This place is crazy nostalgic, and I'm loving it. Playing the games I grew up with, along with the…read moresounds of kids having fun, the games are clean, and the area is fantastic. A nice park around the corner and plenty of restaurants a short walk away. I drove just shy of 100 miles to get there and try their games, and it was worth it. The town is like a cool getaway, especially if you live in an area that gets hot.

Good, wholesome nostalgic fun at a great price! I've taken my 22 year old nephew there when he was…read morea kid and a teen and now I take his younger brother who is 11 there to keep the tradition going.

So grateful to be sharing this review!…read more We booked the "Secret Society" room for my daughters birthday. Location is easy to access, although you may miss it if you're driving fast. Remember to remove belongings from your car to keep it from being a target. There is plenty storage on site if needed. Staff was friendly and helpful. Facility was clean. The escape room experience was engaging, challenging, and full of surprises. The children had a ball and escaped (40% escape rate).

This was a smaller and less intricate escape room than others I've been to but we still had fun. We…read morehad a group of 4 adults and 1 kid and everyone was able to get involved to successfully escape. We chose the spy room which was rated as the most difficult but we found it very doable and I probably wouldn't want a room any easier than that. I do wish there was a more involved storyline and more details in the room setups! There's street parking next to the location, a waiting lobby, and bathrooms. Overall I think it can be a fun first time experience for kids or for people new to escape rooms!

The free Friday nights are such a vibe with live music and the DJ was TOO GOOD for the crowd…read more Food trucks outside were the most diverse options including Swahili, Nepal, South African also ice cream!

This museum is so underrated!…read more There are plenty of exhibits to explore, along with interactive areas that make learning fun for kids. It's a great place to spend a day with the family, whether you're looking to learn something new, relax, or simply enjoy a beautiful day in Oakland. I especially appreciate that this museum participates in the Museums for All program, which helps make cultural and educational experiences more accessible to families. We had a wonderful visit and I'll definitely be coming back more often. If you're looking for a family-friendly activity that's both fun and educational, this museum is worth checking out.

Great little garden within the Lake Merritt Garden. Unfortunately part was under construction so…read morewe'll be back. The "curator" (not sure what to call him) was super nice. They have classes on the fourth Sunday of every month. Definitely will check that out.

Beautiful gardens hidden away in a busy city…read more Sad to see a group of teen throwing trash into the lake. They don't even respect their own area.

We had so much fun. Three kids, my husband and I. Would not recommend doing it with more people…read morethan that in one group. Staff were helpful and friendly. Rooms were clean and challenging. My kids can't wait to come back.

This is a really unique place! Not what we expected. It's more challenging and dynamic than an…read moreescape room and price-wise a better value. The room's challenges vary based on the size of the group, which is so cool and shows the tremendous thought the founders put into this place. However it can be frustrating for people if you keep losing when you think you figured it out! Or when you haven't figured it out and just keep losing without much progress (yeah I'm talking about you, Seahorse game!). The front desk was manned by Tim who is super nice and really cares about your enjoyment of the games. He'll offer you a hint if you really need it. On the way, he didn't explain where we fell short on 1 of the games we were struggling to crack. We played 47 times during our session with 4 people in the 1 hr 45 mins! We will definitely be back with friends!

I've been going to Merritt Ceramics since 2019. I have worked in multiple shared-space ceramic…read morestudios over the years, and Merritt is hands-down the cleanest and most well-organized one I have found. ​The staff is incredibly kind, caring, and knowledgeable. I've taken everything at the studio from multi-week wheel throwing courses and one-on-one tutoring to special workshops with world-renowned artists, and I have been impressed with all of them. I am now a 'Daisy' member, which allows me to drop in and work anytime the studio is open. I have learned that I really enjoy sculpting animals. I love working here surrounded by other people who are just as deep into clay as I am. The space is well-equipped with supplies and tools, and the kiln turnaround time is fast. Come join us!

