Oakland

Oakland gets less attention from visitors than San Francisco, which is their loss. The city has a saltwater lake right next to downtown, ringed by a walking path and gardens. It has the Oakland Museum of California, the best single place to learn about the state's art, history and nature. And it has a working waterfront where a young Jack London studied at the tables of an 1880s saloon that still leans on its sunken pilings.

From Palo Alto, Oakland is about 40 miles away by road and reachable by Caltrain and BART. This guide covers how to get there, the lake, the museum, the waterfront and how to string them together into a full day. Pair it with Berkeley next door or take the ferry across to San Francisco for the trip home.

Getting there from Palo Alto

By car

The quickest drive crosses the bay on the San Mateo Bridge (Highway 92), then heads north on Interstate 880 into downtown Oakland. In light traffic it takes 45 minutes to an hour. The Dumbarton Bridge from East Palo Alto is the other option and works well from south Palo Alto. Both bridges collect tolls electronically in the westbound direction only, so you pay on the way home. Avoid Interstate 880 during weekday rush hours, when it is one of the slowest freeways in the region.

By Caltrain and BART

Take Caltrain north to Millbrae, where Caltrain and BART share a station. Board a BART train toward Richmond or Antioch. Both run through San Francisco and under the bay to downtown Oakland. Get off at 12th Street Oakland City Center or 19th Street Oakland. From either one, the north shore of Lake Merritt is about a 15-minute walk. Lake Merritt station, on other BART lines, sits right next to the Oakland Museum. Pay with Clipper or a contactless bank card. Our Caltrain guide covers the first leg.

By ferry

For a scenic return, ride San Francisco Bay Ferry from Jack London Square to the San Francisco Ferry Building, then take Caltrain home from the 4th and King station. Check schedules on the San Francisco Bay Ferry website, since weekend service runs less often than weekday sailings. If you are flying in, our guide to Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport covers that route too.

Lake Merritt

Lake Merritt is a tidal lagoon connected to the bay, not a true lake, which is why the water is salty. In 1870 the state made it the first official wildlife refuge in the United States and the refuge is now a National Historic Landmark. Pelicans, cormorants, egrets and many kinds of ducks feed here, with the biggest numbers in fall and winter.

A paved path circles the whole lake in about 3 miles. It takes about an hour at an easy pace and is busy with runners, walkers and families on weekends. Good stops along the way:

• Lakeside Park on the north shore, with lawns, picnic areas, the Rotary Nature Center and the Gardens at Lake Merritt.
• The boating center, where the city rents small boats and the bird islands are visible offshore.
• The Necklace of Lights, strings of lamps that ring the lake and come on at dusk.
• Grand Avenue and Lakeshore Avenue, two shopping streets at the north end with cafes, bakeries and the Grand Lake Theatre, a movie palace from 1926 with a rooftop neon sign.

The Grand Lake neighborhood also hosts a large farmers market on Saturday mornings. If you enjoy the birds here, our guide to birdwatching near Palo Alto covers the Baylands, which draw many of the same species.

Children's Fairyland

On the lake's north shore, Children's Fairyland at 699 Bellevue Avenue has entertained small children since 1950. It is a storybook park of small sets, puppet shows and gentle rides designed for families with children up to about 8 years old. It is said to have inspired Walt Disney, who visited while planning Disneyland. Hours change through the year and the park runs special events around holidays, so check its calendar before you go. For more ideas for little ones, see our guide to Palo Alto with kids.

The Oakland Museum of California

The Oakland Museum of California, known as OMCA, sits one block from the south end of the lake at 1000 Oak Street. It opened in 1969 in a low concrete building by Kevin Roche, with terraces and roof gardens stepping down the block. Inside are three large galleries in one building:

• California Art, from early landscape painting to Bay Area figurative art and contemporary work.
• California History, from Native California through the Gold Rush, the World War II shipyards and the Black Panther Party, which was founded in Oakland in 1966.
• California Natural Sciences, a walk through the state's habitats, with a nature play space for children ages 2 to 5.

According to the OMCA visit page, the museum is open Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with late hours until 9 p.m. on Fridays. It is closed Monday and Tuesday. Children 12 and under get in free and the galleries are free to everyone on the first Sunday of each month. The garden is free during museum hours and a newer entrance on 12th Street opens toward the lake. Plan at least two hours inside.

Jack London Square

The city's waterfront on the Oakland Estuary is named for the writer, who grew up in Oakland and spent much of his youth on these docks. Today the square has restaurants, a hotel, a cinema, a ferry terminal and wide promenades along the water. A farmers market runs here on Sunday mornings.

The most famous building is tiny. Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon dates from 1880 and became a bar in 1883. London studied at its tables as a schoolboy and mentions it many times in his memoir John Barleycorn. The floor slopes sharply because the pilings sank during the 1906 earthquake and a clock on the wall has been stopped at 5:18 ever since. It is a National Literary Landmark and an Oakland city landmark. Hours vary, so check before you make a special trip.

Nearby is a replica of the cabin London used in the Yukon, built partly from logs of the original. If you want to see the bay from the water, you can book a bay cruise or harbor tour from either side of the bay.

More to see

• Chinatown and Old Oakland, a few blocks from 12th Street station, for dim sum, bakeries and restored Victorian commercial buildings.
• Uptown, around the Fox and Paramount theaters, for bars and restaurants before a show.
• The Oakland hills, where the East Bay Regional Park District runs large redwood and oak parks with long views over the bay.

Sports fans should note that the Warriors moved to San Francisco in 2019 and the Athletics left the Coliseum after the 2024 season, so Oakland no longer has a major league team.

A sample day

1. Morning: BART to 19th Street, walk to Lakeside Park and loop the lake.
2. Lunch: Grand Avenue or Lakeshore Avenue.
3. Afternoon: two or three hours at the Oakland Museum.
4. Evening: Jack London Square for dinner, then the ferry to San Francisco and Caltrain home.

For a longer stay you can compare hotels in Oakland, which are often cheaper than San Francisco and close to BART.

Frequently asked questions