One of the best places to visit in the United States of America is Oakland and the neighborhood. There are a lot of the best things to explore in Oakland.
This place is perfect for a sort of vacation and for rejuvenating yourself. There are various good places and things that can be explored.
Tourists love to visit the amazing historically relevant places located here; some of them are Lake Merritt, Oakland Zoo, The African American Museum, Do, and many other such fun places.
For instance, you can explore the Telegraph Avenue area if you want to eat good food. Oakland is a very good place for historical and cultural experiences. The guides in Oakland are very good, and the rates are also very reasonable; you can try to get a guide as well.
You will come across some unusual attractions. You can encounter a lot of historic places around here. You might also love to explore Old Oakland.
Oakland has a very good historical legacy. People also celebrate black history month. There is also an African American library which is made to preserve, spread, protect, and interpret the legacy of the Can Americans. This way, Oakland’s history is very unique and full of pride.
There are a lot of amazing tour guides in Oakland. Apart from that, hotels and inns in Oakland are also very reasonable in price. Near the Oakland International Airport, accommodation can be found very easily.
List of 16 Best Things to Do in Oakland
1. Have Fun at Jack London Square
Jack London Square is probably one of the most happening places in Oakland. The facilities and the environment of this place are very good and comfortable. The list of fun things to do in Oakland includes attending one of the events organized here. Jack London Square is located in West Oakland.
The shops in this place have a diverse collection of various amazing items. There are several popular and good brands available here. Some of the very popular ones are the Dragon Gate, Regal, Tesla, Bridgegood, and many other amazing brands.
All around the year, several fun events keep on occurring here. These events are fun to visit. Some of the recent events that are coming up are Earth Day celebrations, Easter celebrations, and Breast cancer prevention events.
1.1. Recreational Activities Options
The dining options here are more than enough, and you can enjoy an amazing meal at any time of the day.
If you visit Jack London Square, you must try out the Farmhouse Kitchen and Scott’s seafood. You also have the option of going out to watch some of the best movies.
People also love to try out various outdoor activities. Several organizations help in the successful completion of these activities.
The Bay Trail provides various recreational options for all people. It offers activities kike biking, jogging, skating, and cycling.
Similarly, California Canoe and Kayak are one of the most expensive Paddlesports companies. You can easily book your appointment here and have a lot of fun.
Apart from these two organizations, there are several other brands as well that offer a lot of recreational facilities.
2. Visit Lake Merritt
Lake Merritt is one of the most beautiful places in Oakland. Surrounded by greenery and amazing landscape, lake Merritt offers a peaceful environment. The number of recreational options here is huge in number.
You can visit this place and make a ton of good memories because it is in Oakland. There are also several gardens. Entry into these gardens is free.
These are open from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 3 pm. The parks are open from 8 am to 4 pm on Sundays and Saturdays.
These include the Japanese, Pollinator, Bonsai, Lakeside Palmetum, Sensory, and Bay-friendly demonstration gardens. People also volunteer here for gardening. One fun fact about this place is that it is the oldest designated wildlife refuge.
Various species of birds are found here, and they enhance the beauty of this place. There are lakeside park bird walk tours every fourth Wednesday of the month.
You can take one of these tours and learn a lot about these birds and have a lot of fun.
2.1. Best Recreational Options
Briefly, there are a lot of other recreational activities that take place in this place.
You can try Oakland women’s rowing club, East Bayfront runners and walkers, Oakland Lawn Bowling Club, and Oakland Yellow Jackets biking. But bikes and scooters are not allowed on the lakeside paths. People are advised to use the assigned paths only.
You can also indulge in various other fun activities here. A children’s fairyland park is also located at the entrance of Lakeside Park. People also get a lot of knowledge from this place.
Some people also like to volunteer here for various tasks. Various projects are also under process in the lakeside park area, which will make this place more beautiful, and tourists will prefer to come here a lot.
3. Visit the Chabot Space and Science Center
This is one of the most informative and enlightening places in Oakland. One of the best things to do in Oakland is to visit this place and learn a lot of new things in a fun way.
The Chabot Space is a non-profit science center. It serves as an observatory or a planetarium for Oakland and the greater Bay Area. It also has a lot of galleries and a lot of other fun things.
