A Guide to Westfield Valley Fair
Visitors look at a map of Westfield Valley Fair on Oct. 17, 2025. Photo by Nina Glick
Whether you’re a Bay Area local or a newcomer, you’ve probably heard of Westfield Valley Fair—the massive shopping center that doubles as Santa Clara University’s unofficial social hub. Located approximately 10 minutes away from campus, it’s where students go to shop, eat and spend an entire afternoon far away from the stressful school atmosphere.
If you feel ready to tackle the crowds, though it can get extreme—there are many places to go—from cuisine to activities and more.
When should I go? How can I get there?
Although weekdays are typically less crowded than weekends, the mall consistently draws a steady stream of shoppers.
There are three main shopping garages located within Valley Fair: Monroe, Winchester and Stevens Creek. These garages are located on different corners of the mall, providing easy access depending on where you want to shop. Patience is key, though, as garages may fill up quickly during high traffic hours such as mid-mornings and afternoons on the weekends.
“The amount of parking structures helps on a busy day,” says Advaitha Ekkirala ’27, a lifelong resident of Santa Clara, who enjoys visiting Valley Fair. However, she admits the parking can be a hassle. “But sometimes you have to circle around for a while until you find a good spot.”
Luckily, Valley Fair parking is free for the first 2 hours.
After that time period, the price begins to increase and stops at $15 total for anything beyond six hours per day. The system uses tickets, which you receive after entering through the gates. Some garages are equipped with sensors to track your license plate and duration of your stay; you may still need to scan your ticket on departure.
No car? The average UberX rate for a trip from campus to Valley Fair is around $10. VTA Bus routes stopping near the mall include 23, 523, 59 and 60. The University provides Zipcar access, allowing you to rent cars conveniently located on campus. Sign up for free here.
What can I do?
Once you enter the mall, you are presented with a variety of options to choose from. There are approximately 215 stores, 68 restaurants and several types of entertainment. Separated by an upper level and a lower level, there is something for everyone.
The upper level—or the level built for a student’s budget—is filled with familiar sights, such as Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Abercrombie & Fitch and other young adult clothing stores.
The clearance racks, in particular, are popular among college students.
“I usually stop by the Anthropologie racks just in case—every so often there are surprisingly good deals. Since most of the stores are expensive, I usually end up window-shopping or combing through the clearance section,” said Claire Hong ’27 a Bay Area native and frequent patron of Valley Fair.
Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie have the largest clearance sections at the back of their respective stores. Although the areas are cluttered, they offer a variety of sizes and styles in items originally priced at double—or sometimes triple—their marked-down price.
On the other hand, the lower level is mostly reserved for luxury stores, such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Versace and other big brand names. Armed security guards, or mall cops, stand by the entrance of each store and most of these locations require appointments to browse. Typically, this area of the mall does not seem as crowded given its price point, but it is home to most restrooms and family lounges—so expect to see some bigger groups.
POP MART is one Valley Fair’s most prized stores at the moment. Inspired by the Asian collector market, it has become a hot spot for trinket lovers to add to their collections. The shop is directly across from Aerie and can’t be missed with bright lights and vibrant colors. Each wall is filled with souvenirs, specifically blind box-style trinkets. Labubu’s is leading these super popular boxes right now—and we talked all about it. Check out an article all about them here.
If you are looking to get some new jewelry in the form of piercings, Valley Fair has Body Jewlz and Studs to fulfill that need. Both are located near the Monroe Parking Garage, with either piercing shop highly rated for their sanitizing and aftercare process. In a rush? Both locations take walk-in appointments, as well as online booking.
Not a fan of shopping? Valley Fair isn’t limited to retail. The mall has leaned heavily into experience-based attractions, such as The Great Big Game Show, The Escape Game and the Immersive Gamebox.
The purpose of these attractions is to allow groups to participate in fun trivia games, escape rooms and virtual reality experiences. They do tend to fill up quickly, so it can be useful to book in advance on their website. In addition, Valley Fair recently opened Alamo Drafthouse Theater in May 2025, where customers can view the newest movies and eat meals.
Where can I eat?
In terms of the dining scene at Valley Fair, there are tons of options for people of cuisines.
Some of the most notable restaurants include: Eataly, Onigilly, Ramen Nagi, Din Tai Fung, the dining terrace and others.
Eataly is a popular Italian restaurant chain with three floors of cuisine. The first floor consists of grab-and-go items, such as gelato and to-go meals. The second floor is a marketplace with Italian foods and wine. Finally, the third floor has two restaurants: Terra and La Pizza & La Pasta.
“The bolognese from La Pizza & La Pasta is a ten out of ten,” says Kira Whetstone ’27, who frequently visits the mall and enjoys Italian cuisine. “I also love the gelato on the first floor.”
Onigilly, known for its Japanese cuisine—specifically onigiri, a rice ball with filling wrapped in seaweed—offers a variety of cost-efficient meat and vegetarian options. The prices per piece are around four dollars, with the option of adding edamame or soup on the side. We recommend that you try out their spicy mayo.
Ramen Nagi, located on the second floor along with the prior, is a highly rated ramen spot that allows customers to build their own ramen through selecting a soup base, spice level, and toppings. Be warned, if you intend to eat at the Valley Fair location, the line forms quickly and space is limited. Their hours can be found here.
If you aren’t feeling Asian-based cuisine, the mall also has a classic Cheesecake Factory and California Pizza, which are all centered on very familiar American-style food.
Don’t have time to sit down? Valley Fair has a standard food court located on the second level, just across from Journey’s and Pandora. Restaurants such as Panda Express, Nick the Greek, Popeyes and others can be found, with automated kiosks streamlining the order process. To find out more information on Valley Fair restaurants, check out their website.
Where to find the best snacks and drinks?
Valley Fair is home to several coffee, boba and matcha drink locations scattered across the mall.
The Starbucks, formerly on the bottom floor, has recently been moved to the second floor across from Urban Outfitters. Many people stop by Starbucks as a meeting point, so it's important to note that mobile order is entirely functional, and you can skip the—at times—lengthy line. There is also Blue Bottle Coffee and Maison de Patisserie, which are both somewhat higher-end cafes with a variety of caffeinated beverages and some pastries.
Not a coffee drinker? Matcha Cafe Maiko is located directly across from POP MART on the second floor where it offers matcha, hojicha and matcha-themed snacks such as matcha ice cream.
Just craving a snack? Mochill Mochi Donuts is—in our opinion—the tastiest mochi donuts in the Santa Clara area. Relatively cost-efficient and light enough to carry around the mall, if you’re craving a sweet treat, it's worth the stop.
Another cute place to grab a sweet treat is SomiSomi, located on the second floor. The shop is best known for its ah-boong, a fish-shaped waffle that can be filled with Nutella, red bean, taro and other flavors. You can even add it on top of their soft-serve ice cream, which features consistent flavors such as vanilla and chocolate, along with limited-edition ones.
The newest addition to the drink and snack scene at Valley Fair is the Hello Kitty Cafe. Heavily Sanrio themed with vibrant pink colors and bright lights, the cafe has been attracting dozens of customers since its opening on July 11, 2025. It’s recommended to get in line around ten in the morning, or to come around two, after the rush.
“The line was around 40 minutes long on a Tuesday afternoon,” said Cade Morgan ’27 president of the men’s volleyball club on campus. “The strawberry lemonade was definitely my favorite.”
Overall, Westfield Valley Fair has something for everyone, regardless of where you’re from. Whether it is an impromptu group dinner, a sweet treat, a dress for Rush or that pair of slacks you’ve been procrastinating on buying, the mall remains a fixture for students all year round.