Chabot Space and Science Center 10000 Skyline Blvd. Oakland, CA 94619

510-336-7300

Hours: Open Friday, 5pm – 10pm, Saturday, 10am -10pm, Sunday, noon – 5pm, Wednesday – Friday 10am – 5pm

Admission Charged The 86,000-square-foot center houses one of the largest public telescopes in the United States, a 230-seat planetarium, and the large-screen Tien MegaDome Theater. There are also numerous hands-on science and technology exhibits.

Children's Fairyland 699 Bellevue Ave. Oakland, CA 94610

510-452-2259

Hours: Summer: Mon. - Fri., 10am – 4pm, Sat. and Sun. 10am – 5pm. Other seasons: hours vary, call for additional information

Admission Charged Young children will enjoy this enchanting, three-dimensional fantasy world where popular nursery rhymes come to life, set in picturesque Lakeside Park.

Chinatown Broadway, Alice, 13th, and Seventh Sts.

Admission Free Experience Asian culture and character by exploring the restaurants, specialty shops, markets, and bakeries in this vibrant neighborhood. Be sure to visit the elegant Chinese Presbyterian Church (265 Eighth St.) and Pacific Renaissance Plaza (388 Ninth St.), which houses shops, restaurants, and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.

City Center Broadway and 14th St.

Admission Free Glimpse a mix of 19th-century buildings standing proud alongside modern skyscrapers and elegant landscaping. Eye-catching buildings of note include Tribune Tower, the art deco financial center building, the federal building, the historic and recently restored City Hall, the Rotunda, and Frank H. Ogawa Plaza. The City Center pedestrian plaza boasts outdoor seating, restaurants, shops, and summer concerts.

Gondola Servizio 568 Bellevue Ave.

Oakland, CA 94610 510-663-6603 Hours: Call for days and hours of operation

Admission Charged

Glide across Lake Merritt in a beautiful Venetian gondola accompanied by a serenading gondolier. Enjoy an evening cruise for two or an afternoon group (up to six) event.

Jack London Square Broadway and Embarcadero 510- 814-6000 Admission Free

This busy site at the water's edge has dining, entertainment, shopping, and more than a few spots for daydreaming. Take a ferry ride, stroll the scenic boardwalk, catch a movie, or just relax at a sunny sidewalk café.

Lake Merritt/Lakeside Park Grand and Bellevue Aves. 510-238-7275

Admission Free This large saltwater lake-one of the largest in the country-and the adjoining 122-acre park are home to wildlife, formal gardens, and a children's amusement park, all of which draw scores of walkers, joggers, bikers, rowers, sailors, and windsurfers. See also Children's Fairyland and the Rotary Nature Center.

Morcom Amphitheater of Roses 700 Jean St.

Oakland, CA  94610 510-238-3187

Hours: Call for additional information

Admission Charged Opened in the late 1920s, this eight-acre municipal rose garden features more than 6,000 rose bushes of all varieties. Bloom season is late April through October.

Oakland Mormon Temple and Visitors Center 4770 Lincoln Ave.

Oakland, CA 94602 510-531-1475

Hours: Visitors center open daily 9am – 9pm

Admission Free This architectural standout offers panoramic views of the Bay Area and is adorned with breathtaking lights at Christmas.

Oakland Zoo 9777 Golf Links Rd.

Oakland, CA 94605 510-632-9525

Hours: Open daily, 10am – 4pm

Admission Charged Nestled in the 525-acre Knowland Park in the Oakland Hills, the zoo houses more than 400 native and exotic animals. The exhibits are organized geographically and reflect the ecosystems of the animals' native habitats. Visitors can enjoy rotating cultural exhibits in the education center, and kids will love the butterfly garden and the "rides area," with a roller coaster, an "endangered species carousel," and a train.

Jack London Water Taxi Foot of Broadway, Jack London Square 510-839-7572

Hours: Call for additional information

Admission Charged Take a relaxing ride on the estuary on this pontoon boat and see the city from a unique perspective. Enjoy views of the waterfront, harbor facilities, and estuary wildlife.

Rotary Nature Center 600 Bellevue Ave.

Oakland, CA 94610 510-238-3739

Hours: Open daily, 10am – 5pm

Admission Charged This wildlife refuge, the oldest in the United States, is located in downtown's Lakeside Park.

African American Museum and Library at Oakland 659 14th St.

Oakland, CA 946 510-637-0200 Hours: Tues.-Sat. noon - 5:30pm

Admission Free

This division of the Oakland Public Library is devoted to organizing, preserving, interpreting, and sharing the African American experience in California.

California Genealogical Society 1611 Telegraph Ave.

Oakland, CA 94612 510-663-1358

Hours: Thursday – Saturday 9am – 4pm

Admission Free This organization, which helps people trace their family histories, maintains a vast library of genealogical documents, maps, reference books, periodicals, and other materials.

