24 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Berkeley - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Berkeley

Berkeley, California

Thornburg Village

A storybook European village in Berkeley.

Berkeley, California

Adventure Playground

A playground built by the kids that is a child's wonderland, and a helicopter parent's nightmare.

Berkeley, California

Tail of the Yak

Handmade treasures from around the world.

Berkeley, California

Fish Shaped House

A private home built to resemble the shape of a microscopic creature.

Berkeley, California

East Bay Vivarium

An amazing collection of fantastic reptiles, amphibians, spiders, and insects.

Berkeley, California

Moe's Books

A shape-shifting buy-sell-trade bookstore, born to Beatnik Era spirit.

Berkeley, California

Urban Ore

An vast warehouse of everyday treasures in Berkeley, CA.

Berkeley, California

Takara Sake Museum

The only museum of sake in the United States is nestled in an unlikely California college town.

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Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Berkeley

Berkeley, California

Takara Sake Museum

The only museum of sake in the United States is nestled in an unlikely California college town.

Berkeley, California

Wat Mongkolratanaram

Every Sunday, this Thai temple in Berkeley serves a backyard brunch.

Berkeley, California

Cafe Ohlone

The back of a Berkeley bookstore hides a restaurant specializing in local indigenous cuisine.

Atlas Obscura Trips

Art of Joshua Tree and the Mojave

Join us as we venture deep into the High Desert, glimpsing massive sculptures, fluorescent painted mountains, and revitalizing domes along the way.

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Stories About Berkeley

Chunks of ice floating in water? Nope: coarse salt.

The Microscopic Majesty of Sugars, Salts, and Spices

A molecular biologist turned food writer put kitchen staples under the microscope.

October 8, 2020

Spectators to the power struggle can come from miles around.

Acorn Woodpeckers Have Multi-Day Wars, and Birds Come From All Around to Watch

A window into complex avian sociopolitical lives.

September 15, 2020

"The Tails of Two Kitties" was an award-winning entry at UC Berkeley's 2019 Edible Books Festival.

Edible Book Festivals Are for Pun and Food Lovers

It's been widely celebrated for almost 20 years.

Louis Trevino (left) and Vincent Medina (right) get ready to serve a meal in the Ohlone Cafe.

Indigenous Cuisine Is Being Served in the Back of a Berkeley Bookstore

Café Ohlone features traditional recipes and foraged ingredients.

by Richard Foss

The view from the top of a staircase that helps make up Berkeley's Covert Path.

Caring for—and Expanding—Berkeley's Hidden Network of Hillside Paths

The California city has over 130 different woodsy shortcuts cutting through its hills and streets.

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