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Oct 29th, 2008
Thanks to the area’s well-developed infrastructure, families can enjoy a wide range of activities that include parks, hiking and bike trails, beaches, museums, sports events, theme parks, film festivals, food fairs, libraries, live theater, modern dance and ballet, ethnic celebrations, flower gardens, farmers markets, sky gazing, wine tasting, hot-air ballooning, animal watching and even county fairs. For newcomers and established residents, there is so much to learn about what is available in the San Francisco Bay Area. Countless Attractions, From sports to the arts, the San Francisco Bay Area has something for everyone. Whether you like cheering for the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park or the Oakland Athletics across the Bay, strolling through Golden Gate Park, enjoying opening night at the San Francisco Opera, taking in an exhibit at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art or hiking up Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County, you’ll be guaranteed a memorable experience. Sporting Fun The crack of the bat. The swoosh of the net. The roar of the crowds. The San Francisco Bay Area is home to a variety of professional sports, including baseball, football, hockey and soccer. Baseball Located on the San Francisco waterfront, AT&T Park is home to the 2003 National League Champion San Francisco Giants. The team has won more pennants and has more players in baseball’s Hall of Fame than any other major-league team. In 2007, more than 3 million spectators enjoyed games at AT&T, whose ticket prices represent true entertainment value at an average cost of $25 per ticket. Across the Bay, the Oakland Athletics have been winning division titles, American League pennants and a total of nine world championships in the past 30 years. Football The National Football League’s San Francisco 49ers were the first professional sports franchise on the West Coast. In 1994, the Niners made NFL history when they were the first team to capture five Superbowl championships. The team currently plays at Monster Park located at Candlestick Point. Playing in the Oakland/Alameda County Coliseum, the Oakland Raiders are part of the American Football League. Basketball The Golden State Warriors, charter members of the National Basketball Association, play at the Oakland- Hockey San Jose is home to the Sharks hockey team, members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team was founded in 1991 and plays at the HP Pavilion. The Sharks won the Division Championship in the 2001-02 and 2003-04 season. Soccer While the San Jose Earthquakes only became an official Major League Soccer (MLS) team in July, 2007, the team dates back to 1974 and the early days of the North American Soccer League. The Earthquakes have won two MLS Cup titles, beating their rivals the Los Angeles Galaxy 2 to 1 in 2001 and defeating the Chicago Fire 4 to 2 in 2003. The team plans to have a permanent home in San Jose by the 2011 season. The team is the third soccer club based in California and represents the entire Northern California region. Golf Thanks to the San Francisco Bay Area’s mild temperatures, golfing is a favorite sporting activity. Outstanding courses are available throughout the region, all offering varied levels of challenge. San Francisco The City and County of San Francisco operates six municipal golf courses under the jurisdiction of the Recreation and Parks Department. Reservations for Lincoln Park Golf Course and Sharps Park Golf Course can be made through the automated tee time reservation system by calling 415-750-GOLF (4653). More information is available at sfgov.org. Harding Park (18 hole) and Fleming (9 hole) Golf Courses are located at Skyline Blvd. and Harding Rd. in San Francisco. Harding Park is one of the city-owned courses that hosts the annual San Francisco City Golf Championship, one of the oldest running amateur golf events in the country. 415-664-4690 Gleneagles Golf Course (9 hole) is located in McLaren Park at 2100 Sunnydale Ave., between Brookdale and Persia streets in San Francisco. This challenging, par 36 course designed is a hidden jewel with beautiful vistas located in the far southern part of the city. 415-587-2425 Golden Gate Park Golf Course Lincoln Park Golf Course (18 hole) is located at 34th Ave. at Clement St. in San Francisco. This par 68 course, designed by Tom Bendelow and opened in 1928, is 5,149 yards long and offers magnificent views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. 415-221-9911 The Presidio Golf Course (18 hole) is located at the Presidio of San Francisco, within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and 10 minutes from downtown. Although it was originally a private course, it has been open to the public since 1995. 