The 10 Best Things to do Good for Big Groups in Oakland, California (CA)

Mix, shape, boil, bake, and eat the most spectacular bagels you've ever tasted! Bake Your Own Amazing Bagels demystifies every step of making the "roll with a hole." No matter which workshop you choose, you finish by eating delicious, fresh hot bagels. Rockridge resident, Laurie Leiber, loves teaching people how to make their own bagels. “It’s always fun because people love bagels,” says Leiber

Open to the public, the Oakland California Temple & Visitors' Center is a beautiful and peaceful place to visit. Visitors can walk through the colorful gardens lined with towering palm trees, sit by the fountains and cascading waterfall, enjoy the beautiful view of the San Francisco Bay Area, and feel the peace of the grounds. While you're there, you can take a guided tour at the Visitors' Center, learn more about you're family's history at the Family Search Library, and attend events at the Temple Hill Auditorium. Only members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints can enter the temple itself. A coveted location for photographers, the Oakland Temple is one of the best locations to enjoy a sunset over the Bay. At night, the Oakland Temple is brightly lit and can be seen throughout the Bay Area. Devotionals, concerts, and performances are hosted throughout the month in the Temple Hill auditorium and most events are free.

A throwback to the 1930s with its art deco architecture.

Saltwater lake in the middle of the city.

Children's Fairyland is a magical mid-century park where young children can create, imagine, play, and learn all day long, located on the shores of Lake Merritt in Oakland, California.

Oakland Zoo was established in 1922 and is managed by the Conservation Society of California, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of wildlife both locally and globally. The Zoo is home to over 850 native and exotic animals. We're recognized for our outstanding animal care, particularly our elephant care program, and for our Leed-certified, 17,000 square foot, state-of-the-art veterinary hospital—the largest wild animal veterinary facility in Northern California. June 2018 introduced Oakland Zoo guests to an entirely new experience, California Trail, a monumental expansion furthering our commitment to animal care, education, and conservation with a focus on this state’s remarkable native wildlife—both past and present.

Both a restaurant and nightclub, this Japanese venue is enjoyed by jazz aficionados who come to see local and national jazz performers.

Chabot Space & Science Center inspires and educates students of all ages about our Planet Earth and the Universe. Its historic telescopes and observatory, planetarium, hands-on interactive exhibits, and natural park setting are a place where students, teachers, and the public can imagine, understand, and learn to shape their future through science. Chabot's three large telescopes are open to the public on Friday and Saturday evenings.

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. Museum programs are responsive, accessible and meaningful to the public, including school children, teachers, scholars, the immediate Oakland community, and an increasingly diverse California population.