See and Do!
Crab Cove Visitor Center
About The Visitor Center
Crab Cove Visitor Center at Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda features all new exhibits opened in April 2004. You can see bay creatures in the 800-gallon aquarium system, use interactive stations for varying age groups to view microscopic animals, build a crab from the inside out, or get a lug worm's view of the mudflats. You'll see amazing depictions of the underwater world of San Francisco Bay. At the Visitor Center you can also plunge into San Francisco Bay without getting wet, or travel back in time to Alameda's colorful past.
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These entertaining educational opportunities all have a serious purpose--to increase public understanding of the environmental importance of San Francisco Bay. There is strong emphasis on the interdependence of marine life and shore life and on the urgency of preserving the marine and estuarine environment.
Dedicated to interpreting relationships between people and the earth's marine environment, this center attracts visitors from all over the Bay Area.
A focal point for this educational effort is the Visitor Center's Old Wharf Classroom. There, in a picturesque setting, youngsters and adults alike can learn about such topics as shoreline wildlife and the food chains that sustain all living creatures.
The waterless plunge takes the form of a display case showing a cross-section of bay, with lifelike models of shoreline and underwater animals. Adjacent rooms contain an aquarium and lots of interactive exhibits.
Education continues just outside the center, where the Crab Cove Marine Protected Area, at the foot of McKay Avenue, was designated the first California estuarine marine reserve. Its mud flat and rocky shore area are an important wildlife habitat. A special ramp allows wheelchair users to explore the tidepools at low tide. Collecting or disturbing creatures in this protected area is forbidden, thus preserving a unique shoreline environment for study and education.
Naturalist-guided programs for school groups and other organized groups are available Wednesday through Friday by advance reservation. See the Field Trips page for details or call visitor center at (510) 544-3187. Weekend programs provide exciting opportunities for you to learn about Bay ecology and the local area; go to our program guide Web page to download our monthly program guide to see a list of upcoming activities.
- Crab Cove Visitor Center - Full Color Brochure (Acrobat PDF)
Videos
KQED Quest, East Bay Regional Park District, and the Encyclopedia of Life Pilot Project: Improving Science Learning through media creation and global partnerships.
The Encyclopedia of Life, KQED-Quest, and the East Bay Regional Park District have partnered to pilot a collaborative program using media to enhance environmental education experiences for youth visiting Crab Cove Visitor Center at the East Bay Regional Park District. Three 5th Grade classes from Arroyo Seco Elementary School in Livermore, CA. visited Crab Cove Visitor Center in the Spring 2010 to participate in the Bay Lab Field Trip Program. Each student was given the task of becoming a Citizen Scientist observing the diverse ecosystem of the San Francisco Bay. In the Aquarium Study and Media Portion of their visit, students were asked to observe four species commonly found in the Bay and draw and record their observations. Additionally, students participated in Seine Netting in the subtidal zone, Quadrant Studies of Mudflats, Mud Investigation, and Salinity Studies. Following the student’s visit to Crab Cove Visitor Center, staff from KQED-Quest and the East Bay Regional Park District used the student’s recorded observations and drawings to create short media pieces featuring their observations. The videos are featured on the websites for the Encyclopedia of Life, KQED-Quest, and the East Bay Regional Park District.
History
Up until the late 1930s, the area now occupied by the visitor center was part of a thriving resort community featuring bathing spas and an amusement park. Later, during and just after World War II, it was the site of the U.S. Maritime Service Officers School, a training base for Merchant Marine commanders. What is now the visitor center building was the base infirmary.
Accessibility
The visitor center is wheelchair accessible.
To Reach The Visitor Center
From Cities to the North, take I-80 West to I-880 South and take the Broadway exit. Turn right at the light onto 5th Street. Stay on 5th Street following the signs to Alameda. Go through the Webster Street Tunnel (Tube) to Alameda. See in Alameda below.
From Cities to the South, take I-880 North. Exit at Broadway in Oakland. Turn right on Broadway, right on 7th Street, and right on Webster. Go through the Webster Street Tunnel (Tube) to Alameda. See in Alameda below.
From Walnut Creek, take Highway 24 West to I-980, towards downtown Oakland. Exit at 12th/11th Streets. Continue on Brush Street to 5th Street. Turn left on 5th Street and stay in the left lanes, following the signs to Alameda. Go through the Webster Street Tunnel (Tube) to Alameda. See in Alameda below.
In Alameda, continue on Webster Street across town. Turn right on Central Ave., go one block, and turn left onto McKay Ave. (at Foster's Freeze). Crab Cove is at the end of McKay on the left.
Click here for public transit information.
Map
Trail Map
Click the map image below to see an enlarged version.
Directions for navigating the enlarged map:
When the enlarged version of the map opens click on the 'Full Expand' icon in the lower right hand corner of the map to see the 'Actual Size' map.
'Full Expand' icon > 
When the 'Actual Size' map is viewable, you can 'Click-Hold and Drag' the mouse button (left on a PC) to reposition the map, as desired.
'Single-Click' on the 'Enlarged' or 'Actual Size' map to return to the park page.
Visitor Center Info
- Address
- 1252 McKay Ave.
Alameda, CA 94501 - Visitor Center Brochure
- Phone Numbers
- 510-544-3187
- Toll Free: 888-EBPARKS (888-327-2757), option 3, extension 4520
- Local Weather
- Maps
- View Map
- Yahoo Map
- Visitor Center Hours
- Wed - Sun
Oct. - Feb. 10am to 4pm
March - Sept. 10am to 5pm
Unless otherwise posted.
Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day
- Park Events
- Click here for upcoming events
- Parking Fee
- $5 per vehicle when kiosk is attended; $4 per trailered vehicle. Buses: $25/per bus.
- Picnic Reservations
- 1-888-EBPARKS or 1-888-327-2757, press option 2
- Naturalist Programs
- 510-544-3187
- Browse programs online
- Go to program guide
- For Educators
- Plan a field trip to this park
- Nature Nearby Newsletter
- Newsletter articles by the Park District's Interpretive, Recreation, and Aquatics staff
- Emergency Number
- 911
- EBRPD Headquarters
- 1-888-EBPARKS or 1-888-327-2757
- See Also
- Crown Beach
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