415-561-4661 Sharp Park Golf Course (18 hole) is a public course located at the foot of Sharp Park Rd. off Interstate 280 in Pacifica. The course, opened in 1931, was originally designed by famed architect Alister Mackenzie and landscaped by John McLaren. The par 72 course is 6,299 yards long and offers fabulous views of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding areas. 650-359-3380 North Bay Marin County is home to several public and private golf courses. These courses take advantage of Marin’s beautiful, varied terrain and are located in a variety of settings, from the foot of Mt. Tamalpais in Mill Valley, to the wetlands near the Bay Shore in Novato. More information is available at visitmarin.org/golfing. Mill Valley Golf Course, 280 Buena Vista Ave., Mill Valley 415-388-9982 San Geronimo Golf Club, 5800 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., San Geronimo 415-488-4030 McInnis Park Golf Center, 350 Smith Ranch Rd., San Rafael 415-492-1800 Indian Valley Golf Club, 3035 Novato Blvd., Novato 415-897-1118 Stone Tree Golf Club, 9 Stone Tree Lane, Novato 415-209-6090 Peacock Gap Golf & Country Club, 333 Biscayne Dr., San Rafael East Bay Chuck Corica Golf Complex offers three golf courses, a driving range, putting green, pro shop and a restaurant. 510-747-7800 Lake Chabot Golf Course,11450 Golf Links Rd., Oakland 510-351-5812 Metropolitan Golf Links, 10051 Montclair Golf Course, 2477 Tilden Park Golf Course, Grizzly Peak Blvd. and Shata Rd., Berkeley 510-848-7373 South Bay San Jose Coyote Creek (Tournament Course), 1 Coyote Creek Gold Dr. Los Lagos Golf Course, 2995 San Jose Municipal Golf Course, 1560 Oakland Rd. 408-441-4653 Santa Teresa Golf Course, 260 The Ranch Golf Club, 4601 Hilltop View Lane 408-270-0557 Burlingame Gilroy Half Moon Bay Palo Alto San Mateo Hollister San Juan Oaks Golf Club, 3825 Union Rd. 831-636-6115 Santa Clara Mountain View Milpitas Summitpointe Golf Course, 1500 Country Club Dr. 408-262-8813 Sunnyvale College Sports • Stanford University • University of California at Berkeley • Cal State East Bay • San Francisco State University • St. Mary’s College • Santa Clara University • San Jose State University Participant Sports and Recreational Activities Whatever the sport, San Francisco Bay Area residents will find it here. Every possible activity is represented, including walking, running, biking, sailing, tennis, baseball, soccer, football, bocce ball, swimming, hang gliding, kayaking, windsurfing, surfing, biking, aerobics, tai chi and weight lifting. For more specific information, consult each of the regions’ parks and recreation departments. • California Department of Parks and Recreation www.calparks.ca.gov • East Bay Regional Park District • Marin County Parks • Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District www.openspace.org • Napa Valley Parks • San Francisco Recreation and Park Department www.parks.sfgov.org • San Mateo County Park and Recreation Department www.eparks.net • Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation www.parkhere.org • Solano County Parks • Sonoma County Regional Parks Here are a few select parks and recreation departments for specific cities: • Alameda Recreation and Parks • Berkeley Parks Recreation and Waterfront Department www.ci.berkeley.ca.us • Cupertino Parks and Recreation Department www.cupertino.org/city_government/departments_and_offices/parks_recreation • Daly City Parks and Recreation Department 650-991-8001 • Emeryville Recreation Department • Oakland Parks and Recreation • Palo Alto Parks and Golf Division www.sayso.org/parks_and_recreation_departments.htm • San Jose Park, Recreation and Neighborhood Services www.sanjoseca.gov/prns/ • San Rafael Parks and Recreation Commission www.cityofsanrafael.org/ • Sausalito Parks and Recreation Department www.ci.sausalito.ca.us/Index.aspx?page=156 Enjoying The Great Outdoors In addition to being the most picturesque region in the U.S., the San Francisco Bay Area is a haven for those who love the outdoors. Every day of the week you’ll see throngs of San Francisco Bay Area residents jogging, biking, fishing on the piers, walking their pets or simply enjoying being outdoors. Major Parks Golden Gate Park It may surprise you, but Golden Gate Park at 1,000 acres is larger than New York’s Central Park, which is approximately 840 acres. In its early days, the terrain consisted of sand dunes, and through the years more than one million trees have been planted. There are also nine lakes, several fly-casting pools, a Japanese tea garden a lily pond, Dutch windmills with a tulip garden and pasture land with bison grazing. Within its borders, visitors will find Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Garden, the Conservatory of Flowers and the M.H. de Young Art Museum. To learn more, visit Presidio National Park Boasting some of San Francisco’s prime real-estate, this 