See

Oakland Museum of California

A startlingly good museum dedicated to the art, history, and culture of California. The building itself is an admirable piece of architecture, and the exhibits are almost uniformly excellent and engaging. Free for everyone on the first Sunday of each month. One thing to know is that the concrete construction of the building blocks cell signals, so be aware that you will likely lose contact for your stay in the museum.

Address: 1000 Oak St
Getting there: at 10th; Lake Merritt BART station
Hours: Wed-Thu 11AM-5PM, Fri 11AM-9PM, Sat Sun 10AM-6PM
Price: $15.95/adult, $10.95/concession, $6.95/youth
Website: museumca.org (opens in a new tab)

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Oakland, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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See
Oakland Public Library
With branches in neighborhoods throughout the city (check their website for specific branch locations and hours), the Oakland Public Library hosts numerous public events that make use of their facilities and vast resources.
Drink
Ruby Room
A larger bar with a similar ambiance to the Radio Bar (with which it shares an owner), this includes a pool (billiards) room.
Eat
Lake Chalet
Elegant dining room overlooking Lake Merritt. When the weather is warm you can have lunch or happy hour outside on the pier. The food itself (seafood and steaks) is mediocre. The wine list is rather generic, but they do have their own local beer. You can also take a gondola ride around the lake. Online reservations. Space for private parties.
Mon-Thu 11AM-8PM, Fri 11AM-9PM, Sat 10AM-9PM, Sun 10AM-8PM$15-35
Eat
Shandong Restaurant
Although former California Governor Jerry Brown visited this place during his term as Mayor of Oakland (a framed picture of him and the restaurant owner is proudly displayed), this restaurant has the characteristics of a local, "dirty but delicious" gem. Noodles are made fresh, right in the restaurant. Often crowded with local Chinese, and so when busy one may have to wait a while to get a table.
Sat-Thu 11AM-3PM, 4-9PM; Fri Sat 11AM-3PM, 4-9:30PM$15-30