not a physically huge place, but it is quite concentrated and makes for a lovely day.

Henry Martin

Staff was friendly but childish (a couple of them were playing with coloring book pictures) (but still they were kind, in a weird way, really could not put my finger on it) 3.5 stars. Out side looks very cult like with (in my opinion lots of wasted space) there is a nice fountain you can relax around and eat lunch at, if your in the area. There is a koi pond with one "foot long" koi fish and a bunch of little ones" I was not impressed. (Outside grounds 2 stars) The inside has lots of relics some real some fake. There are a couple of dark rooms upstairs with fake relics that are set up to look like a worship room. (Way to satanic for me) 0 stars. We went in the Planetarium where I saw a collection of their paraphernalia on there occult beliefs. it was all I could stand, I turned around and walked out. I went home and did some research on them, turns out Im not far off the mark. They are definitely an occult and believe in mysticism 0 Stars. (This is one guy whos not going to drink your coolaid) I will never go back. stay away from this place.

Bill McElroy

I love my Mummy, I do.. You will too when you go to this museum which I believe has the second largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts, mummies, and information. {Largest I believe is in Germany} Plan on spending three to four hours in this multi-level building and the Planetarium next door. {They have movies there that are always interesting}. Plan your visit so you have plenty of time to see the exhibits, the movie, and then return to the exhibits and gift shop. The site has a gift shop, a parking lot out back, a flower and Koi pool garden, and much more. The entry fee is low and the value is tremendous. If you are in the San Jose area for one day, then I recommend going to the Winchester House in the AM, then to the Rose Garden and a restaurant for lunch, and then to this Egyptian Museum in the afternoon . It is a full day, but well worth it.