1,491-acre park located at the northern tip of the peninsula is a former military post. In 1994, the National Park Service assumed control, and the park is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Within its borders are more than 100 miles of roads and wooded trails, ocean vistas and a top golf course. Where military tenants once resided, visitors will find the San Francisco arm of Lucas Films, a new multimedia mega-complex and the Letterman Digital Arts Center, which opened in 2005. For more information about the park, call the Visitor’s Center at Candlestick Park State Recreation Area This 252-acre park adjacent to Candlestick Park offers panoramic views of the San Bruno Mountain, the East Bay Hills and the San Francisco Bay. Visitors can enjoy the walking trails, open lawns, windsurfing and fishing piers. Birdwatchers can spot hawks, brown pelicans, cormorants, surf scoters, western grebes and egrets, among others. For more information, visit www.parks.ca.gov. Other San Francisco Parks Sigmund Stern Memorial Grove Notable Neighborhood Parks Washington Square Park For more information, visit San Francisco Bay Area Parks North Bay Marin Headlands – Part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Marin Headlands is located on the Marin side of the Golden Gate Bridge and offers spectacular views of the city, the bridge and the ocean. Only moments away from the city, the area attracts hikers, cyclists and campers. Find out more by visiting the Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s website at www.nps.gov/goga. Angel Island State Park – The island is situated in the center of San Francisco Bay with people arriving via private sailboat, kayak or ferry, which leave from Tiburon, San Francisco and Vallejo. Visit www.angelisland.org to learn more. Mount Tamalpais – At 2,586 feet, there is a great view on clear days. Mount Tamalpais State Park is a favorite weekend outing for many in the area. It features 50 miles of hiking and biking trails. For more information, call 415-388-2070 Samuel P. Taylor State Park – This park offers 2,700 acres of hilly forested countryside with a paved bike trail and hiking trails. 415-488-9897 Point Reyes National Seashore – The area includes 80 miles of coastline and 70,000 acres pristine wilderness. You’ll find dense forests, open meadows and rugged bluffs. 415-663-1092 For more information about parks in Marin County, visit East Bay Tilden Park, located in North Berkeley, has hiking trails and Anza Lake for swimming. Other attractions include a merry-go-round, miniature trains, a steam train, a petting zoo and a golf course. 510-562-7275 Lake Temescal Recreation Area is nestled in Oakland and has a reservoir for swimming and fishing. Redwood Regional Park offers towering redwoods, horseback riding, a swimming pool and picnic areas. Anthony Chabot Regional Park Joaquin Miller Park off Highway 13 on Joaquin Miller Rd. has plenty of hiking trailes and a new Chabot Observatory and Science Center with a planetarium and Dome IMAX theater. In Alameda, there is Crown Memorial Beach and the Crab Cove Visitor Center, a favorite recreation spot. Mount Diablo State Park in Contra Costa County offers 19,000 acres of hiking, camping, mountain biking and panoramic views of the city. Briones Regional Park has 45 miles of trails through meadows and wooded areas among lakes and waterfalls. 510-562-7275 For more information about parks in the East Bay, visit www.ebparks.org. Peninsula Ano Nuevo State Reserve, which is 55 miles south of San Francisco, hosts the world’s largest breeding colony of northern elephant seals. Every year, the elephant seals mate and give birth to their 75-pound pups along the sound dunes. 650-879-0227 Coyote Point County Recreational Area includes a nature museum along with swimming, boating, windsurfing and kiteboarding. 650-573-2592 Crystal Springs Reservoir is another refuge as well as a source of water for San Francisco and the surrounding areas. The reservoir holds 22.6 billion gallons of Hetch Hetchy water for delivery to San Francisco and northern peninsula towns. Palo Alto’s Baylands Preserve is a bird lover’s paradise. More than 100 species of birds are attracted to 2,000 acres of salt marsh. 650-329-2506 or 650-329-2506 For more information on San Mateo’s county parks, call the Parks and Recreation Department at 650-363-4020. South Bay Sanborn Skyline County Park is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains and offers camping, an outdoor theater and a youth hostel. Stevens Creek County Park in Cupertino is an ideal setting for riding, walking or cycling around its reservoir. 408-867-9959 Alum Rock, located within the City of San Jose, offers hiking, biking and horseback riding trails. Henry Coe State Park is the largest state park in northern California with more than 87,000 acres. Hiking, mountain biking, camping, fishing and horse riding are among some of the activities. 