Chabot Space and Science Center
10000 Skyline Blvd.
Oakland, CA 94619
510-336-7300
Hours: Open Friday, 5pm – 10pm, Saturday, 10am -10pm, Sunday, noon – 5pm, Wednesday – Friday 10am – 5pm
Admission Charged
The 86,000-square-foot center houses one of the largest public telescopes in the United States, a 230-seat planetarium, and the large-screen Tien MegaDome Theater. There are also numerous hands-on science and technology exhibits.
Children's Fairyland
699 Bellevue Ave.
Oakland, CA 94610
510-452-2259
Hours: Summer: Mon. - Fri., 10am – 4pm, Sat. and Sun. 10am – 5pm. Other seasons: hours vary, call for additional information
Admission Charged
Young children will enjoy this enchanting, three-dimensional fantasy world where popular nursery rhymes come to life, set in picturesque Lakeside Park.
Chinatown
Broadway, Alice, 13th, and Seventh Sts.
Admission Free
Experience Asian culture and character by exploring the restaurants, specialty shops, markets, and bakeries in this vibrant neighborhood. Be sure to visit the elegant Chinese Presbyterian Church (265 Eighth St.) and Pacific Renaissance Plaza (388 Ninth St.), which houses shops, restaurants, and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
City Center
Broadway and 14th St.
Admission Free
Glimpse a mix of 19th-century buildings standing proud alongside modern skyscrapers and elegant landscaping. Eye-catching buildings of note include Tribune Tower, the art deco financial center building, the federal building, the historic and recently restored City Hall, the Rotunda, and Frank H. Ogawa Plaza. The City Center pedestrian plaza boasts outdoor seating, restaurants, shops, and summer concerts.
Gondola Servizio
568 Bellevue Ave.
Oakland, CA 94610
510-663-6603
Hours: Call for days and hours of operation
Admission Charged
Glide across Lake Merritt in a beautiful Venetian gondola accompanied by a serenading gondolier. Enjoy an evening cruise for two or an afternoon group (up to six) event.
Jack London Square
Broadway and Embarcadero
510- 814-6000
Admission Free
This busy site at the water's edge has dining, entertainment, shopping, and more than a few spots for daydreaming. Take a ferry ride, stroll the scenic boardwalk, catch a movie, or just relax at a sunny sidewalk café.
Lake Merritt/Lakeside Park
Grand and Bellevue Aves.
510-238-7275
Admission Free
This large saltwater lake-one of the largest in the country-and the adjoining 122-acre park are home to wildlife, formal gardens, and a children's amusement park, all of which draw scores of walkers, joggers, bikers, rowers, sailors, and windsurfers. See also Children's Fairyland and the Rotary Nature Center.
Morcom Amphitheater of Roses
700 Jean St.
Oakland, CA 94610
510-238-3187
Hours: Call for additional information
Admission Charged
Opened in the late 1920s, this eight-acre municipal rose garden features more than 6,000 rose bushes of all varieties. Bloom season is late April through October.
Oakland Mormon Temple and Visitors Center
4770 Lincoln Ave.
Oakland, CA 94602
510-531-1475
Hours: Visitors center open daily 9am – 9pm
Admission Free
This architectural standout offers panoramic views of the Bay Area and is adorned with breathtaking lights at Christmas.
Oakland Zoo
9777 Golf Links Rd.
Oakland, CA 94605
510-632-9525
Hours: Open daily, 10am – 4pm
Admission Charged
Nestled in the 525-acre Knowland Park in the Oakland Hills, the zoo houses more than 400 native and exotic animals. The exhibits are organized geographically and reflect the ecosystems of the animals' native habitats. Visitors can enjoy rotating cultural exhibits in the education center, and kids will love the butterfly garden and the "rides area," with a roller coaster, an "endangered species carousel," and a train.
Jack London Water Taxi
Foot of Broadway, Jack London Square
510-839-7572
Hours: Call for additional information
Admission Charged
Take a relaxing ride on the estuary on this pontoon boat and see the city from a unique perspective. Enjoy views of the waterfront, harbor facilities, and estuary wildlife.
Rotary Nature Center
600 Bellevue Ave.
Oakland, CA 94610
510-238-3739
Hours: Open daily, 10am – 5pm
Admission Charged
This wildlife refuge, the oldest in the United States, is located in downtown's Lakeside Park.
African American Museum and Library at Oakland
659 14th St.
Oakland, CA 946
510-637-0200
Hours: Tues.-Sat. noon - 5:30pm
Admission Free
This division of the Oakland Public Library is devoted to organizing, preserving, interpreting, and sharing the African American experience in California.
California Genealogical Society
1611 Telegraph Ave.
Oakland, CA 94612
510-663-1358
Hours: Thursday – Saturday 9am – 4pm
Admission Free
This organization, which helps people trace their family histories, maintains a vast library of genealogical documents, maps, reference books, periodicals, and other materials.
Ebony Museum of Art
1034 14th St.