Great creative community, well established studio, very inclusive. Instructors are solid!read more

I hadn't been to Chabot in a very long time. I took Empress and we had a pretty good time. Seems…read morelike there were more interactive exhibits back in the day but we still had fun. The exhibits are very educational and enlightening. I'd like to go back in the evening and experience the telescope views. There's plenty for the kids to experience! #GoSee

I had the honor of escorting one very excited astrophotographer and his girlfriend (my Goddaughter)…read moreto experience a talk by Dr. Filipenko on the 150th anniversary of the James Lick Act of Congress. The talk started at 7:45 pm in the evening, and went well into 9 pm after the speaker allowed for a short Q&A session. I learned more about James Lick and how generational wealth was built than I'd ever imagined possible on a Sunday. Unfortunately for us, humidity was at an all time high, so we only had the opportunity to look at these massive telescopes, instead of gazing at the far away stars they were built to study. I did get to walk through The Chabot science center and see how fun it would be to come back with you get kids. Can you believe, you can even decorate a postcard that they will send to space. I would now like to design a piece of mail destined for space. Also, you can come out on Friday and Saturday nights and get the opportunity to look into the heavens with these giant creatures. I guess, this just means I have a rain check to visit Oakland in the near future.

My coworker was looking for a place to go out where there would be games and drinks and came upon…read morethis place. It was definitely a great find. DRINKS Thai iced tea slushie tasted like desert in drink form and was delicious. Nick the bartender was so accommodating and did a great job helping me decide what to order since there were a couple of options I was eyeing. The drinks were average price. SERVICE Great, the games were self service and the bar tops were manned so you just head over when you want to get a drink. AMBIANCE It was a very chill and free flowing environment. The place is a vintage theater turned into a barcade, and I love what they did. It's so spacious, has multiple floors, and the high ceilings make the space even more open. They have huge games on the top floor next to the bar which were so much fun! They had movies being projected onto a huge wall visible from every floor. There's music playing but you can still hear well enough to have a conversation. They had classic to new games. Some of them were free. I was unsure of how I'd like it before going but SO GLAD I went. Great for a fun date or just hanging out with your friends. I could also see it being a fun place to have a bday party. I'll be visiting again the next time I'm in San Francisco. Check this place out! Trust me it's worth a visit.

I've been here a handful of times, and it's generally been a good experience with each visit. It's…read morea casual barcade. I love that it's multi-leveled and has high ceilings as it makes it feel more spacious, because it can get crowded. There is a wide variety of arcade games and pinball machines with various wait times depending on the crowd. They also have plenty of large screens all around that run games, movies, and or music videos. Drinks at the bar aren't bad and like others have mentioned, the bartenders can be a hit or miss. I've encountered several chill bartenders, others not so much. Same goes for the security at the entrance. Overall, Emporium is a fun venue to check out if you are in the area.

Overview: a great date activity or just for fun, a wide variety of holes and challenges, food…read moreavailable, and other fun like pool and arcade games ---- The first time I visited here was to play pool a couple years ago, which is paid through the reloadable game card that you can purchase there. It can get busy at the tables and you might have to wait for one to be free. I also don't remember how much it was per game (sorry!) This time when visiting back home in Alameda we decided to play mini golf! The pricing is as follows (as of August 2026): - $16 - Adults (age 18-64) - $13 - Youth (age 0-17) (Age 0-4 is free when playing with a paid adult) - $13 - Seniors (age 65+) You pay at the front and then there's a ball machine near the entrance where you pull the handle of the color ball you want and it comes down the cool metal wire runway. The lady at the front wasn't super helpful and we kinda wandered around looking for where to get the balls, but once we asked she pointed out where we could get them. There are a standard 19 holes on this course and each one is a cool little tidbit about the Bay Area! It was cool seeing local landmarks and the different challenges for each hole. I was terrible was had a fantastic time playing. My boyfriend on the very last hole, got a hole-in-one which triggers an alarm and you get a free round a mini golf voucher that expires 3 months afterwards! Our very first date was playing mini golf so if we are ever visiting again I'd love to make it a tradition! ---- Overall: a great place for mini golf, super cute local landmarks at each hole, challenging, creative, and very fun!