408-779-2728 or visit For more information about Santa Clara County parks, visit San Francisco Bay Area Beaches Ocean Beach runs the entire west side of San Francisco and is the city’s largest beach. It offers a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean and approximately five miles of peaceful surf and sand. Baker Beach is located in San Francisco at the bottom of the deeply wooded Point Lobos, just beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s very picturesque with great views of the bridge and the Marin Headlands. North Baker is a popular nude beach. If it’s a sunny day, expect to see many sunbathing. Point Reyes National Seashore offers expansive sand beaches, forests, marshes, open grasslands, brushy hillsides and forested ridges. A place where visitors can discover more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. People enjoy camping, hiking, kayaking, biking and bird watching. Stinson Beach is located just north of San Francisco. The 3.5 mile sandy coastline provides plenty of access to swimmers (lifeguards are on duty May through September), surfers and sun bathers. The 51-acre park adjacent to the beach offers more than 100 picnic tables (some with grills and all available on a first-come basis). A snack bar is open April through September. The park is open until sunset. Tomales Bay State Park is situated on the eastern edge of Point Reyes Peninsula and is a popular destination for a day of picnicking, hiking or water-oriented activities. The beaches and east-facing slopes of this 2,000-acre park are protected from the prevailing winds by the high backbone of the Point Reyes Peninsula. The park is located 40 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, close to Inverness and Point Reyes Station and the Point Reyes National Seashore. San Gregorio State Beach is 10.5 miles south of Half Moon Bay on Highway 1. The area includes a protected, driftwood-srewn estuary at the back of a wide, sandy beach with grassy bluffs along the coast. The estuary is home to many birds and small animals. Año Nuevo State Reserve is located 55 miles south of San Francisco and is the site of the largest mainland breeding colony in the world for the northern elephant seal. People who hope to see the seals during the winter breeding season are urged to get their reservations early. The males battle for mates on the beaches, and the females give birth to their pups on the dunes. During the breeding season, December through March, daily access to the reserve is available via guided walks only. Most of the adult seals are gone by early March, leaving behind the weaned pups who remain through April. The elephant seals return to Año Nuevo’s beaches during the spring and summer months to molt and can be observed during this time through a permit system. Montara State Beach, which is 20 miles south of San Francisco, is a popular location for visitors who can explore the beach tide pools or go surf fishing. The beach is bounded by low hills both to the north and south and restaurants and a grocery store are nearby. Point Montara has a lighthouse that offers overnight accommodations, operated by Hostelling International (www.hihostels.com), a nonprofit group. Pacifica is a wide crescent-shaped beach that marks the northern gateway to the coastline stretching south of San Francisco. It’s located off Highway 1 in downtown Pacifica. Pescadero State Beach is located 14.5 miles south of Half Moon Bay on Highway 1. The beach has a mile-long shoreline with sandy coves, rocky cliffs, tide pools, fishing spots and picnic facilities. Across the highway is Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve, a popular spot for bird watchers and other naturalists. The Reserve is a refuge for blue heron, kites, deer, raccoons, foxes and skunks. For more information about San Francisco Bay Area beaches, visit Arts and Culture San Francisco offers a myriad of arts and cultural opportunities. Visitors and residents alike embrace the city’s diverse art scene. The San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau reports that tourists most enjoy the people and diversity of San Francisco, and this is nowhere better represented than through art and culture. The city is a primary visitor destination for arts and culture in the United States. Murals enliven the streets of the Mission District, museums are centered around Yerba Buena Gardens, children’s poetry is displayed on side street kiosks in the Financial District and housed at Fisherman’s Wharf is the Museum of the City of San Francisco. From Gold Rush times, San Francisco has had an arts tradition supported by early groups such as the San Francisco Women Artists Collective, an association that has been in existence since 1880 and still operates a gallery