Oakland, CA 94607
510-763-0141
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 11am – 6pm
Admission Charged
This downtown museum preserves both African American and African art and promotes greater appreciation of African American heritage.
Mills College Art Museum
5000 MacArthur Blvd.
Oakland, CA 94613
510-430-2164
Hours: Sept. - May: Tues. - Sat. 11am – 4pm, Sun. 1 – 4pm
Admission Charged
At the college's museum, guests can view local and international touring exhibits as well as the permanent collection.
The Museum of African American Technology Science Village
630 20th St.
Oakland, CA 94612
510-893-6426
Hours: Mon. - Fri. 10am – 5pm, Sat. noon - 6pm, Sun. 2 – 6pm. Tours Sat. and Sun., and by appointment.
Admission Charged
This museum exhibits the technical achievements of African Americans.
The Museum of Children's Art (MOCHA)
538 Ninth St.
Oakland, CA 94607
510-465-8770
Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 5pm
Admission Charged
Tucked away in a quaint courtyard in Old Oakland, this museum offers art classes for kids and drop-in working studios, as well as rotating exhibits of art created by children.
Oakland Museum of California
1000 Oak St.
Oakland, CA94607
510-238-2200
Hours: Open Wednesday – Sunday, call for exact hours of operation
Admission Charged
Surrounded by 51/2 acres of landscaped greenery, this museum is devoted to the arts, environment, and history of California.
Pro Arts
461 Ninth St.
Oakland, CA 94607
510-763-4361
Hours: Open Wednesday – Saturday, 11am – 5pm
Admission Charged
This downtown exhibit space features local and regional artists, and sponsors the annual East Bay Open Studios every June, when some 400 artists around the Bay Area open their workplaces to the public.
Western Aerospace Museum
8260 Boeing St. (Oakland International Airport, North Field)
Oakland, CA 94621
510-638-7100
Hours: Open Wednesday – Sunday, 10am -4pm
Located in a vintage hangar at Oakland International Airport, this museum houses aircraft displays, artifacts, a giant flying boat, and an Electra similar to the one flown by Amelia Earhart, who took off from this airfield and disappeared over the Pacific Ocean.
Camron-Stanford House
1418 Lakeside Dr.
Oakland, CA 94612
510-444-1876
Hours: Wednesday, 11am – 4pm, Sunday, 1pm – 5 pm
Admission Charged
This beautifully restored building is the last of the Victorians that once dominated the Lake Merritt area. Built in 1876, the house features period rooms and restoration exhibits.
Cohen-Bray House
1440 29th Ave.
Oakland, CA 94601
510-532-0704
Hours: Fourth Sunday of every month and by appointment.
Admission Charged
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Cohen-Bray House has been owned by one family since it was built in 1883 and offers views of its original interior décor and gardens.
Dunsmuir House and Gardens Historic Estate
2960 Peralta Oaks Ct.
Oakland, CA 94605
510-615-5555
Hours: Grounds open Feb.-Oct.: Tues. - Fri. 10am – 4pm. Mansion open April-Sept.:
Wed. 11am - noon
Admission Charged
This 37-room colonial revival mansion, built in 1899, along with its surrounding horticultural park and gardens, allows visitors to see how the wealthy lived a century ago.
Grand Lake Theater
3200 Grand Ave.
Oakland, CA 94610
510-452-3556
Hours: Call for additional information
A mainstay of the community since its construction in 1926, this first-run movie theater is graced with a colorful, lighted marquee and a sweeping staircase in the main hall. Look for the ornately decorated walls, brass chandeliers, and faux opera boxes. Prior to curtain on Friday and Saturday nights, an organist serenades the audience on a Wurlitzer.
Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon
48 Webster Street in Jack London Square
Oakland, CA 94607
510-839-6761
Hours: Call for additional information
Admission Free
Built in 1880 and once frequented by Oakland resident Jack London, this saloon is a popular hangout for Jack London Square denizens and visitors alike. It was designated a national literary landmark in 1998.
Old Oakland
Between Broadway and Clay Sts., from Seventh to 10th Sts.
This historic neighborhood of elegantly restored Victorian commercial buildings dates back to the 1870s and is now home to unique shops, galleries, Washington Street Restaurant Row, and a farmers market on Fridays.
Peralta Hacienda Historical Park
2465 34th Ave.
Oakland, CA 94601
510-532-9142
Hours: Tours Wed. 2 – 4pm, and first Saturday of the month at 1pm
Admission Charged
This six-acre park is the focal point of the historic 44,000-acre Rancho San Antonio, established through a Spanish land grant to Luis Peralta and his family.
USS Potomac
540 Water Street
Oakland, CA 94607
Located at the foot of Clay St. Jack London Square
510-627-1215
Hours: Call for additional information
Admission Charged
Affectionately dubbed the Floating White House by the press; Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidential yacht is one of the few floating museums in the country. The restored 165-foot vessel, a national historic landmark, is a memorial to FDR and his accomplishments.
|
