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All the United States California Berkeley

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Berkeley

26 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Berkeley, California

Updated June 11, 2025

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Unusual Attractions in Berkeley

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

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.
Selection of Exhibits at the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents (photo by Joel Bernstein)

Berkeley, California

Aftel Archive of Curious Scents

Nose around a unique collection of more than 300 natural aromas used to craft fragrances.

Berkeley, California

Moe's Books

A shape-shifting buy-sell-trade bookstore, born to Beatnik Era spirit.
Louis Trevino (left) and Vincent Medina (right) plate traditional food at Cafe Ohlone.

Berkeley, California

Cafe Ohlone

This restaurant offers the original California cuisine.

Berkeley, California

Takara Sake Museum

The only museum of sake in the United States is nestled in an unlikely California college town.
See All 26 Things To Do in Berkeley

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Berkeley

Louis Trevino (left) and Vincent Medina (right) plate traditional food at Cafe Ohlone.

Berkeley, California

Cafe Ohlone

This restaurant offers the original California cuisine.

Berkeley, California

Takara Sake Museum

The only museum of sake in the United States is nestled in an unlikely California college town.
The temple is a converted Victorian.

Berkeley, California

Wat Mongkolratanaram

Every Sunday, this Thai temple in Berkeley serves a backyard brunch.
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Berkeley, California

Shops 4
Museums 3
Collections 3
Purveyors Of Curiosities 3
Eccentric Homes 3
Homes 3
Unique Restaurants & Bars 2

Berkeley Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. leiris
    2
  2. Rebekah Otto
    2
  3. Annetta Black
    2
  4. theoktitus
    1
  5. serflac
    1
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Add an unusual place to Berkeley.

Places Edited

  1. Rachel
    6
  2. James Ricci
    6
  3. breaingram
    4
  4. SEANETTA
    3
  5. berkeleygal
    3
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Improve the Atlas with edits and photos.

Places Visited

  1. flint
    24
  2. dmochizuki
    23
  3. russellnelson
    23
  4. dntinsley
    22
  5. polemonium
    21

Recent Berkeley Activity

  • mjason77

    wants to go to Fish Shaped House

  • mjason77

    wants to go to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • mjason77

    wants to go to Fairy Post Office

  • 48t6gmhq9j

    wants to go to East Bay Vivarium

  • 48t6gmhq9j

    wants to go to Thornburg Village

Stories About Berkeley

The Secret Gardens Saving the World’s Rarest Plants

In greenhouses from Berkeley to Santa Barbara, a little-known rescue network protects endangered cycads from poachers, smugglers, and extinction.
by Julie Zigoris
June 11, 2025

Podcast: Berkeley South Asian Radical History Walking Tour

A unique Bay Area walking tour led by community historians.
by The Podcast Team
January 12, 2023
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.
by Anne Ewbank
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.
by Luna Shyr
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.
by Anne Ewbank
March 20, 2019
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
March 13, 2019
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.
by Cara Giaimo
April 4, 2018

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