Golden Gate Fields. Golden Gate Fields offers live thoroughbred horse racing in a spectacular setting. Located just off the I-80 at the Gilman Street exit, Golden Gate Fields offers live racing every Wednesday through Sunday during the Spring meet (Feb. 8 through May 7) and the Fall meet (Aug. 24 through Oct. 15). Races begin daily at 12:45pm. Dining is available at one of five great venues, from a quick bite at the hot dog stand to an elegant meal at the Turf Club Restaurant. Reservations are required at the Turf Club and they enforce a strict dress code. www.goldengatefields.com

Lawrence Hall of Science. Established in 1968 at the University of California at Berkeley in honor of their first Nobel laureate, Ernest O. Lawrence, Lawrence Hall of Science is a public science center dedicated to hands-on science and mathematics. The center is a valuable resource for preschool through high school science and mathematics educators, and functions as a public science center with exciting hands-on experiences for learners of all ages. Exhibits include Forces That Shape the Bay, the Idea Lab, NanoZone, and Real Astronomy Experience. Open daily from 10am-5pm. Group tours are available. www.lawrencehallofscience.org  [Top]

Oakland Zoo. Nestled in the rolling hills of 525-acre Knowland Park, the Oakland Zoo is home to more than 440 native and exotic animals living in lush, naturalistic settings. The animals are organized into geographic regions that represent the ecosystems of Africa, Asia, Australia, California and more. Founded in 1922 by Henry Snow, the Zoo has been located in its current Knowland Park location since 1936. Highlights include a children's ride area, train, and sky ride. The Zoo also offers barbecue facilities and event space for up to 250 guests and special packages for children' s birthday parties. The Zoo is open daily from 10am-4pm. www.oaklandzoo.org

Chez Panisse. Quite possibly Berkeley' s most famous restaurant, Chez Panisse opened its doors in 1971. Started by chef Alice Waters, this neighborhood bistro offers dinner Monday through Saturday, by reservation only. The menu changes nightly, and features the finest seasonal ingredients including meat, fish, and poultry. The restaurant does its best to serve only organic, environmentally conscious food obtained from local sources. The Café at Chez Panisse, located upstairs, offers a moderately priced, à la carte menu for both lunch and dinner. As with the bistro, the Café menus change every day and reservations are recommended. www.chezpanisse.com

Chabot Space and Science Center. Chabot Space & Science Center is an innovative teaching and learning center focusing on astronomy and the space sciences as they relate to other sciences. This 86,000 square foot, state-of-the-art science and technology education facility is situated on 13 acres in the hills of Oakland. Its observatory, planetarium, exhibits, and natural park setting are a place where students, teachers, and other visitors can imagine, understand and learn to shape their future through science. Highlights include exciting hands-on activities, an observatory, and the MegaDome Theatre. The center offers workshops, lectures, and other events throughout the year. www.chabotspace.org

Pier 39. San Francisco's number one tourist attraction features 110 shops, 13 restaurants and numerous attractions for all ages including the world-renowned sea lions, street performers and live daily entertainment. Pier 39' s San Francisco Carousel features classic moving horses and is hand painted with famous scenes of the city and their Aquarium of the Bay offers 300 feet of clear tunnels surrounded by sharks, eels, octopuses and thousands of marine animals indigenous to the San Francisco Bay. You' ll also find tour boats to Alcatraz and Angel Island, a large marina, a classic arcade, and much more at this San Francisco favorite. www.pier39.com  [Top]

Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker. This Berkeley chocolate factory produces high quality, artisan chocolates from the finest cacao beans available, using vintage European equipment. Take a tour of the classic brick and mortar warehouse factory and learn the history of cacao, how and where cacao is grown and processed and the Scharffen Berger story. The tour also includes complimentary tastings of Scharffen Berger chocolates. End your tour with a delicious meal featuring Scharffen Berger chocolate at the factory' s Cafe Cacao and stock up on your favorite Scharffen Berger chocolates at their retail shop. Tours are free, but reservations are recommended. www.scharffenberger.com

UC Botanical Garden. The University of California Botanical Garden is a living museum featuring more than 12,000 different plants from around the world. Displayed over 34 acres, this garden features plants of wild origin from nearly every continent, with an emphasis on plants from the Mediterranean climates of California, Australia, South Africa, and Chile. All of the garden' s collections are on public display, with the exception of plants in propagation, research collections, and some indoor collections of ferns. Open daily 9am-5pm. Free admission on the first Thursday of each month.  www.botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu  

LACIS Museum of Lace and Textiles. The LACIS Museum of Lace and Textiles allows visitors to view an extensive collection of historical lace, textiles and costumes from pre-Columbian Peru, the 17th century European courts and examples of machine laces exemplifying the 19th century' s industrial revolution. The museum exhibits both permanent and changing displays and houses an extensive library. The library' s focus is on lace, textiles and costume and the collection includes over 10,000 books, patterns, and related articles. Textile tools on display include lace-making implements and an extensive collection of sewing machines. www.lacismuseum.org

Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Founded in 1968, the Tony Award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre has established itself as one of the country' s top-ranking professional resident theatre companies. Known for its consistently high-quality productions, the theatre' s national reputation draws artists from around the country to work on a variety of productions in downtown Berkeley. The season runs from September through July and consists of seven productions of the finest classic, contemporary and new plays. In December 2001, the company opened the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, which offers a wide variety of educational programs for the working theatre professional, the emerging artist and the theatre enthusiast. www.berkeleyrep.org  [Top]

Berkeley Rose Garden. Located next to Codornices Park, the Berkeley Rose Garden is a semi-circular terraced amphitheatre with rows of gorgeous fragrant roses on 3.64 acres. Considered by many, to be the finest rose garden in Northern California, this garden offers more than 250 varieties of roses on 3,000 rose bushes. The garden, a historic site built during the Works Project Administration (WPA) in the 1930' s, offers a gorgeous views of the San Francisco bay, wooded hiking trails, a picnic area, four tennis courts, and an ornamental pool. The roses are pruned in January in preparation for mid-May, when the garden is in its most spectacular state. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/parks/parkspages/BerkeleyRoseGarden.html

Adventure Playground. Located at the Berkeley Marina, Adventure Playground is an innovative playground and unique outdoor facility where children are encouraged to play and build creatively.  Children seven years and older can climb on the many unusual kid-designed forts, boats, and towers, ride the zip line, or hammer, saw, and paint for themselves.  Adventure Playground creates opportunities for children to learn cooperation, meet physical challenges and gain self-confidence. Free to adult supervised children, fee charged for unsupervised children. Open daily on weekends 11am-4pm, Open weekdays in the summer 9am-5pm. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/marina/marinaexp/adventplgd.html

Tilden Regional Park. Tilden Regional Park is one of East Bay Regional Park District's 3 oldest parks and has been called the jewel of the system. The recreational activities available at Tilden include everything from carousel rides to picnics to a stroll through the Botanic Garden. Tilden's 2,077 acres offer quiet picnic areas and the park' s Lake Anza offers great fishing and swimming. The Steam Train offers rides along the scenic ridge on a scaled-down steam train and the antique carousel is open year-round. The 18-hole Tilden Park Golf Course is a public course with a driving range, pro shop, practice green, restaurant, and coffee shop. www.ebparks.org/parks/tilden  [Top]