Sightseeing Down & Dirty List - Just the Basics
UC Berkeley Botanical Garden
The 34-acre UC Botanical Garden is one of the most diverse landscapes in the world, with over 10,000 types of plants including many rare and endangered species. Organized geographically, the Garden features 9 regions of naturalistic plantings from Italy to South Africa, along with a major collection of California native plants. The Garden was established in 1890 and its living collections are invaluable resources for international research and conservation.
Summer Twilight Tuesdays
Take a stroll, bring a picnic dinner, enjoy the magic of the Garden at dusk!
Select Tuesdays, June – August | 5 – 7:30 pm
Free for Garden members, Half-off for non-members. Join or renew online or at the gate. No entry after 7pm.
Visit the Botanical Garden - Hours, Admission, Schedule and Directions.
Berkeley Marina and Waterfront
The Berkeley Marina is an urban retreat, boasting over 100 acres of park space, 7 miles of trails, picnic areas, a 17-acre off-leash dog area, bird-watching, educational programming at the Shorebird Park Nature Center, the nationally celebrated Adventure Playground, unparalleled panoramic views, and amenities for boaters and non-boaters alike.
Berkeley Kite Festival
Saturday & Sunday, July 28-29, 2018 | 10AM to 6PM
Cesar E. Chavez Park at the Berkeley Marina
Free Event | Free Shuttles from Golden Gate Fileds
A Free Event for the whole family - Kites aren't just for kids any more. Experience the excitement and artistry of modern kite flying. You'll find something for everyone, from the Giant Creature Kites as big as houses to the free Kite Making and Candy Drops for kids.
Guest Slips
Boat in and plan your visit today. Contack the Marina office at (510) 981-6740 or call Berkeley Marina on your VHF radio on your way. The harbormaster's office is on K-Dock, 201 University Avenue.
Sather Tower also known as The Campanile
Sather Tower, also known as the Campanile, is one of UC Berkeley’s most beloved and well-known symbols. Visible for miles, the Campanile is the third-tallest bell and clock-tower in the world, and an integral part of the campus experience. Get a spectacular, sprawling view of the Bay Area from the observation platform. Enjoy three daily carillon concerts. Lounge on the historic esplanade and enjoy the shade of the stone giant. The Campanile is truly not to be missed.
Popularly known as the Campanile, the 307-foot tower is named for Jane K. Sather, designed by John Galen Howard, and built at a cost of $250,000. Its nickname derives from its resemblance to St. Mark's Campanile in Venice. The 61 bells in the carillon are played three times daily, except during exams. The four clocks, the largest in California, have 17-foot hands made of Sitka spruce and numerals of bronze. Because of the consistent temperatures on its lower floors, the Campanile also houses many of the paleontology museum's fossils. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The Campanile's observation deck is open daily.
For more info such as hours, dates and admission.
People's Park
Poeple's Park FIghts UC Land Use Policy | One Dead, Thousands Tear Gassed
In 1969, the proposed use of a three-acre, muddy, trash-filled parking lot off Telegraph Avenue on the South side of the UC Berkeley campus triggered an armed confrontation between police, students, and local residents. It was the most violent confrontation in the university’s history. Today, when the word “green” is recognized throughout the world as shorthand for an environmental ethic, it gives pause to remember that a struggle to create a small urban oasis—a park, with trees, grass, and swing sets—pitted students and local residents against university officials, police, and even units of the national guard, leaving one man dead, another permanently blinded, and wounded more than 100 people. -from Unforgettable Change: 1960's - more info...
Above is a photograph of Highway patrolmen and National Guard soldiers blocking demonstrators in Berkeley, California, west of the University of California, Berkeley campus in May 1969. Governor Reagan banned public assembly in the wake of the People’s Park demonstrations and called on the National Guard to execute his orders.
Tilden Park
From a carousel ride and a picnic to a swim at Lake Anza, a steam train, a little farm, golf and a stroll through the Botanic Garden, Tilden has variety to delight everyone. Yet there are plenty of quiet places in Tilden's 2,079 acres to shelter the wildlife and preserve natural beauty.
Park activities include:
- Steam Train
- Botanical Garden
- Brazillian Room
- Merry-Go-Round
- Tilden Nature Area and The Little Farm
- Picknicking
- Weddings & Receptions
- Swimming
- Fishing
- Group Camping
- Equestrian Camping
- Golfing
- Hiking & Biking
Tilden Regional Park was named in honor of Charles Lee Tilden, a Bay Area attorney and businessman who served on the first Board of Directors of the East Bay Regional Park District.
The park is reached via Canon Drive, Shasta Road, or South Park Drive, all off Grizzly Peak Boulevard in Berkeley.
For more info such as hours, schedule, location and admission.