Things to do in Berkeley, CA

Berger Chocolate Factory Berkeley Art Museum Zellerbach Hall Aurora Theatre Company Berkeley Repertory Theater

A famed university town, Berkeley, California is home to exciting sights and things to do. Visit the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, see the Berkeley Lab and stroll the picturesque campus. The many attractions of UC Berkeley are only a half mile away from the hotel. Then spend some time shopping on Telegraph Avenue and check out Moe’s Books, stroll Solano Avenue or stop by the Fourth Street shopping district. Berkeley is also home to culinary great Alice Waters and Chez Panisse, plus the delicious tastes of the Scharffen Berger Chocolate Factory. The Rose Garden Inn, Berkeley, California offers a wonderfully convenient location, perfect for visiting Berkeley’s top tourist attractions.

Scharffen Berger Chocolate Factory. The Scharffen Berger Chocolate Factory is always one of the top tourist attractions in Berkeley, CA and offers free factory tours that show the process of chocolate making and give you the chance to taste chocolate samples. After the tour, enjoy the Scharffen Berger Chocolate Factory restaurant, Café Cacao. Reservations are required; there is a limit of 35 people per tour. Walk-ins without reservations are accepted only if there’s room on a scheduled tour. For more information on one of the best free things to do in Berkeley, CA, visit www.scharffenberger.com.

The University of California, Berkeley. The University of California, Berkeley is one of the most respected universities in the United States, and less than a quarter of a mile away from the hotel. Attend a Cal Bears game, or spend time strolling the beautiful campus, see a theater, musical or dance production at Zellerbach Hall or check out the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. The UC Berkeley campus is home to all these great activities. For more information on the University of California, Berkeley, visit www.berkeley.edu.  [Top]

The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive is located in two buildings on the southern side of the University of California, Berkeley campus and includes a Theater Gallery, Museum Store and café. Attending the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive is free the first Thursday of the month. Guided tours are held most Thursdays at 12:15 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. To learn more about tours and exhibits at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, visit www.bampfa.berkeley.edu.

Berkeley Lab. The Berkeley Lab consists of 76 buildings across 183 acres. Overlooking a picturesque spot perched above the San Francisco Bay, the enormous Berkeley Lab facility has more than 4,000 employees. Catch one of the public tours held at the lab by scheduling an appointment. To get more information on Berkeley Lab tours, one of the best things to do in Berkeley, California, visit www.lbl.gov.  [Top]

Zellerbach Hall. Cal Performances at Zellerbach Hall at the University of California at Berkeley include special events and performing arts presentations that range from Dance to Theater, Opera, Recitals, Chamber Music, Orchestra, Jazz, Spoken word and family-friendly programs that you can take the whole family to visit. For more details on upcoming events and tickets, visit www.calperfs.berkeley.edu.

Mathematical Sciences Research Institute. The Mathematical Sciences Research Institute is dedicated to being a facilitator for members of the mathematical community from around the world. Mathematicians visit the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute to learn more about mathematics and engage with fellow mathematicians in the mathematical fields of modern applied mathematics, computer science, statistics, and more. For more information on the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute and upcoming MSRI Programs as well as past events, visit www.msri.org.  [Top]

Aurora Theatre Company. The Aurora Theatre Company has been putting some of the finest dramatic works on stage in the Bay Area since 1991. Past presentations include works by literary greats like Gore Vidal, Athol Fugard, Clifford Odets, Truman Capote, Harold Pinter, Henrik Ibsen, George Bernard Shaw and Edward Albee. To learn more or buy tickets for upcoming productions at the Aurora Theatre Company, visit www.auroratheatre.org.

Fourth Street Shopping District. In the Fourth Street shopping district you'll find a delicious choice of restaurants, diners, delis and more. Plus, you'll find great shops for beauty & cosmetics, home furnishings, gifts, sports & fitness, clothing for men and women, books, art, lingerie, pets and music. Shops include Restoration Hardware, Anthropologie, Crate and Barrel, Kiehl's, Benefit Cosmetics, Manhattan Bagel, Papyrus, Sur La Table, M.A.C. Cosmetics and Z Gallerie. For more details on shops and great kids activities on Fourth Street, visit www.fourthstreetshop.com.  [Top]

Berkeley Repertory Theater. The Berkeley Repertory Theatre is one of the Bay Area’s best things to do for fans of the performing arts. Dedicated to setting the highest artistic standards and providing a stage for a diversity of expression, the Berkeley Repertory Theater is on a mission to uplift the human spirit. It’s one of the most romantic things to do in Berkeley, CA. For more details on upcoming productions and a schedule of events at Berkeley Repertory Theater, visit www.berkeleyrep.org.

Moe’s Books. Moe’s Books is located in the Telegraph Avenue shopping district and has been a local landmark for more than 40 years. Moe's famed literary events began as a Monday night poetry reading called Monday@Moe's, which took place each week. Today, Moe's Books ranks as one Bay Area’s most important literary venues for visiting novelists and poets. For more information on this famed bookseller and one of the best things to do in Berkeley, visit www.moesbooks.com.  [Top]