in Hayes Valley. In 1894, San Francisco Chronicle publisher M.H. de Young helped to bring the World’s Fair to the city and started a permanent museum as a memorial to the exposition. The M.H. de Young Museum and the Legion of Honor, a gift from Alma Spreckles, the wife of sugar magnate Adolph B. Spreckels, are part of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF), the city’s largest public arts institution. FAMSF is also the city’s most successful public/private partnership. Although a designated city department, most of the museums’ operational funding and all funding for art acquisitions and exhibitions are raised privately. For the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, the Palace of Fine Arts was created to house the works of living artists. Today, the classical building is one of the city’s most picturesque spots, as well as home to the Palace of Fine Arts Theater, which hosts events such as the annual Ethnic Dance Festival and the Exploratorium, a science and arts exploration museum. The newly renovated War Memorial Opera Center in the Civic Center was built in 1932 and hosts the San Francisco Opera and America’s oldest professional ballet company, the San Francisco Ballet. Nearby is Davies Symphony Hall, home of the San Francisco Symphony, under the artistic direction of conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. Visitors and residents enjoy Broadway shows, improvisational comedy, musical revues and dramatic theater throughout the city. Situated on San Francisco’s Union Square is TIX San Francisco Bay Area, a half-price ticket booth that has day-of-tickets to performances at many of the large and smaller houses. Within walking distance are American Conservatory Theater, Cable Car Theater, Curran Theater, Mason Street Theater and Theater on the Square. An international museum, based in San Francisco, The Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) is committed to showcasing the “best of the best” from the African Diaspora. To facilitate this, MoAD reaches out and initiates collaborative ventures with institutions of similar vision from around the world. Already, the museum has forged rich relationships with the British Museum, the Museum of African Art (NY), Eileen Harris Norton and Peter Norton, and the University of California Berkeley, among others. Drawing from the collections of museums, institutes, organizations, universities and private citizens, MoAD is a collector of stories—a repository of information to be shared with all who wish to know about the African Diaspora. At the heart of San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens, situated south of Market Street, is a bustling center for arts and culture, including the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th-century art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). Nearby is the new Contemporary Jewish Museum and Mexican Museum, which is in the process of building a new facility nearby. Local Arts Support Arts organizations of all disciplines and sizes are supported in part by Grants for the Arts (GFTA), the publicity and advertising portion of the San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund. Established through a combination of city and state legislation and approved by the city’s Board of Supervisors, GFTA has evolved into a national model of arts funding. It has a policy of supporting an arts organization’s general operating expenses, and does not limit the number of years a group can continue to receive grants. The foremost goal is to be a stable, dependable base of support for organizations that continue to meet the funding criteria. The fund is committed to supporting the broadest spectrum of the San Francisco arts community, including the nation’s first international film festival, the oldest continuously performing ballet company in the country, one of the premier African-American theater groups on the West Coast and an internationally acclaimed symphony, among many other groups. In fiscal year 2007-2008, more than $11 million was allocated to 225 groups and activities. Among these include Bay Area National Dance Week, LINES Contemporary Ballet, The Playwrights Foundation, Film Arts Foundation, San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, Del Sol String Quartet, Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, Magic Theatre, Cartoon Museum, California College of the Arts and the Folsom Street Fair. This economic investment in diverse arts and promotional organizations enhances the city’s attractiveness to visitors and provides employment and enrichment to its residents. The arts are integral to the city’s economic health. Studies show: • One in 11 jobs in San Francisco are related to the arts through employment in such sectors as graphic design, advertising, architecture, publishing, broadcast and film. • Arts