Chabot space also allows school students to go there for very educative school trips. It develops a love for STEM among young and budding scientists. This place is so beautiful that some people want to get married here and have tons of good memories.
The space also organizes various amazing events and programs.
The San Francisco Bay Area near the center also has a lot of good places and outlets to explore. It is one of the fun ways to learn about natural science.
4. Visit the Oakland Zoo
The Oakland Zoo is one of the best zoos in the United States of America. People who are interested in wildlife and love to explore nature will like to visit this place. Apart from that, it has more than 850 native as well as exotic animals. It is located in East Oakland.
The categories of animals present here are reptiles, mammals, amphibians, birds, and arthropods. Among the mammals, you can get to witness an African lion, African elephant, American bison, American black bear, camel, and chimpanzee.
The zoo is not only confined to watching the animals; there are various options for diverse types of recreational activities. There are various rides and trails available here.
There is also a children’s zoo present inside the zoo. It provides a learning opportunity for children.
One good thing about this zoo is that it allows people to shop for various items online. You can shop for merchandise, toys, and cups from here.
5. Have an Experience of Downtown Oakland
Downtown Oakland is also known for its architectural beauty. Downtown Oakland has got everything that you might need, from fancy East Bay streetwear to tasty food cafes and libraries.
This area is huge and will demand a lot of time for its full exploration. There are a lot of affordable and convenient hotels available here, so tourists get a lot of options and choices.
6. Head to the Morcom Rose Garden
The Morcom rose garden is one of Oakland’s prettiest places to visit. It is located in the Grand Lake neighborhood. It covers a total area of almost eight acres and is very spacious. It has a lot of varieties of colorful roses.
Many events also occur here, and people have a lot of fun here. The Amphitheatre in the garden is mostly used for private events like weddings and other such parties. One fun fact about this place is that it is wheelchair friendly.
7. Visit the Redwood Regional Park
This is one of the most famous parks in Oakland. The Redwood Regional Park is very beautiful and very clean. Alone or with your loved one, this is a must-visit place. You will feel very calm and peaceful here.
Firstly, the entry ticket fee is also very economical and reasonable. Secondly, there are many types of recreational activities here. And finally, people also go for trails and hikes.
8. Visit the Oakland Museum for a Great Learning Experience
This is again one of the most happening places in Oakland. Here you can learn, donate, attend events, go through galleries, and shop. This museum is located in Northern California and has a lot of other exploratory places nearby.
Do not go to the museum on Tuesdays and Mondays as it is closed on these two days of the week. It is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on only four days of the week: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. And on Fridays, it is open from 11 am to 9 pm.
However, on public holidays, the museum is again closed. The admission fees for the members are free, and for non-members, it depends on their age.
In the Oakland Museum, multiple galleries are used for exhibitions and displays. And you can also explore the museum online because it has a vast online collection.
The museum also showcases the black panther party’s legacy of leadership. It showcases how people fought for their rights and identity. Therefore, you can also go to see that.
Various annual events also take place here. The museum also keeps on organizing various new and unique types of events as well. Being a part of any one such event is again included in the list of some of the unique things to do in Oakland.
9. Take Your Children to the Children’s Fairyland
The children’s fairyland is within walking distance from Lake Merritt. Visiting this place can be a very good experience, and you can make a lot of good memories here. It is a whimsical amusement park.
You can also make donations here for the betterment of the area as well as for other purposes. This park is open Friday through Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm. Reserving your entry tickets beforehand is advised. This fairyland is Walt Disney-inspired.
Briefly, Various events and performances also take place here. Puppet shows are also very popular here. The fairyland has a storybook puppet theatre which has its audience as young children.
From experiencing the experience of Alice in Wonderland to Jolly Roger pirate ship, this place has got it all.
Children love to come here to watch the puppet shows. Some of the puppet shows are about the dragon who wasn’t; it could always be more, the city mouse and the country mouse and the rabbit who wanted red wing.
The fairyland also has a children’s theatre where children perform various plays. This is a learning opportunity for them as professionals train them. There are various other events like the book festival, book celebrations, and tea- parties.
10. Visit the Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate
The Oakland hills surrounding this historic estate beautify this place all the more. If you are looking for a rental property for organizing any kind of event, then this is the place for you.
Be it a dinner party, a wedding ceremony, a reception party, or a birthday party, this place is perfect for it.
