Downtown Oakland Guided Walking Tours | Oakland

Submitted by the Event Organizer

Every Wednesday and Saturday in October enjoy free 90-minute walking tours through Oakland’s downtown districts.

Choose from seven different tour itineraries:

City Center
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.
Meets in front of Oakland City Hall, One Frank H. Ogawa Plaza.
Offered: Wed 10/6 & Sat 10/30

Uptown to the Lake
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.
Meets in front of the Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway.
Offered: Sat 10/9

Preservation Park
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.
Meets in front of Preservation Park, 13th Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Way.
Offered: Wed 10/27

Oakland Chinatown
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.
Meets in front of the Pacific Renaissance Plaza Fountain, 9th Street between Franklin and Webster streets.
Offered: Wed 10/20

Waterfront
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.
Meets in front of the northwest corner of Broadway and Embarcadero Street.
Offered: Sat 10/23

Churches & Temples
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.
Meets in front of the First Presbyterian Church, Broadway at 27th Street.
Offered: Wed 10/13

New Era | New Politics
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.
Meets in front of the African American Museum and Library at Oakland, 14th Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way.
Offered: Sat 10/16

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.