When you think of the word “museum,” what is the first thing you think of? Did you think of the word “art,” like the art museums in San Diego’s Balboa Park? Did you think of “history,” like the Museum of Man San Diego? Or did you think “science,” like the Roger Fleet Science Center in SD or the Academy of Sciences in SF?

When we think of museums, we tend to think of them in three categories: art, history, or science. But the Oakland Museum of California breaks these typical molds, and offers exhibits in all three styles. Check out the museum and find out why it its 1.9 million artifacts are an incredible representation of the history, art, and culture of California.

Oakland Museum
Works from local artists fill the exhibition rooms of the OMCA.

In addition to its normal operating hours and amazing exhibits, the Oakland Museum of California also hosts Friday Nights @ OMCA: a fun evening where tickets are half-priced, the bar is open, food trucks serve up local and delicious foods, and live music fills the air.

Oakland Museum_Friday

According to the museum, their programs “explore and reveal the factors that shape California character and identity, from its extraordinary natural landscapes, to successive waves of migration, to its unique culture of creativity and innovation.” We could not agree more: from the past and present photography exhibitions that capture the spirit of California to the museum’s many celebrations of the influence of the migrant community on California life, the museum truly epitomizes all that is beautiful in our gorgeous State.

Visit the museum website or Facebook page for more information, and make sure to check the CISL San Francisco calendar for the next scheduled CISL trip to the museum.

All photos from the Oakland Museum of California Facebook page.