Historic Architecture Oakland

To help you revisit these architectural gems, here is a guide to their locations and how to reach them using the Bay Area's public transit systems, primarily BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) and AC Transit buses.

​The Grand Victorians of Oakland

Preservation Park is a stunning collection of 16 historic homes that serves as a living testament to Oakland's late 19th-century elegance.

​Location: 1233 Preservation Park Way, Oakland, CA 94612.

​Public Transit: Take BART to the 12th St. Oakland City Center station. From there, it is a short 10-minute walk (about 0.5 miles) west along 12th or 13th Street toward Martin Luther King Jr. Way.

​Features: It is a gated, pedestrian-only business park, making it very easy to walk around and photograph the various styles like Queen Anne and Italianate.

Camron-Stanford House is the last of the grand mansions that once ringed Lake Merritt, offering a glimpse into the "early settlement" luxury of the area.

​Location: 1418 Lakeside Dr, Oakland, CA 94612.

​Public Transit: Take BART to the Lake Merritt station. It is roughly a 7-minute walk north along Oak Street toward the lake.

​Features: This historic house museum is beautifully preserved and sits right on the water, surrounded by what is now a public park.

​The Storybook "German Village" Areas

Normandy Village (also known as Thornburg Village) is the most iconic "Rip Van Winkle" style complex in the area, designed to look like a weathered European hamlet.

​Location: 1781-1851 Spruce Street, Berkeley, CA 94709.

​Public Transit: Take BART to the Downtown Berkeley station. From there, you can catch the AC Transit Line 7 or 65 bus north to the corner of Spruce St and Hearst Ave.

​Features: The complex is private property, but the whimsical architecture, including the steeply pitched roofs and timbering, is clearly visible and very impressive from the sidewalk.

​The Idora Park Neighborhood is where you will find the largest concentration of Storybook-style cottages within Oakland proper, built on the grounds of a former amusement park.

​Location: The residential blocks between Telegraph Ave and Shattuck Ave, centered around Aileen St and 56th St.

​Public Transit: Take BART to the MacArthur station. From there, it is about a 15-minute walk north, or you can take the AC Transit Line 6 bus up Telegraph Avenue to 55th Street.

​Features: These are private residences, so a slow walk or drive through these quiet streets is the best way to see the "Hansel and Gretel" chimneys and pointed gables.

​Summary of Transit Links

​For your trip, you can use these direct transit maps to help navigate:

​Transit to Preservation Park

​Transit to Normandy Village

​Transit to Camron-Stanford House

​Transit to the Idora Park Area

​These areas are relatively close to one another. If you are starting in Downtown Oakland at Preservation Park, you could easily visit the Camron-Stanford House and then take a short BART or bus ride north to explore the Storybook homes in North Oakland and Berkeley.





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