Oakland: Culture, Nature and Special Experiences

Oakland combines impressive cultural stories with nature experiences and a wide range of activities. Those planning a trip with children can choose between museums, a storybook park, wildlife encounters, redwood forests and activities on the water. When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Oakland, the desired mix of culture, activity and shared discoveries is therefore a good starting point.

Culture with Special Stories

The Chabot Space & Science Center is home to the historic 8-inch Alvan Clark refracting telescope. It is the original instrument from 1883 and was donated by founder Anthony Chabot. This gives a visit a specific historical connection that can also be made accessible to young explorers.

Another unusual attraction is Fairyland's Open Storybook Puppet Theater. It is considered the oldest continuously operating puppet theater in the United States. At the Oakland Museum of California, art, history and natural sciences come together. The museum brings together multidisciplinary collections across an exhibition space of 110,000 square feet and a seven-acre campus. In the three central galleries—California Art, History and Natural Sciences—approximately 4,000 collection objects are on display at any given time.

Lake Merritt, Wildlife and Redwood Forest

The museum's outdoor areas are also part of the characteristic Oakland experience: The terraced gardens overlooking Lake Merritt use native plants representing five Californian ecoregions. Children's Fairyland, a 10-acre storybook park in Oakland, California, is also located on the shores of Lake Merritt. Young children can play, learn, create and let their imaginations run free there all day.

The Oakland Zoo is home to more than 850 native and exotic animals. The California Trail features large enclosures for gray wolves, grizzly bears, jaguars, mountain lions, bald eagles, California condors, black bears and American bison. Those who would rather explore a landscape than observe animals will find Dr. Aurelia Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park, a 1,833-acre park with coastal redwood forest, evergreen forests, chaparral and grassland.

Active Days on the Water and in Nature

The Jack London Aquatic Center offers advanced sailing and kayaking programs for young people and adults. It also organizes community-based rowing and dragon boat programs. Lakeside Park has paved paths for jogging and cycling. Every Tuesday and Saturday at 10 a.m., the Lake Merritt Institute organizes community clean-up events to keep Lake Merritt clean and healthy for wildlife and the community.

This selection allows for different daily rhythms: You can plan a museum day focused on art, history and natural sciences, put animals and landscapes at the center of your visit, or choose activities on and by the water.

More Destinations for Trip Planning

If you would like to explore other places in addition to Oakland, Livermore, Fremont, Castro Valley, Dublin, Piedmont, Sunol, Berkeley and Emeryville are also available for further orientation.

For the overarching travel overview: Alameda.