Ebony Museum of Art 1034 14th St.

Oakland, CA 94607 510-763-0141

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 11am – 6pm

Admission Charged This downtown museum preserves both African American and African art and promotes greater appreciation of African American heritage.

Mills College Art Museum 5000 MacArthur Blvd.

Oakland, CA 94613 510-430-2164

Hours: Sept. - May: Tues. - Sat. 11am – 4pm, Sun. 1 – 4pm

Admission Charged At the college's museum, guests can view local and international touring exhibits as well as the permanent collection.

The Museum of African American Technology Science Village 630 20th St.

Oakland, CA 94612 510-893-6426

Hours: Mon. - Fri. 10am – 5pm, Sat. noon - 6pm, Sun. 2 – 6pm. Tours Sat. and Sun., and by appointment.

Admission Charged This museum exhibits the technical achievements of African Americans.

The Museum of Children's Art (MOCHA) 538 Ninth St.

Oakland, CA 94607 510-465-8770

Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 5pm

Admission Charged Tucked away in a quaint courtyard in Old Oakland, this museum offers art classes for kids and drop-in working studios, as well as rotating exhibits of art created by children.

Oakland Museum of California 1000 Oak St.

Oakland, CA94607

510-238-2200

Hours: Open Wednesday – Sunday, call for exact hours of operation

Admission Charged

Surrounded by 51/2 acres of landscaped greenery, this museum is devoted to the arts, environment, and history of California.

Pro Arts 461 Ninth St.

Oakland, CA 94607 510-763-4361 Hours: Open Wednesday – Saturday, 11am – 5pm

Admission Charged

This downtown exhibit space features local and regional artists, and sponsors the annual East Bay Open Studios every June, when some 400 artists around the Bay Area open their workplaces to the public.

Western Aerospace Museum 8260 Boeing St. (Oakland International Airport, North Field)

Oakland, CA 94621 510-638-7100 Hours: Open Wednesday – Sunday, 10am -4pm

Located in a vintage hangar at Oakland International Airport, this museum houses aircraft displays, artifacts, a giant flying boat, and an Electra similar to the one flown by Amelia Earhart, who took off from this airfield and disappeared over the Pacific Ocean.

Camron-Stanford House 1418 Lakeside Dr.

Oakland, CA 94612 510-444-1876 Hours: Wednesday, 11am – 4pm, Sunday, 1pm – 5 pm

Admission Charged

 This beautifully restored building is the last of the Victorians that once dominated the Lake Merritt area. Built in 1876, the house features period rooms and restoration exhibits.

Cohen-Bray House 1440 29th Ave.

Oakland, CA 94601 510-532-0704

Hours: Fourth Sunday of every month and by appointment.

Admission Charged Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Cohen-Bray House has been owned by one family since it was built in 1883 and offers views of its original interior décor and gardens.

Dunsmuir House and Gardens Historic Estate 2960 Peralta Oaks Ct.

Oakland, CA 94605 510-615-5555

Hours: Grounds open Feb.-Oct.: Tues. - Fri. 10am – 4pm. Mansion open April-Sept.: Wed. 11am - noon

Admission Charged This 37-room colonial revival mansion, built in 1899, along with its surrounding horticultural park and gardens, allows visitors to see how the wealthy lived a century ago.

Grand Lake Theater 3200 Grand Ave.

Oakland, CA 94610 510-452-3556

Hours: Call for additional information A mainstay of the community since its construction in 1926, this first-run movie theater is graced with a colorful, lighted marquee and a sweeping staircase in the main hall. Look for the ornately decorated walls, brass chandeliers, and faux opera boxes. Prior to curtain on Friday and Saturday nights, an organist serenades the audience on a Wurlitzer.

Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon 48 Webster Street in Jack London Square

Oakland, CA 94607 510-839-6761

Hours: Call for additional information

Admission Free Built in 1880 and once frequented by Oakland resident Jack London, this saloon is a popular hangout for Jack London Square denizens and visitors alike. It was designated a national literary landmark in 1998.

Old Oakland Between Broadway and Clay Sts., from Seventh to 10th Sts. This historic neighborhood of elegantly restored Victorian commercial buildings dates back to the 1870s and is now home to unique shops, galleries, Washington Street Restaurant Row, and a farmers market on Fridays.

Peralta Hacienda Historical Park 2465 34th Ave.

Oakland, CA 94601 510-532-9142 Hours: Tours Wed. 2 – 4pm, and first Saturday of the month at 1pm

Admission Charged

This six-acre park is the focal point of the historic 44,000-acre Rancho San Antonio, established through a Spanish land grant to Luis Peralta and his family.

USS Potomac

540 Water Street

Oakland, CA 94607 Located at the foot of Clay St. Jack London Square 510-627-1215

Hours: Call for additional information