Oakland Heritage Alliance is a non-profit membership organization which advocates the protection, preservation, and revitalization of Oakland's architectural, historic, cultural and natural resources through publications, education, and direct action.
Come explore a new part of Oakland, or visit a favorite spot with a fresh perspective. Each tour is led by knowledgeable guides and lasts approximately 2 hours. Tickets are $10 for OHA members, $15 for non-members. Peruse tour descriptions and reserve your spot now!
oakland, story of a city
Available through our OHA store or at local stores, this book is a lively, widely recognized source for Oakland history.
- July 6 - F.M. "Borax" Smith Estate with Phil Bellman
- July 7 - Mountain View Cemetery with Dennis Evanosky
- July 13 - The High Road Along Trestle Glen’s Key System B Line with Ron Hook & Stu Swiedler
- July 14 - Mid-Century Downtown Oakland with Jon Rusch
- July 20 - Weeds in the Urban Landscape at Mills College with Richard Orlando
- July 21 - Long Lost Oakland with Liam O’Donoghue (sold out!)
- July 27 - Downtown Brooklyn with Kathleen DiGiovanni
- July 28 - The Bushrod Park Neighborhood's Amazing Sports Legacy with Paul Brekke-Miesner
- August 3 - Old West Waterfront–Lower Broadway with Betty Marvin
- August 4 - Broadway/Auto Row Revisited with Valerie Winemiller & Naomi Schiff
- August 10 - Hidden Haddon Hill with Page Yarwood
- August 11 - Chinatown Oakland: A Bit of Asia with Ernest Chann
- August 17 - Montclair Village - Oakland's Early Hill Town with Kathleen DiGiovanni
- August 18 - Fruitvale - The Second Downtown with Betty Marvin, Pamela Magnuson-Peddle & Maria Sanchez
- August 24 - Amelia's Airport: Oakland's Historic North Field with Woody Minor
- August 25 - The Dimond Shines with Dennis Evanosky
2019 SUMMER WALKING TOURS
Resources
Research your house, find out about landmarks, find links to lots of useful information!
Revitalization of Oakland Civic Auditorium Moves Forward
We did it! Late in the evening of the July 9th meeting, the City Council approved the Oakland Civic Auditorium project following an agreement between community arts groups and the developer. Implementation details remain to be worked out, but the project to save the deteriorating building can now move forward.
The agreements include provisions for some lowered-cost rental spaces, establishment of oversight committees, and establishment of nonprofit "friends" groups for the arena and the theater spaces. Thanks to all of you who wrote to your Council member, and congratulations to everyone involved! We look forward to a grand reopening and many future events at this beloved lakeside facility.
old oakland podcast
Whether you are new to Oakland, or a native, the story of the city’s historic Old Oakland – our original downtown – is a fascinating one, complete with its Victorian Row. Built in the wake of the arrival of the Transcontinental Railroad 150 years ago, with Oakland as its western terminus, it is today a vibrant retail district that was restored in the 1970s when Victorian Row was designated one of Oakland’s six Historic Districts. Fortunately for anyone curious to learn more about its history, KQED-FM’s “Bay Curious” podcast recently aired the Old Oakland story.
To tune in to this nine minute history, listen at
https://www.kqed.org/news/11745239/how-have-a-bunch-of-19th-century-victorians-survived-in-downtown-oakland?sfns=mo.