organizations provide a $1.3 billion boost to the local economy. • The arts are the fourth-largest growth industry in San Francisco. • The San Francisco Bay Area has the largest arts attendance per capita among U.S. metropolitan areas. • 50 percent of visitors to San Francisco from nearby communities say museum attendance is a reason for their visit; another 40 percent come to the city for live theater. Support of Fine Arts in the San Francisco Bay Area Collections throughout the San Francisco Bay Area representing the history of world art can be enjoyed all year long. From antiquity to modern art, museums and galleries offer viewers a rich assortment of paintings, sculpture, textile arts and crafts, as well as decorative arts. It’s not long before newcomers pick their favorite art spot to get inspired and enriched. San Francisco Asian Art Museum 200 Larkin Housed in its new and expanded facility at San Francisco’s Civic Center, the museum is devoted exclusively to Asian art with a collection of 17,000 objects spanning 6,000 years of history. Cartoon Art Museum 655 Mission St. The museum is dedicated to the preservation, education and exhibition of cartoon art in all forms. California Palace of the Legion of Honor Lincoln Park, 34th Ave. and Clement St. The Legion of Honor displays a collection of 4,000 years of ancient and European art and houses the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts in a Beaux-Arts style building overlooking Lincoln Park and the Golden Gate Bridge. Contemporary Jewish Museum 736 Mission St. In June, the Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM) reopened in its new facility on Mission Street between 3rd and 4th streets. Founded in 1984, the CJM has established a history of presenting exhibitions and education programs that explore contemporary perspectives on Jewish culture, history, art and ideas. de Young Museum Golden Gate Park Founded in 1895 in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, the de Young Museum has been an integral part of the cultural fabric of the city and a cherished destination for millions of residents and visitors to the region for more than 100 years. On October 15, 2005, the de Young Museum reopened in a new facility that integrates art, architecture and the natural landscape in one multifaceted destination. Designed by the renowned Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron and Fong & Chan Architects in San Francisco, the new de Young provides San Francisco with a landmark art museum to showcase the museum’s priceless collections of American art from the 17th through the 20th centuries, and art of the native Americas, Africa and the Pacific. Museum of the African Diaspora 685 Mission St. The Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) is committed to showcasing the “best of the best” from the African Diaspora. To facilitate this, MoAD reaches out and initiates collaborative ventures with institutions of similar vision from around the world. Museum of Craft and Folk Art 51 Yerba Buena Lane The Museum of Craft and Folk Art provides innovative exhibitions and educational programs that are designed to connect with and inspire diverse communities. As the only folk art museum in Northern California, the museum is known for a rich offering of focused and unique exhibitions of traditional and contemporary folk art and craft from around the world. The Museum of Performance & Design Veterans Building, Fourth Flr. The museum’s mission is to educate people of all ages about the impact and value of the performing arts in their lives through exhibitions, programming and research. In addition, the museum collects, preserves and makes accessible performance and design materials that reflect diverse cultures. Located in the Veterans Building in San Francisco’s Civic Center, the organization continues to collect, preserve and make available to the public its collection of 3.5 million items and its programs documenting the diverse cultural legacy of the performing arts in California and beyond. Its exhibitions, educational services and outstanding artistic programs reach more than 200,000 youth and adults every year. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s (SFMOMA)’s Mario Botta–designed building on Third Street was an instant architectural landmark from its opening in 1995. The building’s grand scale has allowed the museum to mount more exhibitions, hold more education programs, host more visitors and welcome more members than previously possible. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts 701 Mission St. