Top Rated Attractions in Oakland

This is a Port of Oakland attraction named after the famous author and Oakland native. The charming waterfront property is filled with numerous entertainment options and quality dining and shopping establishments. Some of the highlights include awesome views, strolls on the boardwalk, amazing restaurants, and the famous Yoshi's Jazz House. You may enjoy the selection of numerous great boutiques plus a movie theater, ferry cruises, and special events like a Farmer's Market every Sunday and an antiques and collectibles show the first Saturday of every month.

The Paramount Theatre is the home of the Oakland Ballet and the Oakland East Bay Symphony. It is the area's foremost facility for performing arts and is known for its grand music concerts, variety shows and movies. Constructed in the post-Depression period of 1931, the Paramount Theatre is best remembered for fusing various disciplines of arts together into a harmonious whole. The Paramount frequently screens old movie classics complete with intermission with bar service.

This park consists of 16 Victorian houses concentrated in downtown Oakland. Each of the homes, which are sometimes open for tours, dates back to between 1870 and 1910 (the latter are technically Edwardian, but the designs are still charming). Some areas of the Victorian park are also available for weddings, meetings, and private parties. Take in five different styles of architecture and beautifully landscaped gardens. In addition to a lovely walk along a scenic street, you will be enjoying a glimpse of what Oakland looked like in the old days. The park is free and open to the public.

This beautiful mansion built in 1899 is an outstanding example of the neo-classical revival style significant enough to have been designated as a National Historic Site by the United States Department of the Interior. The 37-room estate features a Tiffany-style dome, ten fireplaces and lovely parquet floors in its 16,224 square-feet. During the winter holiday season, the house features magnificent decorations and hosts a number of special festive events.

University of California Botanical Garden is located within the campus of University of California Berkeley. Open to the public since 1890, this is no less than an outdoor living museum that boasts over 12,000 species of flora and fauna. The garden can be rented for private events, wedding receptions, twilight tours, summer walks and concerts.

Occupying a massive 3.64 acres, the Berkeley Rose Garden boasts over 3000 rose bushes and 250 unique rose varieties. This fragrant city park features six luscious terraces, four tennis courts, and a spectacular sunset view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Historians and architecture enthusiasts will appreciate the New Deal roots of the park's Depression-era construction, as well as the charming First Bay Tradition-styled design of the park and the surrounding residential neighborhood. The garden blooms most dramatically in mid-May.