A great Museum in Downtown Alameda!!!…read more I've been here a few times, as it's free to enter, but it does close early!! They also accept donations!! From the outside, it doesn't seem very big, but once you go inside, it's larger than you think. The different rooms here are interesting, some are like classic home dining rooms, others feature businesses, Neptune Beach, the Fire Department, just an assortment of old artifacts from the past. There's a very impressive train right when you enter. Also, the people working here are very nice, very knowledgeable and inviting!! Everything is neat and organized, and to really see everything, it probably takes more than just one visit!!! The Island of Alameda has a lot of very interesting history, and this museum definitely showcases all of it!!!

This is a precious gem of a museum with delightful vignettes on Alameda history and an intriguing…read morepresentation of general historical pieces including Victorian fashion items. I particularly appreciated the inviting welcome and information provided. My personal favorite was the extensive display about Neptune Beach. Did you know that it was once the largest amusement part on the West Coast or that Johnny Weissmuller (AKA the original Tarzan and Olympic swimmer) won a swimming competition there? Note: its open hours are on the weekends only. And I also enjoyed how instead of charging for admission, they offer a clever and unique second hand store for purchases to support operation. I happily found and bought the classic "Operation" game for my granddaughter. I hope you get a chance to check out this treasure soon!

Tours at the Cohen Bray House only occur one Sunday per month, but are well worth it for lovers of…read morelocal history, Victorian art, interiors and architecture. We bought our tickets on their website and the two hour tour we attended was led by a descendant of the family, who shared stories of an entrepreneurial family who came to California during the Gold Rush. It's rare to find an intact Victorian that allows a public tour. This one is in the Charles Eastlake stick style, with working sliding pocket doors with their original hardware, period fireplaces and mirrors, painted stained glass and period furniture from the original house. Let alone the vintage textiles, vintage photos and old clothing, and ephemera all intact. They are doing a slow recovery of the home given funding constraints, and are currently in need of a new foundation. It's rare to find a Victorian in the Bay Area with its original redwood carved doors, pillars and staircases not ruined with a thick coat of paint. The garden could use additional care, but that too requires funds. This family-run nonprofit allows limited public tours of this delicate, aging & formerly magnificent Victorian home and that is a treat. It's nice to visit to support this unique, aging architectural beauty.

I came here for a tour with my family. There were two other people on the tour with us and a tour…read moreguide who was a descendant of the family that originally owned the house. Nice little tour of the place with anecdotes included. Lots of history and artifacts present. Tours are booked by calling in advance. Occasionally they serve tea too. Haven't come here for that, although I do know they have a festive dinner coming up in December that will be like a historic reenactment of Christmas time there. I assume you have to call to reserve for that too. I would give yourself about an hour for the tour and any questions you might have. Parking is free along the street. The house is located in a residential neighborhood.

Great place, especially if you want to see America at its very best!! Plus, you'll learn a lot…read moreabout an important time in our history.

One Star for being difficult to find. The parking attendant/gate monitor was rather unhappy about…read moreher job needing to escort lost visitors, and I don't blame her. The signage could have been significantly better as I ran into multiple other small groups who were lost. (And it was cold and windy, being on the waterfront in Summer... as expected for the Bay Area.) Two stars for barely mentioning Betty Reid Soskin when she has been such a big part of completing the Rosie story by including the Black perspective of the Richmond shipyards experience during WW2. Even the Park Officers working at the museum reception seemed turned off regarding our interest in her story. (I'm really sad that I didn't visit before her retirement in 2022, but thankful for YouTube videos of her lectures.) Five stars for being such an interesting taste of the past and doing it in such a way that the visit didn't feel rushed. The exhibits and artifacts were broad and interesting. It was great to see how women played such and important part of our wartime manufacturing history. Five stars for being free... with free parking, if you can figure out that you have to go through the gate guard and around the corner to the right to the very, very small parking lot located behind the entrance of the museum.

It was a nice experience - the breakfast pancake - on Mother's Day. It wasn't feasible for someone…read morewith mobility issues since the weather was cold and windy the meal was eaten below deck. It would have been nicer if we got to stay above deck and experience fresh air. The ship was also excellent to walk through but would have liked to see more details provided. Seems like the only way to get more detailed information is with a tour but with younger kids they're not allowed to follow the tours. My kids enjoyed the experience and it was nice to discover touristy activities close to home that's affordable.

This ship was used as a cargo ship during WWII, Vietnam and Korean Wars. It was built in Richmond,…read moreCA and is now located at the same shipyard where it was built. There are guided (takes you to the engine room) and self-guided tours; both are educational. The ship is managed by the Richmond Museum of History and the loving caretakers are volunteers. There is a small gift shop and theatre. Their existence is based on donations, pancake breakfasts, movie/hall rentals, and gift shop. The ship is not suited to persons with limited mobility. You have to walk up this steep, shaky steel ladder to get on board. Once on board, you have to walk up narrow stairs to go up and down floors. The engine room's ladder to go down was very steep. You couldn't see the rung of the next step. If you have a phobia, this is not for you. Just avoid the engine room. Aside from that, the ship was interesting and if you are a WWII history buff, this ship is worth seeing.

