Best Oakland Hills experiences for kids

October 1, 11:06 AMOakland Hills ExaminerDebby Richman

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Tilden Steam Engine Video

If you wake up some weekend morning wondering “what to do” with your kids, simply get in the car and head over to the Oakland Hills.

A trip here usually makes for happy campers, whether you are hitting the better known stomping grounds or places that locals know and love best.

Here are well-tested experiences that satisfy kids, their parents and even picky grandparents.  Most places can be visited year-round.  A few activities require luck or a little planning, because they are seasonally available.  Others are perfect for rainy days, in the great indoors.

Drumroll please:  The ten best – well, technically eleven – experiences that you should not miss!

1.   Woodminster Musicals – Every summer, three Broadway-style musicals are performed at this open-air theater.  Arrive early for a picnic dinner and check out the park, including the waterfall feature cascading down the backside of the amphitheater.  Remember to bundle up, as temperatures drop in the evenings.  This is affordable theater, and two kids come free with each paying adult.

2.   Dunsmuir Holidays – This is where everyone goes for traditional Christmas cheer, on the beautifully decorated grounds of this hillside mansion.  Of course, there’s music, entertainment, food and Father Christmas in residence on weekends.  Speaking of holidays, there’s an Oktoberfest complete with hay rides and pumpkin carving too.

3.   Ghostly Visits – There are two places to visit ghosts in the hills, the Mountain View Cemetery and Mills College.  However one is probably enough for a day trip.

      a.   Mountain View is a beautiful park designed by Frederick Olmsted, who also created Central Park, NYC.  With younger kids, it’s best to walk around and contemplate the departed and whether they have returned to haunt us.  Older kids may be interested in the Black Dahlia (Elizabeth Short) and Jonestown victims, if you’re ready to share the sordid details.  For everyone, the views can’t be beat.

      b.   Mills College has reported many ghost sightings, including founder Susan Mills wandering in Lisser Theater or now-departed students performing at the Music Building.  What a great excuse to amble through this campus oasis, complete with creeks and paths.  Adults will appreciate the buildings by noted architects Julia Morgan and Walter Ratcliff, Jr.

4.   Ice Cream Tour – Take an Arctic Tour at Fenton’s Creamery, where you visit the production room and enter the freezer for a quick chill-down.  Tours are limited to only 12 people, so call ahead to book your spot.   Fenton’s is an Oakland classic, founded in 1894.  Generations of East Bay kids have indulged in their black and tan sundaes ever since, with their parents or grandparents in tow.

5.   Discover Your Roots – You can’t miss the huge Mormon Temple in the hills, especially when the tower glows at night.  Completed in the early 1960s, this site is worth visiting for the great Bay Area views alone.  Yet the reason for this visit is to research your genealogy and roots.  The Church of Latter Day Saints provides online resources and a little help, so you can find out when your great-grandparents stepped foot in America.

6.   The Sibley Mazes – Did you know there’s an ancient volcano in the Oakland Hills?  Sibley Volcanic Preserve is part of the East Bay Parks, and you can walk in the open spaces and check out the remains.  Kids are fascinated by the small rock mazes or labyrinths, which are present in the bottom of the main quarry areas.  No one knows why they are so perfectly formed there, and local druids maintain the myths.

7.   Lake Chabot – At this large park, people take walks along the shoreline, fish and picnic.   However the real highlight is to rent a boat with your kids, and get on the lake itself.  There are row boats, canoes, pedal boats, kayaks and electric motor boats available at the marina.  Even non-locals marvel at the beauty of this lake, hidden away in the hills.

8.   Tilden Steam Train – You cannot be an East Bay toddler without going through this rite of passage, a short steam train ride through Tilden Park.  Just hop aboard the Redwood Valley Railroad and chug around the woodlands.  The hours are seasonal, so check ahead to prevent disappointment.  The depot is located at the southern end of the park.

9.   Oakland Zoo – We have a first-rate zoo in the hills, which parents adore because “it’s just the right size” for kids to explore before tiring out.  Make sure to take the chairlift ride, to see animals and habitats from above.  There’s a smaller kids zoo and kiddie park with rides too.  Adults will appreciate the nice conservation and educational ethic here.

10. Chabot Observatory – Check out the stars at the Chabot Space & Science Center, which has been around for 125 years.  There are three telescopes, a planetarium and many educational exhibits here.  While local kids often visit on school trips, it’s fun to wander freely with them.  Confirm times with the Center for shows, movies and celestial gazings.