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).

Everything was amazing. It was a challenge and it was a lot of fun! Julius was a great host and…read moreyou made it very entertaining!

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.

I have been coming here for years. Specifically for their special exhibitions. They are always so…read moreinteresting and well planned out on display. The museum has three floors and their outdoor garden overlooking lake merrit. They have a little bit of everything, if you're curious about real history and wanting to learn more this is the place. Their annual membership is so worth. As they have several special events. Next to the museum they have plenty of parking. I take Bart as the stop is one block away. Chinatown is walkable for great restaurants. The Oakland library is close by too! There's a restaurant inside the museum while the food sounds great it's okay. I would recommend walking /driving to Chinatown or downtown Oakland for amazing food.

I absolutely loveee this place, I cannot recommend it enough. the staff are amazing, the theater is…read moreunique, and fun, and quirky. watching a movie here is a whole experience. I usually like to come a little earlier and play games with friends in the mezzanine area, watch the movie, and then debrief in the main lounge area. it's so cute, I recommend!

One of the absolute gems of Oakland and East Bay. Coming here is not just for the movie but for the…read morecommunity experience. - They show unique films: mainstream, old classics, camp, documentaries that you won't be able to find elsewhere. - seats that are couches, recliners, love seats, bean bags, etc. - Lots of free community events: karaoke, board games, crafts, trivia/bingo, etc. Or unique events like Saturday morning cartoons, World Cup games, Oscars, etc. - full kitchen on site. Not just popcorn with a huge self-seasoning counter, but also full course meals and many drinks, all delivered right to your seat. - tax and tip are included in all prices. What you see is what you pay. - they don't accept Tap to Pay, so bring a physical card or cash. - parking is hard to find but you have options within a 4 block radius. Busses stop right near it. - friendly staff and management!

So fun!! The team makes it very accessible and easy. Minimal instruction and felt super safe…read moresmashing some stuff up. Good memories and great to do with friends!

We signed up for this experience even though we'd never done it before because the business had…read moregood overall reviews. Unfortunately, our experience was incredibly disappointing from start to finish. We were the first customers to arrive when they opened, yet there was no one at the front desk. We stood there waiting until an employee finally came out. He had us sign a waiver even though we had already completed it online. The first thing we noticed was how dirty the place was. There were used Band-Aids and blood-stained alcohol wipes scattered across the check-in counter. It immediately gave us concerns about the cleanliness of the facility. When it was time for axe throwing, the employee asked if we'd done it before. We told him we hadn't, and he replied that he didn't really know how to do it either. The only instruction he gave was that he thought we should hold the axe at the base and throw it. There was no demonstration, no safety briefing, and no guidance. The axes and throwing knives were extremely dull and rarely stuck in the target. At one point, half of the wooden target wall split in two and fell to the floor, exposing the wall behind it. Despite this obvious safety issue, the employee was nowhere to be found. He disappeared into the back office and never checked on us. About halfway through our session, another group of customers arrived and waited nearly 20 minutes before he finally came out. He simply told them to wait while he prepared their rage room. After we finished axe throwing, we had to go find him so we could start the rage room. He told us to give him a minute to set it up but offered no instructions about what we should do in the meantime. We ended up reading the posted signs ourselves because no one explained the process. The rage room itself was very small and contained only a few bottles, two tires, a printer, and a speaker. Our package was advertised as lasting nearly an hour, but we were completely finished in about 25 minutes because there simply wasn't enough to break. Before leaving, we asked to use the restroom. It was just as dirty as the rest of the facility, with used paper towels all over the floor and more discarded bandages. It was obvious the place hadn't been properly cleaned before opening, or possibly for quite some time. Overall, this was one of the worst entertainment experiences we've ever had. Between the lack of cleanliness, poor customer service, minimal instruction, safety concerns, and the disappointing value for the price, we cannot recommend this place. If I could give it a -10, I would. Save your time and your money and go somewhere else.

I attended an event at Groundfloor and found the venue to be super cute and cozy…read more It's a short walk from MacArthur BART and has tons of private booths and plenty of seating to get work done. The kitchen area was nice and clean, as were the bathrooms, and overall I enjoyed the vibes of the space.

From the owner: At Groundfloor, we bring people together–whether to work alongside others, socialize at events, or…read moresimply hang out. It’s a place to build community and be in good company.

How is everyone doing tonight. I just left yoshi's going to see the richie rich show and I met the…read moresweetest lady I ever met in my life working in the ticket both. She was really helpful and I really appreciated the way she went out of her way to make sure me and my wife was okay. So I wanted to send a big thank you to Rhonda, god bless you.

Max was a great server he checked on us many times. Very professional. He deserves to win the…read morecontest.

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/

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