Garden
With a focus on sustainability and accessibility, OMCA’s terraced gardens facing Oakland’s Lake Merritt have been reenvisioned with new native plantings, amplifying five ecoregions of California on each level of the garden. The garden is free and open to the public Wednesday through Sunday, from 11 am to 5 pm (and until 9 pm on Friday). Please check to see occasional Garden closures.
To reserve the Garden for a gathering of 26 people or more, please see event rentals. To host a gathering of 25 people or fewer, visitors must follow our Garden Guidelines.
Highlights
Each level of the museum’s terraced garden boasts drought-tolerant native plants from different California ecoregions. Featuring species from coastal forests, oak woodlands, low desert, and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystems, the garden’s plantings also provide important habitat for resident and migratory birds, pollinating insects, and more.
Visible from the neighborhood and while on campus, the sculpture in the garden includes pieces by artists such as Ruth Asawa, Betty Gold, Bruce Beasley, Fletcher Benton, Beniamino Bufano, Mark di Suvero, Viola Frey, Henry C. Rollins, and Peter Voulkos.
Local Oakland-based artist Binta Ayofemi created sculpture and artist’s edition seating, tables, and other furniture for OMCA’s garden and outdoor public spaces. Ayofemi’s works, which she refers to as “Portals,” are inspired in part by the culture and history of Oakland.
The terraced levels of the building provide views of the surrounding Oakland landscape, including some culturally significant places that are described in outdoor labels.
A new entrance allows access to the garden directly from Lake Merritt and invites Oakland to gather on The Great Lawn. Performances and festivals on the main stage bring the community together in this beautiful lakeside setting.
When the Museum opened in 1969, OMCA’s design by architect Kevin Roche was acclaimed for its bold and innovative premise: a museum that also serves as a vibrant urban park and public space. OMCA’s terraced roof gardens and central courtyard, originally designed by landscape architect Dan Kiley, continue to draw Oakland residents and visitors from the Bay Area and beyond.
In fall 2021, OMCA hosted an ofrenda created by the Museum’s Día de los Muertos Volunteer Committee in remembrance of lives lost to COVID-19. As of 2024, more than one million people have died from this virus in the United States. As such, the Día de los Muertos Committee worked with OMCA to create a permanent plaque near the great oak tree to honor the lives lost, and provide a safe space for healing in the Garden.