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts presents contemporary art from the San Francisco Bay Area and around the world that reflects the profound issues and ideas of our time, expands the boundaries of artistic practice, and celebrates the diversity of human experience and expression. Peninsula Cantor Arts Center Lomita Dr. and Museum Way The Cantor Arts Center’s diverse collections span continents, cultures and 4,000 years of art history and include the largest gathering of Rodin bronzes outside of Paris. The Palo Alto Art Center Foundation 1313 Newell Rd. The Palo Alto Art Center Foundation supports art education programs for children in Palo Alto and neighboring school districts, adult studio art classes, exhibitions and a unique art mentoring program for teenagers. San Jose Institute of Contemporary 560 South First St. The ICA presents forward-looking, thought-provoking, and exciting contemporary art by emerging and established Bay Area artists. The ICA’s mission is to promote greater awareness, understanding and appreciation of contemporary art and its capacity to stimulate our imaginations and illuminate our lives, relationships and communities. San Jose Museum of Art 110 South Market St. Established in 1969, the San Jose Museum of Art is a distinct voice in the San Francisco Bay Area arts community. The collection exhibits the unique evolution of the institution from a small civic art gallery to a museum in the tenth largest city in the United States. San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles 520 South First St. The mission of the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles is to promote the art, craft and history of quilts and textiles. Its exhibits and programs promote the appreciation of quilts and textiles as art and provide an understanding of their role in the lives of their makers, in cultural traditions and as historical documents. East Bay Oakland Museum 1000 Oak St. The Oakland Museum of California provides unique collections, exhibitions and educational opportunities designed to generate a broader and deeper understanding of and interest in California’s environment, history, art and people. The art and history galleries are currently under renovation and will reopen in 2009. University Art Museum 2626 Bancroft Way The museum was founded in 1963, following artist and teacher Hans Hofmann’s donation of 45 paintings and $250,000 to the university. Today, BAM/PFA’s collection of work by this important abstract expressionist artist remains the largest in any museum internationally. Over three decades, the museum’s collection has evolved with particular strengths in historical and contemporary Asian art, early American painting, mid-twentieth-century, conceptual and contemporary international art and California and Bay Area art. Science Museums and Zoos San Francisco Aquarium of the Bay The Embarcadero and Beach St. Aquarium of the Bay is a unique nature center dedicated to inspiring conservation of the San Francisco Bay and all marine environments. With exhibitions focused on the Bay’s diverse aquatic animals and distinctive ecosystems, the Aquarium hosts nearly 600,000 visitors each year, and provides free classes and tours to more than 13,000 Bay Area school children annually. The 50,000-square-foot facility features 300 feet of crystal clear acrylic tunnels holding more than 700,000 gallons of filtered Bay water. The aquarium is home to more than 20,000 aquatic animals, including sharks, bat rays and skates. It also encompasses three touch pools and numerous other displays. California Academy of Sciences San Francisco, CA Since 1853, the California Academy of Sciences has been dedicated to exploring, explaining and protecting the natural world. Under one roof, the academy houses the Steinhart Aquarium, Morrison Planetarium and Kimball Natural History Museum. Construction began in 2005 on the largest cultural renovation project in San Francisco’s history. The academy will reopen on September 27 in Golden Gate Park. Exploratorium 3601 Lyon St. Housed within the walls of San Francisco’s landmark Palace of Fine Arts, the Exploratorium is a collage of hundreds of interactive exhibits in the areas of science, art and human perception. The Exploratorium stands in the vanguard of the movement of the “museum as educational center.” It provides access to and information about science, nature, art and technology. San Francisco Zoo 1 Zoo Rd. The San Francisco Zoo is Northern California’s oldest and largest zoological park and an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. It has an annual attendance of 1 million people per year, making it the most visited recreational and cultural attraction in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since its founding in 1929, the zoo has served as an enduring tradition for area families for generations. Located adjacent to the Pacific Ocean along the Great Highway, the 100-acre facility is managed and operated by the private, nonprofit San Francisco Zoological Society in a unique partnership with the city and county of San Francisco. The zoo is funded