It was built in 1899 and has around 37 spacious rooms. You will be impressed by the hospitality and politeness of the staff. There is also a very spacious garden area available here.
You can easily and quickly reserve the rooms for yourself or your peers.
11. Visit the Oakland Art Murmur
It is very artistic and has various forms of art. This place is loved by everyone who loves and appreciates art and creativity. It carries a rich history of art and art styles.
It is a hub for creativity. Various events are also organized here, and you can take part in them. Apart from being very artistic, these events also offer a learning opportunity. Various exhibitions and programs are also organized here.
Artist talks are also organized here. Various artists address the gatherings at various artistic venues. You can also take a tour. You can also book a private art tour for your family or friends.
East Bay Open Studios events are also very good and informative. They organize family-friendly events twice a year. These events connect art with artists.
12. Oakland Cannabis Tour
Oakland is also known for its cannabis tours. Taking this Cannabis tour is again one of the things on the list of adventurous things to do in Oakland.
Cannabis is legal in California. You can book a tour and watch the plants or marijuana grow in the planes.
On this tour, you can get to see a lot of amazing stuff. Overall, this tour is very informative and educative.
You will get to learn a lot about the whole process of the plantation, production, and distribution of marijuana plants. You can also buy samples of it from there.
The prices are again very reasonable and worth it.
13. Have Fun at the Temescal Alley
Temescal Alley is again one of the greatest places in Oakland. Shopping here is one of the cool and amazing. One fun fact about this alley is that it is also called the hipster alley. This is because of the fashion, style, and vibes of the residents of the place.
A lot of great shopping outlets are situated here, and this place has very tasty food and beverages, cafes and restaurants.
Tourists love to come here and shop for various local items. Some of the best shops that you can visit are Ali Golden, Crimson Horticultural Rarities, and many other such stores.
13.1. Cafes and Food Outlets
Some of the best cafes or food outlets are Co Nam, Bakesale Betty, Bird and Buffalo, Beauty’s Bagel Shop, AZIT Oakland, Burma Superstar, Clove and Hoof, Golden Gate Donuts, and Hawking Bird. From burgers to pizzas to the greatest local food of Oakland, this place has got it all.
One must go to the gourmet food trucks to get the most amazing food. There are various other food outlets here; you can try the food according to your tastes and preferences.
Apart from this, a lot of fun events are also organized here. There are a lot of popular events, but the most popular one is the Oakland Temescal Tastes. Another fun event that could be attended is the DOPE circus.
The Farmer’s market is also organized here every year from 9 am to 10 pm. You can also shop here for the most exotic and authentic natural products.
14. Attend the Most Awaited Event of Oakland- The Oktoberfest
This festival is one of the greatest events in the Bay Area. It is a craft beer festival where a lot of people join the festivities and have a lot of fun. People get to choose from more than 200 craft beers. This year, the premium craft beer festival will be from September 30 to October 1.
There are four stages on which various artists will perform. There are around twenty food vendors present here. There is a very wide variety of food and beverages offered here.
You can enjoy this festival totally free of cost.
15. Watch a Film at the Old Paramount Theater
Coming to see the old Paramount Theatre and experiencing its legacy is one of the best things to do in Oakland. A lot of films and plays are shown here. You can easily book your tickets and come and enjoy yourselves.
16. Visit and Learn at the Oakland School of Art
Oakland School for Art is one of the best schools for learning art in Oakland. Like many other places in Oakland, this place also organizes various festivals and events. Coming to one of these events is also included on the list of fun things to do in Oakland.
Conclusion
Oakland is a very beautiful and fun place to visit. Apart from these, you can also indulge in many other fun things in Oakland. One can also visit the Telegraph Avenue area for a lot of other fun opportunities.
You can also attend various festivals organized here. One of the greatest festivals is the Soul Oakland Festival. Apart from this, street art is very famous in Oakland; you can get yourself clicked in front of these murals.
Some people also prefer to go biking or hiking trails along the redwood forest area. The beauty of redwood trees enhances the beauty of the trails. You can also learn about the various social and political organizations at work in Oakland.
You can also go on romantic sunset cruises and make your trip very memorable. The Floating White House cruise is also very fun and unique.
The Oakland community is very helpful and hospitable, making your visit to Oakland hassle-free and smooth.
Last Updated on by Pragya Chakrapani
