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

Unusual Attractions in Berkeley

Berkeley, California

Fairy Post Office

Travelers exchange letters with woodland creatures at this mini post office.

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

Takara Sake Museum

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

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Atlas Obscura Trips

Photographing Palm Springs: The Quirky & Surreal

Join National Geographic author, photographer, and Palm Springs resident Christopher P. Baker on this one-of-a-kind photography workshop exploring the most striking and photogenic sites in and around Greater Palm Springs.

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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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