Had a great birthday party here for my son!…read more At first they seemed very strict when I spoke with them on the phone, but it ended up being very chill and laid back and all the kids (and adults!) had a great time. They probably get people trying to take advantage of them bringing larger groups than expected or whatever. It was golf then lunch then arcade and they were a little flexible with the end time for cake so that we could get maximum arcade! The Chicken fingers and fries were great. They could up their game with the pizza a bit, but haha, the kids seemed happy, and everything in the world doesn't need to be gourmet. Good beers on tap for the parents. Felt a little gross drinking them out of a plastic soda cup, but I digress... Price was good for the value we got! It wasn't cheap, but still pretty reasonable when you factor in the unlimited arcade. One of the staff was super excited to about one of my kid's gift--the Remote Control Skibidi Toilet! Thanks y'all for a fun and low stress party.

NARRATIVE Approaching and passing the West Oakland BART…read moreStation giants and giantesses constructed from metal begin to fill the skyline. As the sun sets, fire tongues lick and leap from metal sculptures. Robots lumber and throw flames. Leather pants, and fire tools abound to the marvel and disbelief of the attendees and to the satisfaction of the artists and performers. CONTACT INFORMATION The Crucible 1260 7th Street Oakland, CA 94607 Phone: 510-444-0919 Email: info@thecrucible.org HOURS Wednesday-Saturday, 2nd week in July 8 pm - midnight * Fire & Arts Soiree is held on Saturday. PRICE RANGE Luxurious (but worth it!) or ask to volunteer! SUMMARY After 7 years of watching this flaming spectacle from the freeway and that BART-way I finally decided to volunteer to get a grounds-eye view of the goings-on. From the gorgeous Serpent Mother to the stories upon stories of metal sculpture gods and goddesses surrounded by a flaming garden of spectacle, art, robotics, pyrotechnics, demonstration, and interactivity (DANCE DANCE IMMOLATION!), the entire site is alight with elements that entice and delight all ages. Last night I served as a youth escort and worked with another youth escort to introduce the little 5 years olds to the fire arts and explain how it all worked. Their eyes (as well as mine) opened wide at the wonder of so much fire, noise, music, performances, and characters that abounded on the grounds. The Fire Oddesey combines dance, theater, opera, live and recorded music, humor, acrobatics, aerobatics that filled the bleachers and held the audiences delight. All hail the Fire Arts Festival and the Crucible for an excellent event! SERVICE Awesome. Well organized from the layout to the volunteer experience and the participant logistics. RESTROOMS Port-o-potties with handwashing stations! (Always appreciated.) SUGGESTION More demonstrations of the how these pieces were created or perhaps a pre-festival gallery walk where we can ask the artists how these pieces were created!

So, there were some big improvements to the previous year's FAF. First, it is in a much larger…read morespace. You had to shuttle from Bart this year, but that looked very organized. I drove this year, and parking was very easy and the security for the event was on top of everything. Second, they do have a few new exhibits... not many, but the Pendulum of Fire, which I think is new, just rocked. On Saturday, it did full loops and it was amazing to photograph. Third, they did seem to improve the bathroom and food situations. Now, I'll speak from the photography side of things. First, I would recommend going on the earlier days as it is difficult to maneuver through the Saturday crowds. I love the ease of being able to get credentialed for the event, but you still have to battle people just walking in front of your shot. Since they paid the same price as you, you can't really get upset at it happening, but it did ruin some nice shots. Second, I did feel that I was repeating my shots from last year. The new exhibits were great, but after 2 hours of shooting I felt like I had exhausted my captures. Last, for some reason, I was not as impressed with the stage entertainment as I was last year. I can't really explain. Don't know if it was the acoustics or what, but it just seem to be off. I think I might be in the minority. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kicksaveandabeauty/sets/72157621569257643/