Lakeside Park

Every morning at 6 AM Oakland's Lakeside Park officially opens to the public. The park consists of seventy-five lush acres of land surrounding Lake Merritt. The lake is the nation's largest urban saltwater lake (155 acres) and the nation's oldest wildlife preserve. This unparalleled one-two combination of park and lake, in the heart of downtown Oakland, creates a unique oasis for the surrounding community. Every day of the year, thousands of people visit the park to enjoy its three-mile shoreline that winds past a rich variety of recreational facilities and civic structures.

On the south end of the lake, two hundred yards from the tidal dam, stands the most venerable and historic structure in Lakeside Park - Camron-Stanford House. Oakland's Historic Landmark #2, the House predates the park by more than a quarter of a century. The elegant Italianate Victorian was originally built as a residence, became the Oakland Public Museum in 1910, and since 1978 has served the community as a house museum offering the public a unique look at Oakland's historic past. Just north of the House, on the water's edge, is the headquarters for Oakland's Parks and Recreation Department.

Along the western perimeter of the lake, the park broadens at Adams Point to include a cluster of interesting attractions. Near grand and Lakeside Drive is the newly restored Edoff Memorial Bandstand. Next comes Children's Fairyland (a prototype of Disenyland) a delight to children of all ages. People dressed in white and rolling balls on a perfectly flat and seriously manicured lawn? You've come upon century-old Lawn Bowling Greens. The most serene spot in the park is the Garden Center. Along with the Japanese Gardens, the Bonsai and Suiseki Garden, the Show Gardens, and the Vegetable and Fruit Demonstration Garden, this is a unique urban setting in which to learn about - and enjoy - hundreds of varieties of trees, shrubs, and plants. The Sailboat House offers access to the waters of Lake Merritt - everything from windsurfing classes to group tours on the Merritt Queen. The Rotary Nature Center and Junior Center of Arts and Science provide special educational components to the Lakeside Park experience. For young children with plenty of energy to burn, there is Kid's Kingdom Playground, a colorful place to romp. The Classical place to recharge those mental batteries - McElroy Fountain.

The northern tip of Lake Merritt narrows and is set off beautifully by the Mediterranean style Embarcadero Pergola and Colonnade designed Walter Steilberg and built in 1912.

The long, thin, dog-leg strip along the eastern shore of Lake Merritt is a favorite site for photographers and anyone else wishing to take in the expanse of the lake and view impressive cityscapes. In the center of the strip on the east end of Lakeshore Boulevard is the old boat-launch.

Midday brings thousands of people from their workplace highrises to walk, run, and bike around the lake. In the early evening, you can witness another surge of activity on and around Lake Merritt as physical fitness enthusiast flock to Lakeside Park. Day's end is signaled as solar sensors trigger the Necklace of Lights, 126 Florentine light standards, strung with 3,400 lights in between, that hug the shoreline of the lake and are reflected on its surface as daylight fades. At 10 PM the park closes for the night.