Oakland surrounds you with a captivating mix of modern and historic, the old and the new coalescing to entice your every traveling desire.

Explore the area's noteworthy attractions, museums, parks, and cultural destinations. Enjoy all the diverse and intriguing activities you can do near the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites – Oakland.

Area Attractions

• Chinatown - Experience the culture and character of Asia with restaurants, specialty shops, markets, and bakeries. Be sure to visit the elegant Chinese Presbyterian Church (310 8th St.) and the Pacific Renaissance Plaza (388 9th St.), which houses shops, restaurants, and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. Between Broadway, Alice, 13th, and 7th streets.

• Dunsmuir House and Garden's Historic Estate - This 37-room colonial revival mansion, built in 1899, along with its surrounding horticultural park, allows a visitor to see how the wealthy lived a century ago. Events during the year include the Scottish Highlands Games and Christmas at Dunsmuir. February through October, Tues.- Fri., 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tours are scheduled at noon and 3 p.m. Additional tours are given Easter through September: Wed., 11 a.m. and noon. 2960 Peralta Oaks Ct. For more information, call (510) 615-5555.

• Jack London Square Waterfront - This popular site at the water's edge offers dining, entertainment, shopping, and scenic spots for daydreaming. Take a ferry ride, stroll the scenic Boardwalk, catch a movie, or just relax at a sunny sidewalk café. Located between Broadway and Embarcadero. For information, call (510) 814-6000 or go to www.jacklondonsquare.com.  [Top]

• Lake Merritt -The largest saltwater lake in the United States, Lake Merritt and its 122-acre adjoining park are home to wildlife, formal gardens, and a children's amusement park. It is also a magnet for walkers, joggers, bikers, rowers, sailors, and windsurfers. Grand and Bellevue Avenues. For information, call (510) 238-7275.

• Oakland International Airport - Located just a block away from the hotel, Oakland International Airport is the 14th largest cargo airport in world, handling over 600,000 metric tons in 2002. The airport supports a 24-hour-a-day cargo business environment. The year of 2002 marks the 75th anniversary Oakland International Airport. From the early years of gas-propelled balloons to present-day plans for terminal expansion, the airport has remained a vital and innovative force in aviation. For information, visit www.flyoakland.com.

• Oakland Mormon Temple and Visitors Center - This architectural standout offers panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay Area and is adorned in breathtaking lights at Christmas. The Visitors Center is open daily, 9 a.m.- 9 p.m. 4770 Lincoln Ave. For information, call (510) 531-1475.

• Oakland Convention Center - This center captures the spirit of the downtown rejuvenation, playing host to everything from concerts to sporting events to conventions. Its 48,000-square-foot exhibit hall is adaptable to a variety of groups and organizations. 1001 Broadway. For information, call (510) 839-9000.  [Top]

• Old Oakland Historic District - A business district in the city's early days, this thriving four-block area of restored Victorian commercial buildings is now home to shops, galleries, and restaurants, and hosts a farmer's market Friday mornings. Between 8th, 10th, Clay, and Washington streets.

• Port of Oakland - Established in 1927, the port is among the five busiest in the country and in the top 20 worldwide. Harbor tours are on the first Thursday of the month. 530 Water St. For information, call (510) 627-1188 or visit www.portofoakland.com.

• USS Potomac - Affectionately called the "Floating White House" by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, this 165-foot national historical landmark is one of the few floating museums in the country. Tours are available. FDR Pier, Clay St. at Embarcadero. For information, call (510) 839-8256 or visit www.usspotomac.org.

• McAfee Coliseum and Arena - This awesome complex features a 62,500-seat stadium (home to the Oakland Raiders and the Oakland A's) and a recently renovated 19,200-seat arena (home of the Golden State Warriors). It is also a major concert venue. This complex hosts a variety of events throughout the year including concerts, basketball, baseball, and football games. 7000 Coliseum Way, (510) 569-2121.  [Top]

Things To Do

• Gondola Servizio - Cruise Lake Merritt in authentic gondolas built by hand in Venice. These charming, private cruises come complete with a serenading gondolier. 568 Bellevue Ave. For more information, call (510) 663-6603 or visit www.gondolaservizio.com.

• Oakland Zoo - Located in Knowland Park, the Oakland Zoo houses more than 375 native and exotic animals of 114 species. Its 50-plus exhibits are organized into geographic regions configured to resemble the animals' native habitats. Educational activities are held in the auditorium, library, surround-sound theater, and the lobby. Open daily from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.; Memorial Day to Labor Day: daily, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. 9777 Golf Links Rd. For information, call (510) 632-9525 or visit www.oaklandzoo.org.

• Oakland Ice Center - Offering public skating, classes, private parties, and in-house hockey programs, this world-class facility is also a training rink for Olympic competitors and hopefuls. Open daily, noon - 5 p.m.; Tues.-Thurs., 7-9 p.m.; Fri. -Sat., 7-10 p.m. 519 18th St. For information, call (510) 268-9000 or visit www.oaklandice.com.

