This fall, OMCA welcomes the community back for its 32nd annual Día de los Muertos Community Celebration, a vibrant day honoring the people, traditions, and stories that connect us across generations. Join the Día de los Muertos Committee for a procession that opens the celebration with music, movement, and a collective act of remembrance.
Come sit with Batul True Heart (they/them) in OMCA’s Gallery of Natural Science as they share their personal experience of practicing traditional medicine in times of mourning. In this 30-minute talk, Batul will speak about what has brought them to the path of earth-based ancestral medicine, and what has been most supportive for them during times of deep emotional pain. You will learn about feelings from an Indigenous perspective and gain practical ways to connect with emotions, the earth and all the elements. Honoring the traditions and practices of Día de los Muertos, Batul will also introduce their favorite flower, cempoalxóchitl, and how to work with it when grieving.
Experience ThursDates at OMCA – your weekly night out at the Museum rich with cocktails, culture, and community. Mingle at Town Fare Cafe by Chef Michele McQueen, where you can enjoy drinks and light bites against a backdrop of music, or explore the galleries which come alive at night with a mix of pop-up performances, chats, live drawings, and more– just for adults!
Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid, Oakland’s favorite free weekly block party is back, April—October!
Gather with family, friends, and community every Friday 5—9 pm for live music, hands-on activities, Off the Grid (OTG) food trucks, and late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions, with a Museum ticket.
Join us for Gallery Chats, an opportunity to chat with and ask questions of our enthusiastic and knowledgeable OMCA Facilitators.
Every third Sunday, OMCA invites visitors to Spotlight Sundays, a series of conversations, performances, and experiences that showcase California visionaries.
Every first Sunday of the month, General Admission to OMCA’s Galleries of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences is free and tickets to Special Exhibitions in our Great Hall are offered at a discounted price of $6.
Interested in bringing a group to engage more deeply with our gallery content? Sign up for a Group Tour where knowledgeable facilitators share insights and help make meaning with your group in OMCA’s galleries.
The Oakland Museum Women’s Board started the White Elephant Sale over sixty years ago. The annual event is not-to-be-missed.
OMCA celebrates the Lunar New Year and explores the shared connections between the diverse Asian cultures of the Bay Area. These family-friendly programs will include both virtual and in-person offerings that celebrate and honor Lunar New Year traditions through storytelling, performances, activities, cooking demonstrations, and more. OMCA holds space for our AAPI communities to come together and uplift each other with both in-person and virtual healing circles.
OMCA X Black Freedom Fund present Juneteenth! at the Museum—a vibrant, full-day celebration of Black culture, creativity, and community. Guests can expect a dynamic campus filled with live performances and DJ sets from boundary-pushing artists, delicious offerings from standout Bay Area Black chefs and food vendors, and hands-on activities that invite visitors of all ages to move, make, and connect in celebration of Black culture.
In collaboration with OMCA’s Día de los Muertos Committee, we honor Day of the Dead every October and November.