Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Everything at Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe is served in takeout containers.
Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe
The fried green tomato sandwich comes on jalapeño cornbread toast.
Café Reconcile
BBQ shrimp braised in beer are a popular menu item.
High Hat Cafe
The pastries at Lagniappe Bakehouse are worth waking up for.
Lagniappe Bakehouse
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
13 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
14 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
15 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
16 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States California Oakland Watermelon Rock
Gastro Obscura

Watermelon Rock

A unique piece of graffiti offers a little slice of local history and mystery.

Oakland, California

Added By
James Gage
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Names and messages left on the rock by passersby.   James Gage / Atlas Obscura User
Names and messages left on the rock by passersby.   James Gage / Atlas Obscura User
Watermelon Rock dipping into the water of the Airport Channel.   James Gage / Atlas Obscura User
Watermelon Rock along Doolittle Drive.   James Gage / Atlas Obscura User
As seen from the MLK estuary   rebeccarecco / Atlas Obscura User
As seen from the MLK Estuary   rebeccarecco / Atlas Obscura User
  hibbibi / Atlas Obscura User
Watermelon Rock with Orange Slice (12/2020)   russellnelson / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

On the shoreline of San Leandro Bay, one particular work has caught the public eye and imagination for more than 35 years. Though the East Bay is a Sistine Chapel of graffiti, this particularly intriguing semi-circular slab of concrete brightens the day of many a passerby on their way to Oakland airport.

Watermelon Rock, a human-made landmark at the Martin Luther King Regional Shoreline Park, was originally painted as an orange slice in May 1983 by local resident Sandra Gibson and a friend. A few years later, someone repainted the rock as a slice of watermelon.

Irritated residents thought the painted rock ruined the natural look of the shoreline. One particularly angry resident painted it black, though it was quickly restored to its fruity facade.

The mystery of Watermelon Rock is that no one knows who re-paints it or why—rumors of the artists' identities range from mermaids to a local college sports team. Through the years, it has had stints as a lemon wedge and other citrus slices, but it always returns to its beloved look as a watermelon.

The perfectly-shaped piece of concrete was added to the shoreline to bolster it after World War II. Sometimes, as the tide rises and falls in the channel, the watermelon is submerged by the water, only to appear again soon after.

Related Tags

Graffiti California Public Art Fruit Roadside Attractions Rocks Geology

Know Before You Go

Watermelon Rock is located between Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline and the Oakland Aviation Museum along Doolittle Drive.

Community Contributors

Added By

James Gage

Edited By

rebeccarecco, hibbibi, russellnelson

  • rebeccarecco
  • hibbibi
  • russellnelson

Published

August 20, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.alamedamagazine.com/Alameda-Magazine/March-April-2007/Around-Town/
  • https://patch.com/california/alameda/watermelon-rock-a-slice-of-alameda-history
Watermelon Rock
Doolittle Dr
Oakland, California
United States
37.731718, -122.210621
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Alameda Spite House

Alameda, California

miles away

Wahpepah's Kitchen

Oakland, California

miles away

Jonestown Memorial

Oakland, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Oakland

Oakland

California

Places 30
Stories 7

Nearby Places

Alameda Spite House

Alameda, California

miles away

Wahpepah's Kitchen

Oakland, California

miles away

Jonestown Memorial

Oakland, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Oakland

Oakland

California

Places 30
Stories 7

Related Stories and Lists

8 Celebrations of the Almighty Watermelon

List

By Diana Hubbell

Related Places

  • Marlborough, Connecticut

    Snake Rock

    This roadside wonder is as mysterious as it is beloved.

  • Thalpan Petroglyphs.

    Chilās, Pakistan

    Thalpan Petroglyphs

    Thousands of ancient rock carvings are scattered just off the highway.

  • Fraggle Rock.

    Lordsburg, New Mexico

    Fraggle Rock

    The outcropping is graffitied with the name of the beloved musical Muppet television series.

  • The Auld Wives Lifts

    Glasgow, Scotland

    Auld Wives Lifts

    Three large boulders covered in mysterious carvings and graffiti.

  • Tut-Tut.

    Kilcreggan, Scotland

    Tut-Tut Rock

    A painted tribute to an ancient Egyptian king lurks along a stretch of Scottish shore.

  • Album Rock today.

    Raleigh, Newfoundland and Labrador

    Album Rock

    A remote landmark named for a whimsical photograph taken by a 1850s photographer and his crew of graffiti artists.

  • Golden Jubilee graffito.

    Elora, Ontario

    Golden Jubilee Graffito

    Among the cliffs of the Elora Gorge is an oft-overlooked piece of celebratory graffiti.

  • Poor Mathew.

    Bellingham, Washington

    Fairhaven Historic Markers

    Stones speckled along Harris Avenue reveal hidden nuggets of the past.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.