through gate admission fees, retail sales, membership dues, contributions and support from the city. Peninsula and South Bay Children’s Discovery Museum 180 Woz Way Since opening in June 1990, the Museum has welcomed more than 3 million visitors and has offered new interactive exhibits each year that respond to children’s diverse educational needs. With the addition of the West Wing in 1997, the museum expanded its size by 20 percent. Hiller Aviation Museum 601 Skyway Rd. Dedicated to the dreams of flight, the museum exhibits chronicle a century of aviation history and provide a glimpse into air transportation’s future. Inside the museum, two large display areas contain the majority of the exhibits. Vintage and futuristic aircraft, prototypes, photographic displays and models are on display. Intel Museum Robert Noyce Building The Intel Museum, located in Santa Clara, showcases Intel’s history through unique, educational exhibits designed to let you explore Intel’s advanced technology and manufacturing first hand. The museum is 10,000 square feet of fun and interactive learning for children and adults. Located within Intel Corporation’s headquarters in Santa Clara, the museum offers a unique Silicon Valley experience for thousands of visitors from around the world each year. Lick Observatory 408-274-5061 The observatory is a multicampus research unit of the University of California that provides UC astronomers with a state-of-the-art research facility. It is located on the summit of Mt. Hamilton (4,200 feet) in the Diablo Range east of San Jose and headquartered at UC’s Santa Cruz campus. The Tech Museum of Innovation 201 South Market St. The Tech is singularly focused on inspiring the innovator in everyone it reaches. Hands-on and interactive exhibits divided among themed galleries as well as the Hackworth IMAX Dome Theater offer guests a memorable experience. North Bay Bay Area Discovery Museum East Fort Baker The Bay Area Discovery Museum is a one-of-a-kind indoor/outdoor children’s museum that offers a full range of programs for children, parents, school groups and educators. Located on 7.5 acres in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area at Fort Baker in Sausalito, the museum’s unique programs feature hands-on art, science and environmental exhibitions, performances, special events, cultural festivals and ongoing educational curricula, all focusing on having fun. East Bay Chabot Space & Science Center 10000 Skyline Blvd. Chabot Space & Science Center (CSSC) inspires and educates students of all ages about the earth and the universe. Its observatory, planetarium, exhibits and natural park setting are a place where a diverse population of students, teachers and the public can imagine, understand and learn to shape their future through science. Holt Planetarium – Lawrence Hall 510-642-5132 Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) is a singular resource center for preschool through high school science and mathematics education and a public science center with exciting hands-on experiences for learners of all ages. The facility is on Centennial Dr. in the Berkeley hills east of the main UC Berkeley campus and just above the UC Botanical Gardens. Oakland Zoo 9777 Golf Links Rd. Nestled in the rolling hills of 525-acre Knowland Park, the zoo is home to more than 440 native and exotic animals. UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens 200 Centennial Dr. Established in 1890, the garden’s 34 acres contain more than 12,000 different kinds of plants from all over the world arranged by region. Open to the public, the garden is a living museum featuring one of the most diverse plant collections in the U.S. Arts Resources Artspan 934 Brannon St. Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) 2727 Mariposa St., 2nd. Flr. Film Arts Foundation 346 Ninth St., 2nd Flr. San Francisco Arts Commission 25 Van Ness Ave., Ste. 240 Theater Bay Area 870 Market St., Ste. 375 San Francisco Bay Area Libraries These are the main public libraries in each county. For more information about local branches in each county, visit the websites noted below. San Francisco Main Public Library 100 Larkin St. Marin Main Public Library Gail Haar, County Librarian Alameda Free Library 1550 Oak St. Contra Costa County Library 1750 Oak Park Blvd. Santa Clara County Library 14600 Winchester Blvd. Sonoma County Library 211 E St. Napa Main Library 580 Coombs St. Fairfield Civic Center Library 1150 Kentucky St. San Mateo County Library The San Mateo County Library is a Joint Powers Authority and comprised of the cities of Atherton, Belmont, Brisbane, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Half Moon Bay, Millbrae, Pacifica, Portola Valley, San Carlos, Woodside and the unincorporated areas of the county. www.smcl.org/libraries/ |
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