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The wall commemorating 11,908 Jewish victims of the Shoah from Frankfurt.
Börneplatz Memorial
Entrance to the munitions area of the lower part of the bunker
Simserhof
Carlos Calderón Yruegas calls the villa his personal playground.
Villa Tabaiba
Apples and pears, Spitalfields Market.
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The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
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The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations
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Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat
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Places like Forest Grove linger on the edge of wilderness and civilization.
Listening for Echoes of the Forest Grove Sound
about 22 hours ago
Longwood House, where Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final years.
The Longwood House: Napoleon Bonaparte’s Beautiful Prison
1 day ago

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All the United States California Berkeley

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Berkeley

26 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Berkeley, California

Updated June 11, 2025

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Unusual Attractions in Berkeley

Berkeley, California

Thornburg Village

A storybook European village in Berkeley.

Berkeley, California

Adventure Playground

A playground built by the kids that is a child's wonderland, and a helicopter parent's nightmare.

Berkeley, California

Fish Shaped House

A private home built to resemble the shape of a microscopic creature.

Berkeley, California

East Bay Vivarium

An amazing collection of fantastic reptiles, amphibians, spiders, and insects.
Selection of Exhibits at the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents (photo by Joel Bernstein)

Berkeley, California

Aftel Archive of Curious Scents

Nose around a unique collection of more than 300 natural aromas used to craft fragrances.

Berkeley, California

Moe's Books

A shape-shifting buy-sell-trade bookstore, born to Beatnik Era spirit.

Berkeley, California

Takara Sake Museum

The only museum of sake in the United States is nestled in an unlikely California college town.
Louis Trevino (left) and Vincent Medina (right) plate traditional food at Cafe Ohlone.

Berkeley, California

Cafe Ohlone

This restaurant offers the original California cuisine.
See All 26 Things To Do in Berkeley

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Berkeley

Berkeley, California

Takara Sake Museum

The only museum of sake in the United States is nestled in an unlikely California college town.
Louis Trevino (left) and Vincent Medina (right) plate traditional food at Cafe Ohlone.

Berkeley, California

Cafe Ohlone

This restaurant offers the original California cuisine.
The temple is a converted Victorian.

Berkeley, California

Wat Mongkolratanaram

Every Sunday, this Thai temple in Berkeley serves a backyard brunch.
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Berkeley, California

A
26
Shops 4
Museums 3
Collections 3
Purveyors Of Curiosities 3
Eccentric Homes 3
Homes 3
Unique Restaurants & Bars 2

Berkeley Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. leiris
    2
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    2
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    2
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    1
  5. serflac
    1
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Add an unusual place to Berkeley.

Places Edited

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    6
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    6
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    4
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    3
  5. berkeleygal
    3
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Places Visited

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    24
  2. dmochizuki
    23
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    23
  4. dntinsley
    22
  5. polemonium
    21

Recent Berkeley Activity

  • rKathleen

    wants to go to Berkeley Car House

    about 17 hours ago
  • rKathleen

    has been to Urban Ore

    about 17 hours ago
  • rKathleen

    wants to go to Urban Ore

    about 17 hours ago
  • rKathleen

    has been to Berkeley Flea Market

    about 17 hours ago
  • rKathleen

    wants to go to UC Berkeley's Nobel Laureate Parking Spaces

    about 17 hours ago

Stories About Berkeley

The Secret Gardens Saving the World’s Rarest Plants

In greenhouses from Berkeley to Santa Barbara, a little-known rescue network protects endangered cycads from poachers, smugglers, and extinction.
by Julie Zigoris
June 11, 2025

Podcast: Berkeley South Asian Radical History Walking Tour

A unique Bay Area walking tour led by community historians.
by The Podcast Team
January 12, 2023
Chunks of ice floating in water? Nope: coarse salt.

The Microscopic Majesty of Sugars, Salts, and Spices

A molecular biologist turned food writer put kitchen staples under the microscope.
by Anne Ewbank
October 8, 2020
Spectators to the power struggle can come from miles around.

Acorn Woodpeckers Have Multi-Day Wars, and Birds Come From All Around to Watch

A window into complex avian sociopolitical lives.
by Luna Shyr
September 15, 2020
“The Tails of Two Kitties” was an award-winning entry at UC Berkeley’s 2019 Edible Books Festival.

Edible Book Festivals Are for Pun and Food Lovers

It's been widely celebrated for almost 20 years.
by Anne Ewbank
March 20, 2019
Louis Trevino (left) and Vincent Medina (right) get ready to serve a meal in the Ohlone Cafe.

Indigenous Cuisine Is Being Served in the Back of a Berkeley Bookstore

Café Ohlone features traditional recipes and foraged ingredients.
by Richard Foss
March 13, 2019
The view from the top of a staircase that helps make up Berkeley’s Covert Path.

Caring for—and Expanding—Berkeley's Hidden Network of Hillside Paths

The California city has over 130 different woodsy shortcuts cutting through its hills and streets.
by Cara Giaimo
April 4, 2018

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