• Oakland Tours - The city of Oakland offers free guided tours of Old Oakland, City Center, Preservation Park, Chinatown, Uptown, Jack London Square, churches and temples, plus the African American Heritage and the Oakland Scenic tours. For more information, call (510) 238-3234. Other tours include the USS Potomac Floating White House, (510) 627-1215; Black Panther Legacy, (510) 986-0768; Black Panther Tours; and Jack London History Walk, (510) 627-1670.

• Swans Marketplace - One of California's oldest markets, this shopping area features international foods, a world-famous sausage factory, a specialty meat market, and a fish market. Mon.- Sat., 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. Between 9th St. and Clay St., For information, call (510) 832-9078.  [Top]

Museums

• African American Museum and Library of Oakland - This facility is devoted to organizing, preserving, interpreting, and sharing the African American experience in California. 659 14th St. For information call, (510) 238-6716.

• Chabot Space and Science Center - A sci-fi play-land in the Oakland Hills, this 86,000-square foot center boasts of one of the largest public telescopes in the United States, an exciting space-flight simulator, a 250-seat planetarium, a large-screen, domed Megamax theater, and interactive science and technology exhibits. 10000 Skyline Blvd. For more information, call (510) 336-7300 or visit www.chabotspace.org.

• Oakland Museum - Within minutes from the hotel, this award-winning museum is devoted to the arts, history, and natural sciences of California. It is one of the most architecturally interesting museums in the country, with a creative, three-tier blend of spacious galleries, terraces, sculpture gardens, and ponds. Wed. -Sat., 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon - 5 p.m.; first Friday of the month, 10 a.m.- 9 p.m. Admittance is free the second Sunday of the month. 1000 Oak St. For information, call (510) 238-2200 or visit www.museumca.org.  [Top]

• Oakland Museum Sculpture Court at City Center - A satellite of the Oakland Museum, this downtown gallery has changing exhibitions featuring local sculptors. Wed.- Sat., 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon - 5 p.m.; first Friday of the month, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. 1111 Broadway, (510) 238-3401.

• Pardee Home Museum - A national historic landmark, this museum allows visitors a glimpse into the domestic life of the Pardee family, who occupied the house from 1868 to 1981. Tours: Friday – Saturday at noon. 672 11th St. For information, call (510) 444-2187 or visit www.pardeehome.org.

• The Museum of Children's Art (MOCHA) - See exhibits created by children and participate in art classes and drop-in working studios. Tues. - Sat., 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon - 5 p.m. 538 9th St. For information, call (510) 465-8770 or visit www.mocha.org.

• Western Aerospace Museum - Discover aircraft displays, artifacts, a giant flying boat, and an Electra similar to the one flown by Amelia Earhart. Wed. - Sun., 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 8260 Boeing St. For information, call (510) 638-7100.  [Top]

Theatre & Music

• Children's Fairyland Oakland East bay Symphony - Younger children will enjoy this enchanting three-dimensional fantasy world in picturesque Lakeside Park, where popular nursery rhymes come to life. Summer: Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Other seasons: hours vary. 699 Bellevue Ave. For more information, call (510) 452-2259 or visit www.fairyland.org.

• Joaquin Miller Park and Woodminster Amphitheater - One of the last urban Redwood groves, this 500-acre forest is named after the poet and environmentalist who made his home and planted thousands of trees here. The park boasts of some of the area's best vistas, trails, and equestrian areas, and hosts lively musicals in the summer at the Woodminster Amphitheater. For information, visit www.woodminster.com.

• Oakland Ballet - Oakland's ballet company performs September through December at the stunning Paramount Theatre and at UC Berkeley's Zellerbach Hall. The troupe's unusual repertoire, particularly revivals of 20th-century ballets of the Diaghilev Era in Russia, makes it well-known around the world. The Paramount Theatre is located at 2025 Broadway. For information, call (510) 893-2300 or visit www.oaklandballet.org.

• Paramount Theater - This beautiful art deco landmark built in 1931 is the jewel of Oakland. The 3,000-seat venue hosts performances by local artists as well as renowned entertainers. It's the official theater of the Oakland Ballet and the Oakland East Bay Symphony. Guided tours are available. 2025 Broadway. For information, call (510) 465-6400 or visit www.paramounttheatre.com.  [Top]

Parks & Gardens

• Morcom Amphitheater of Roses - Opened in the 1930s, this eight-acre municipal rose garden features more than 6,000 rose bushes of all varieties. Enjoy bloom season May through September. 700 Jean St. For information, call (510) 597-5039.

• Preservation Park - These 16 restored Victorian houses occupy two richly landscaped blocks and provide a glimpse into historic Oakland. The park includes a 19th-century fountain and five distinct, domestic architectural styles. 13th St. at Martin Luther King Jr. Way. For information, call (510) 874-7580 or visit www.preservationpark.com.  [Top]

Sports

• Oakland Raiders - The Oakland Raiders boast the best winning percentage in professional football since 1963. They are also the only team, NFL or AFL, to play in the Super Bowl in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. For information, schedules, and tickets, visit www.raiders.com.

• Golf Complexes - Beautiful, public courses are within two miles of the hotel.  [Top]
  
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