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.

MADE is absolutely fantastic. Staff are exactly my people--quirky nerds who love video games. The…read moreselection is great. You'll see a wide variety of consoles, including the Sega Dreamcast and Commodore 64, but also old computers like the Apple II running Oregon Trail. Alongside the consoles and computers running video games, you'll see art pieces that show the insides of various consoles, and info papers that share the history of each one. The magic is in the details. Seeing some consoles have what seems to be a featured game, with info on that game's history and reception, is really cool. The Panasonic consoles had info on their wonky Zelda games, and the Xbox 360 had info on Sonic '06. I also love seeing info sheets about women in gaming. These bits of history really show how much MADE cares about teaching their attendees about video games. It's $20 to get in the door, and you can stay for as long as you'd like. You can even leave and come back throughout the day. It's a great deal and honestly a perfect way to spend a day.

I visited the Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment when it was on 3400 Broadway. I went back to…read moretheir newest location, and it was as good as the last time I visited.

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.

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

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.

This tea party was a perfect experience. The food was delicious, the ladies serving were…read moredelightful, and the tour of the museum afterwards was so interesting!

High tea tables were on dirt not grass. 8 of us seated at 2 separate tables. No balance between…read moresavory and sweet foods. Personal tour was too long - 2 hours. House not dusted and musty. Wanted to leave after a half hour. Not worth the $55 charge.

It feels so important to have this museum, especially in Downtown Oakland. It is easily accessible…read moreby BART and free admission, though I recommend donating to help support. It is a small space but the exhibits are curated nicely. I went during the Happy Birthday Oscar exhibit and it was emotional but informative.

Easy to get to on the Bart transit system. You only walk…read moreabout a block from train station. Building is clearly labeled. Aliyah was welcoming when we walked in. We signed in using tablet. Aliyah explained the best place to start exhibit. There is comfortable se as ting to look at books and watch the video. Good information to add to what you may already know or not know. Great merchandise in store and online. Would definitely pop in again!

"You're selling me a fantasy that I want to explore It…read moresounds so good spoil me rotten to the core" (Rihanna) The Exploratorium lets curiosity run wild, mixing art, science, and hands on wonder into one big experiment. There are so many amazing exhibits here but let me tell you about my favorite one. It was an exhibit in a gallery dedicated to explaining and demonstrating how AI works and how it can be used. We were asked to make a drawing of anything, anything at all. I drew a house and a cat. Then we were asked to pick a musical style -rock, hip-hop, blues, kiddie songs, techno or whatever. That was all it took for the machine to take off into cyberspace. The AI gears whirred away and out came a song combining our drawings and chosen musical genre. Who knew a rocking rock song about houses and cats could be so great? They have six galleries with hands-on kid friendly exhibits covering math, illusions, technology, electricity, magnetism, biology, cell structure, light and color, sound, and social science. There are demonstrations scheduled throughout the day in these galleries, on topics including magic, lasers, biology, botany, and weather. So, if you've ever dreamed about seeing a cow's eyeball get dissected, well,,,, you're in luck because a cow's peeper gets dissected five times a day for your viewing pleasure. The Exploratorium was jam packed with kids having the time of their life exploring the wonders of our world. This big kid had a blast as well.

I recently went to the Exploratorium after hours for their Halloween night. It wasn't on Halloween…read morebut on the Thursday before. It was super cute and decorated. I was expecting more scary or spooky vibes but it was very much just the exploratorium at night without kids there, which was a treat. All the exhibits were pretty much the same except they had a pumpkin carving station and dissected a cows eye. They also had a lot of games for two people. There was a Dj spinning cumbia and other dance music and while there was a dance floor, people weren't really dancing. When I danced everyone started dancing so that was cool. When I left I got dead again (rip). You definitely to bring your own vibe, which is cool. There are drinks available for purchase and no smoking allowed inside or outside on the patio that overlooks the bay bridge which is all lit up at night. It's a nice view. The service was quick and pleasant. We had fun!

I visited this museum on a whim and didn't have much time, but it is definitely on my list to…read morerevisit before summer ends! General admission is $25, but they participate in Museums for All, which is a great perk. I brought my 20-month-old and was thrilled to find so many age-appropriate activities for him to explore. The absolute highlight was the moving dinosaurs outside, set against a beautiful backdrop of the bay, a view that adults will definitely appreciate even if the toddlers don't notice! Definitely a great place to snap some photos. The bottom floor features animals and exhibits, and I noticed a cafe that I'd love to try for lunch next time. My only critique is the customer service. Some staff members, including those at the front desk, weren't very welcoming or acknowledging. Since this is such a family-oriented space, a simple smile would go a long way! It didn't ruin my experience, but better service would prevent it from taking away from anyone else's visit. Highly recommend overall!

$5 on a Sunday? I think, yes! I may have gone to the Lawrence Hall of Science for a field trip when…read moreI was younger, but coming back as an adult and now a mom, how fun! The views while parking are incredible and if ya know, ya know. While they do have a new cafe located on the bottom level ('ammatka Cafe; Ohlone-forward food), we did notice a lot of families and people bringing their lunches and sitting outside enjoying the sunshine and Bay Area picturesque stunning views. Speaking of parking, you do have to pay to park. Pro tip for those with a stroller: drop off one parent/group with stroller at the entrance and have the other park/pay. There is a distance/stairs pending where you park. Remember your license plate number to pay-by-machine. There's a parking app you can download too. I wish we checked out the website ahead of time to know all the hands-on exhibits and fun that we could embark on, but we were there on a spontaneous whim, and explored so many things! From electronic dinosaurs outside, to exhibits currently about making music, the future of food, and an animal discovery zone, there is so much ground to cover and truly a little something for everyone to enjoy. We will definitely be back! For littles, the downstair floor (there's elevators) has a super cool room that provokes shadow play, dance, and magna-tiles. This floor also has the animals!

I came for the Halloween After Dark where my friend presented. All of the talks were funny and…read moreinformative and well delivered. Very imaginative and fun! The drinks are crazy expensive but thats to be expected. The festivities around Halloween were fun - costume contest, pumpkin carving (though not enough for everyone), etc.

Many of the exhibits are closed. The place is super crowded and there's pounding techno music…read moreeverywhere. The only good feature was the food trucks.

I'm admittedly not an art fan. I wish I were but I guess I'm a bit more simple-minded than I'd care…read moreto admit. However, as a BTS-/RM-fan, I was curious to see the collection that RM curated, which includes pieces from his personal collection. I loved the audio guide that walks you through each section. RM provides his personal take on some of the key items in each section of the collection. My fave section might be the "I don't know but I like it" since "sometimes you just like something and you're not really sure why." We were able to see one of the collections on the 6th floor, specifically the work of Anselm Kiefer. If I had the funds and the space in my house, I'd try to buy some of his pieces! This museum is beautiful and the staff were great! I wouldn't mind going back here!

We had a great time visiting the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)! The museum spans…read moreseven floors, although our tickets gave us access to floors 1-6, which still offered plenty to see and explore. There was so much incredible artwork and creativity throughout the museum. Two of my personal favorites were the pieces by Frida Kahlo and Henri Matisse. It was really special getting to see their work up close. Definitely a great stop for anyone visiting San Francisco, especially if you enjoy art, history, and exploring different styles of modern art!