We had a great time on the Bay this weekend on the USS Potomac for Opening Day. Not only did we get…read moreblessed we were second in line behind the fireboats in the Parade of Ships. An experience I truly recommend!!

Delightful positive excursion to set foot on a naval officer vessel. It may be from the earlier…read more20th century during the time of Roosevelt. I am not sure. It says World War II. It shows old radios and it uses beds for family members of the naval officer. Nice view of Jack London Square and the ferry from Oakland. It was nice outing and walkable near Chinatown and the Bart station. The railroad is nearby and desolate. Interesting history option near San Francisco. They showed the submarines and this old naval officer boat. It was positive and neat. There's a gift shop and topics. The theme is presidential and I bet it was used by a naval officer.

The Pardee Home Museum has been on my radar for a while as one of the few places in the East Bay to…read moreget afternoon tea. I ended up finally booking the garden for a large party this month and was impressed by the experience from start to finish. It's hard to believe that it's entirely volunteer-led! Everyone I met was clearly knowledgeable and passionate about the house, its history, and its preservation. Making a reservation was easy and the coordinators were kind and courteous during the whole process. The day-of place settings were beautiful and the food was some of the best I've had for tea in addition to being generous and variable in servings. There were even some kid-friendly items (including some non-caffeinated beverages) as I had a few young guests in attendance. The tour we had following our tea service was detailed and informative without being boring. The house itself is incredibly preserved and in immaculate condition. It was great learning about the history of the Pardee family and their influence in the Bay Area, California, and beyond. There were some interactive parts too including getting to touch some antique items and listen to some hand-cranked music players. I will undoubtedly be back sometime and highly encourage anyone who likes good food and vibes or learning about local history to book a visit themselves. If you have people from out-of-town visiting, the Pardee Home is an excellent first choice for doing something low-key and private but still touristy.

The Pardee Home Museum (Italianate architecture) was built by the Pardee family. Three generations…read morelived lived there from 1868 to 1981. The last survivor put the home in a trust that is run by a Board of Trustees. It's self-supporting and run by volunteers. The father (made money in the mines, was an eye doctor and a California State Senator) and his son was Governor of California who made the poppy flower CA's state flower; reformed prisons; and established the EBMUD. All furnishings and collections are original and left intact. The tour is about 1.5 hours. Tour was educational and interesting - it covers the entire residence of 3 floors. The tour guide was nice and knowledgeable. She kept the tour intense so you wanted to know more. She gave insights and tibits of the family. All questions were answered. The afternoon tea is delightful. The food is prepared from scratch with lots of love from the volunteers. They were friendly, personable and thoughtful. Since it was the day before Easter, they put some Easter bunny theme to the tea. Just lovely people who made a delcious three course of food assortment. I definitely recommend the tour to learn about Oakland history and to visit one of the last standing historical mansions. Tea was authentic - no crust on the bread :)

My guess is that there are plenty of Cal Students who spend their 4 years here and walk right past…read morethis place without giving it a second thought. I first noticed this Museum on the way to class a few weeks back and had some time recently to take a look. And I'm glad I did! The Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology was founded in 1901. The original goal of the museum was to support systematic collecting efforts by archaeologists and ethnologists to support a department of Anthropology at the University of California. The Museum was originally located in San Francisco from 1903-1935, when it moved to the UC campus. On the Berkeley campus, the Museum was located in the former Civil Engineering Building until 1959, when it was moved to the newly built Kroeber Hall. This museum was also the final residence of Ishi, who lived there from 1911 until his death in 1916. The Museum houses an estimated 3.8 million objects plus extensive documentation that includes field notes, photographs, and sound/film recordings. Major collections include: - Approximately 9,000 California Indian baskets, representing almost every tribe in California and all of the region's basketry techniques. - A broad collection of approximately 20,000 ancient Egyptian artifacts. . - A large Peruvian collection, especially strong in pottery and textiles. - Approximately 16,000 African artifacts - An important collection of Oceanic objects, including collections from the Trobriand Islands and from excavations in Fiji and New Caledonia. It's all free (with a suggested voluntary donation) and well worth your time, including an extended look or even study.

11.2 afternoon. It is an exhibition about poison, prescription, prayer and pleasure: the world of…read moremind altering substances. It is a small museum. I spent 20 minutes to see it. I saw many stone carving, cups and bottles of China. The building is quiet at weekends. There are only two visitors. There ate sofas and chairs to sit on.

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.

I went for one of their Intro to Bonsai classes (doesn't teach how to do bonsai, just fundamentals…read moreof what bonsai is, how to appreciate, etc), and thoroughly enjoyed it. There was a one hour intro led by a volunteer, who was knowledgeable and also answered a lot of our questions. Afterwards, they took us around the garden and gave us an overview of some of the trees in the garden. Membership is also available and fairly affordable - also seems to come with a lot of good perks! Regardless if you go for the class or not, it's a very nice and tranquil way to spend an hour or two.