Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
274
Other notable UCB stops include the
Phoebe A.
Hearst Museum of Anthropology
at Kroeber Hall (
&
510/642-3682;
http://hearstmuseum.berkeley.edu; Wed-Sat 10am-
4:30pm, S un noon-4pm, closed during U niversity holidays; fr ee general admission;
docent tours can be reserved at least 2 weeks in advance for $5 per adult and $2 per child
under 18); the
Berkeley Art Museum
at 2621 D urant Ave. (
&
510/642-0808;
www.
bampfa.berkeley.edu; Wed-Sun 11am-5pm; admission $8 adults, $5 seniors 65 and up,
children 12-17, and non-UC Berkeley students; free children under 12; free first Thurs
of the month); and the 307-foot-tall
Sather Tower,
also known as the Campanile, in the
center of the campus. The Campanile houses 61 bells ranging in w eight fr om 19 to
10,500 pounds and offers carillon concerts daily at 7:50am, noon, and 6pm, with longer
concerts on S undays at 2pm. Take the elev ator to the top for the vie w (open M on-Fri
10am-4pm; Sat 10am-5pm; S un 10am-1:30pm and 3-5pm; admission $2 adults, $1
seniors and children 18 and under; free to UC Berkeley students and staff ).
North of the campus at 200 Centennial D r. is the
UC Berkeley Botanical Garden
(
&
510/643-2755;
http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu), boasting one of the most
diverse collections of plants in the countr y, with more than 12,000 different species and
subspecies. Tucked into the hillside, it's a wonderful place for an easy hike. Navigating a
stroller up the steep inclines or do wn bumpy steps on a narr ow path can be tricky , but
it's worth the effort. (Open daily 9am-5pm; closed first Tues of the month, Thanksgiv-
ing, Dec 24, 25, and 31, J an 1, and M artin Luther King, Jr. Day; admission $7 adults,
$5 seniors and juniors 13-17, $2 childr en 5-12, free under 5.)
If you're driving to the campus, take I-80 to 580 and exit at University Avenue. Drive
east on University for 2 miles until y ou reach the campus.
Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS)
Ages 2 and up.
The Lawrence Hall of Sci-
ence, which honors UC Berkeley's Nobel Prize winner Ernest O. Lawrence, is my favor-
ite place to take our youngest child. Sitting at the upper edges of the hillside campus, the
entry plaza offers endless vie ws of the bay and the cities bey ond. On a clear day, take in
the panoramic scenery as the kids climb all o ver a 60-foot-long DNA model.
LHS pr ograms ar e r enowned thr oughout the state for their imaginativ e interactiv e
exhibits and multifaceted appr oach to teaching math and science to kids of all ages.
Among the permanent exhibits are the
nanoZone,
which teaches kids about the study of
very, v ery small things;
Math Ar ound the World,
wher e kids can play centuries-old
games from Africa, Asia, and E urope that use mathematical concepts; a computer lab;
and an insect z oo. At
KidsLab
preschoolers can stack blocks, crawl thr ough a kaleido-
scope, work their way through a mirror labyrinth, play at the puppet theater, or chill out
in the r eading area. After all that, I r ecommend heading out to the
Outdoor Science
Park,
where you can take in mor e of the sw eeping vistas while also learning about soil
erosion, earthquakes, and water flow. It's also a nice place for a picnic, as the do wnstairs
cafe is lackluster.
Special weekend workshops are regularly scheduled. Participants must register a week
in advance, and wor kshop fees include museum admission. The museum's Holt Plane-
tarium offers sho ws, films, and lectur es on w eekends and holidays and all summer .
Planetarium films are an additional $3 for adults and $2.50 for childr en 18 and under.
Most shows are for older kids, but some are geared for the younger set. The gift shop has
fascinating books, toys, and kits.
Centennial Dr., Berkeley.
&
510/642-5132.
www.lawrencehallofscience.org. Admission $11 adults , $9
students 7-18 and seniors 62 and over, $6 children 3-6, free 2 and under. Daily 10am-5pm. Closed Labor
Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Planetarium shows Sat, Sun, and holidays 1, 2:15, and 3:30pm. Closed
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