Berkeley
This 2079-acre park, up in the hills east of town, is Berkeley’s best. It has nearly 40 miles of hiking and multiuse trails of varying difficulty, from…
Must-see attractions in East Bay
Oakland
Stargazers will go gaga over this kid-oriented science and technology center in the Oakland Hills with loads of exhibits on subjects such as space travel…
John Muir National Historic Site
East Bay
Naturalist John Muir's former residence sits in a pastoral patch of farmland in bustling, modern Martinez. Though Muir wrote of sauntering the Sierra…
Oakland
Every museum has an educational mission, and this one is dedicated to California. You'll find rotating exhibitions on artistic and scientific themes, and…
Museum of Art & Digital Entertainment
Oakland
If you love video games, the MADE is the heaven you go to when you die and are all out of extra lives. It's a museum of sorts, but more a sort of time…
Oakland
Along the western shore of Alameda Island, Robert W Crown Memorial State Park sees flocks of East Bay locals on a sunny day. The sandy beach stretches 2.5…
Oakland
An urban respite, Lake Merritt is a popular place to stroll or go running (a 3.5-mile paved path circles the lake), with bonsai and botanical gardens, a…
Berkeley
Officially called Sather Tower, the Campanile was modeled on St Mark’s Basilica in Venice. The 307ft spire offers fine views of the Bay Area, and at the…
Oakland
Franklin D Roosevelt’s ‘floating White House,’ the 165ft USS Potomac, is moored at Clay and Water Sts by the ferry dock, and is open for dockside tours…
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley
'Cal' is one of the country's top universities, California's oldest university (1866), and home to 40,000 diverse, politically conscious students. Next to…
UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley
Berkeley
With 34 acres and more than 10,000 types of plants, this garden in the hills above campus has one of the most varied collections in the USA. Flora from…
Oakland
The area where writer and adventurer Jack London once raised hell now bears his name. The pretty waterfront location is worth a stroll, especially when…
Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historic Park
East Bay
The struggle for civil rights and women's equality is the focus of one of the East Bay's most significant historical sites. The visitor center has a small…
East Bay
Collecting a light dusting of snowflakes on the coldest days of winter, Mt Diablo (3849ft) is over 1200ft higher than Mt Tamalpais in Marin County. On a…
Oakland
This 10-acre kiddie attraction dates from 1950, and we're not sure if it's been overhauled since. We mean that as a compliment! Children's Fairyland, with…
Berkeley
Stop in to see the traditional wooden tools used for making sake and a short video of the brewing process. Tours of the factory aren’t offered, but you…
Berkeley
Telegraph Ave has traditionally been the throbbing heart of studentville in Berkeley, the sidewalks crowded with undergrads, postdocs and youthful…
Berkeley
In North Berkeley discover the Berkeley Rose Garden, with its eight terraces of colorful explosions. Here you’ll find quiet benches and a plethora of…
Berkeley
At the Berkeley Marina, this is one of the coolest play spaces in the Bay Area – a free outdoor park encouraging creativity and cooperation where…
Berkeley
With a stainless-steel exterior wrapping around a 1930s printing plant, this museum holds multiple galleries showcasing a limited number of artworks, from…
Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life
Berkeley
This museum boasts a fine collection – almost 15,000 pieces – of art and cultural artifacts sourced from across the Jewish diaspora, particularly Jewish…
Phoebe A Hearst Museum of Anthropology
Berkeley
South of the Campanile in Kroeber Hall, this small museum includes exhibits from indigenous cultures around the world, including ancient Peruvian,…
Oakland
Nestled along the Oakland hills, Redwood Regional Park covers 1830 acres of land and is home to the last grove of Coast Redwoods in the East Bay. Explore…
Oakland Public Library, Asian Branch
Oakland
This library is packed with books in Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese, plus locals playing Xiangqi (Chinese chess) and Mahjong. It's a nice spot…
Berkeley
The Bancroft houses, among other gems, the papers of Mark Twain, a copy of Shakespeare’s folios and a diary from the Donner Party. Its small public…
Oakland
At the northern end of Piedmont Ave, this is perhaps the most serene and lovely artificial landscape in the East Bay. Designed by Frederick Law Olmstead …
Berkeley
Near Grizzly Peak Blvd, this science hall is named after Ernest Lawrence, who won the Nobel Prize for his invention of the cyclotron particle accelerator…
Oakland
Reconstructed in part using the logs from London's original cabin in the Yukon Territory of Canada, this historic wooden cabin allows visitors a peek…
Berkeley
At the west end of University Ave is the marina, frequented by squawking seagulls, silent types fishing from the pier and, especially on windy weekends,…
First Church of Christ, Scientist
Berkeley
Bernard Maybeck’s impressive 1910 church uses concrete and wood in its blend of arts-and-crafts, Asian and Gothic influences. Maybeck was a professor of…
Berkeley
The frenetic energy buzzing from the university’s Sather Gate on any given day is a mixture of youthful posthippies reminiscing about days before their…
African American Museum & Library at Oakland
Oakland
Part of the Oakland Public Library, the AAMLO consists of a non-circulating library with huge collections on African American history and culture in…
Oakland
Put down that video-game console, cast aside your latest iPhone app and return to the bygone days of pinball play. Lose yourself in bells and flashing…
Oakland
This beautifully refurbished 1914 beaux-arts building is a downtown landmark. This was the first high-rise government building in the country, and when it…
Berkeley
This park, just east of Telegraph Ave, is a marker in local history as a political battleground between residents and the city and state government in the…
Berkeley
Despite the title, this isn't a museum, but rather a research facility that's closed to the public. With that said, the location within the Valley Life…
Oakland
This small park doesn't have much draw on its own, but it forms the geographic heart of Oakland's Little Saigon neighborhood, and is an interesting spot…
