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Photo: Jef Poskanzer from Berkeley, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A half-hour's walk north of the UC Berkeley campus. Especially nice for watching the sunset, with a view of the bay.
The Berkeley Rose Garden is a city-owned park in the North Berkeley area of Berkeley, California. The rose garden is situated in a residential area of the Berkeley Hills between the Cragmont and the La Loma Park neighborhoods, occupying most of the block between Eunice Street and Bayview Place along the west side of Euclid Avenue, and west of Codornices Park.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
More of a "smell" than a "see", this one-of-a-kind archive includes all manner of interesting scents. For a full sensory experience, you can touch many objects and experience dozens of smells. Tickets include four sticks dipped into displays to take home. The archive includes objects that are centuries old, covering alchemy books, botanical specimens, perfumes, and other aromatics. Reservations in advance are recommended; expect to spend about an hour.
Indian Rock Park is a 1.18-acre (0.48-hectare) public park located in the northeast part of the city, about one block north of the Arlington/Marin Circle, and straddles Indian Rock Avenue. The central feature of the park is a large rock outcropping on the west side of Indian Rock Ave. You can climb up the rocks on the carved out stairs and gaze at the great vista from the top. Highly recommended for sunsets.
Amphitheater that mostly hosts musical performances by well-known artists.
The Lawrence
Offers many hands-on science exhibits, especially good for children. Since 1968, the Lawrence has been dedicated to creating innovative science learning experiences. The outdoor plaza (free) is popular for its whale and DNA sculptures to climb on, and features a panoramic view of the Bay Area: San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, Oakland and the Bay Bridge. The science center includes a planetarium, a 3D theater, an Animal Discovery Zone, Outdoor Nature Lab, and an area for young explorers.
BAMPFA
As a visual arts venue, BAMPFA is dedicated equally to art and film. Its art collection and exhibitions reflect the diversity of the UC Berkeley campus and San Francisco Bay Area, with particular strengths in 20th- and 21st-century work. The museum, run by the University of California, is in a building that is itself an impressive work of modernist architecture, incorporating a 1939 Art Deco-style building. With one of the most extensive film archives in the world, the PFA offers many film series throughout the year, focusing on directors, eras, or artistic movements. It also screens some of the films during the annual San Francisco International Film Festival.
Berkeley Rep
With its consistently high-quality productions of contemporary and historical plays, Berkeley Rep is one of the primary centers of theater on the West Coast. The theater is also very pleasant, in a modern way.