City of Oakland California

Walk through what was once the western terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad! Formerly Oakland’s bustling downtown district in the days of railroads and streetcars, this area’s grand, brick, commercial Victorian buildings, now restored, continue to thrive as offices, galleries and eateries. Visit the historic Washington Inn, G.B. Ratto & Co. International Grocers, Swans Marketplace and the “Friends of the Library” bookstore.

Tour begins at 10:00 a.m. in front of G.B. Ratto & Co., 821 Washington Street.

Parking is available at the Oakland Convention Center, enter at 11th and Clay streets. 

To make a reservation for Tour 1, please call 510) 238-3234 or e-mail aallen@oaklandnet.com. Please include the specific tour and date you are requesting in your message.

Turn-of-the-century landmarks alongside modern high-rises are the focus of this tour. Explore the upbeat style of the modern City Center Square and discover a thriving “there” there. Examine symbols of Oakland’s arrival as a modern 20th century metropolis: the Beaux Arts-style City hall and Rotunda Building, the Tribune Tower, and the Art Deco-style Financial Center building.

Tour begins at 10:00 a.m. in front of Oakland City Hall, One Frank H. Ogawa Plaza.

Parking is available at the Clay Street Garage. Enter on Clay Street between 14th and 15th streets. 

To make a reservation for Tour 2, please call (510) 238-3234 or e-mail aallen@oaklandnet.com. Please include the specific tour and date you are requesting in your message.

A walking tour of the Uptown District with an emphasis on Art Deco! Tour includes the Paramount Theatre, Historic Sweet’s Ballroom, the Fox Theater and the Kaiser Center roof garden with views of Lake Merritt.

Tour begins at 10:00 a.m. in front of the Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway.

Parking is available at Telegraph Plaza Garage, Telegraph Avenue between 21st and 22nd streets. 

To make a reservation for Tour 3, please call (510) 238-3234 or e-mail aallen@oaklandnet.com. Please include the specific tour and date you are requesting in your message.

A walking tour of a Victorian-era district adjacent to modern office towers. Sites include the historic First Unitarian Church, the Pardee Home Museum, and more than a dozen elegantly restored, 19th century houses -- now serving as nonprofit offices, meeting rooms, and conference spaces -- in a beautiful garden setting.

Tour begins at 10:00 a.m. in front of Preservation Park, 13th Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Way.

Parking is available on Wednesdays at the City Center West Garage. Enter on Jefferson Street between 14th and 12th streets. On Saturdays, parking is available at the Clay Street Garage. Enter on Clay Street near 14th Street.

To make a reservation for Tour 4, please call (510) 238-3234 or e-mail aallen@oaklandnet.com. Please include the specific tour and date you are requesting in your message.

Learn about the contributions of Chinese and other Asian immigrants to the history of both California and the Bay Area. Stroll along sidewalk markets filled with fresh fish as well as exotic fruits and vegetables. View changing displays in the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.

Tour begins at 10:00 a.m. in front of the Pacific Renaissance Plaza Fountain, 9th Street between Franklin and Webster streets.

Parking is available at the Pacific Renaissance Garage. Enter on Webster or Franklin streets between 9th and 11th streets.

To make a reservation for Tour 5, please call (510) 238-3234 or e-mail aallen@oaklandnet.com. Please include which tour and date you are requesting in your message.

The images of author Jack London will surround you as you tour the historic square and waterfront. Visit a turn-of-the-century wholesale produce district still in operation and see the USS Potomac, the restored yacht of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Tour begins at 10:00 a.m. at the Jack London Square entry arch, foot of Broadway. 

Parking is available at various garages and surface lots in the area.

To make a reservation for Tour 6, please call (510) 238-3234 or e-mail aallen@oaklandnet.com. Please include the specific tour and date you are requesting in your message.

Visit historic places of worship and learn about their architecture and influence on the development of Oakland. Highlighted buildings include First Presbyterian, First Congregational, and First Christian churches as well as Temple Sinai.

Tour begins at 10:00 a.m. in front of the First Presbyterian Church, Broadway at 27th Street.

Parking is available at curbside meters. 

To make a reservation for Tour 7, please call (510) 238-3234 or e-mail aallen@oaklandnet.com. Please include the specific tour and date you are requesting in your message.

Stroll through downtown and discover the places where Oakland African American leaders have made their marks. Learn how Lionel Wilson, Delilah Beasley, Robert Maynard, the Dellums family, Josephine Baker, and others changed the Bay Area and California.

Tour begins at 10:00 a.m. in front of the African American Museum and Library at Oakland, 14th Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way.

Parking is available on Wednesdays at the City Center West Garage. Enter at Jefferson Street between 12th and 14th streets. On Saturdays, parking is available at the Clay Street Garage. Enter near 14th Street.

To make a reservation for Tour 8, please call (510) 238-3234 or e-mail aallen@oaklandnet.com. Please include the specific tour and date you are requesting in your message.

School field trips -- our "Know Your City" tours -- are offered January through June. Chaperons must be provided by the school at a 1 to 5 adult-to-child ratio.

To learn more about School Field Trips, please call (510) 238-3234 or e-mail aallen@oaklandnet.com.