Stop by the East Bay Vivarium on Fifth Street to get an up-close look at spiders, snakes, frogs and lizards of all shapes and sizes. Nearby Fourth Street is a fun window-shopping and people-watching strip.
The University of California Berkeley is one of the West's coolest campuses and a perfect place for hanging out on Sproul Plaza listening to live street music, hiking by lovely creeks and through forested promenades, or just appreciating the oldest of the UC campuses' diverse architecture.
Book buffs should check out the city's historic Main Branch Library on Kittredge Street. The original section of the attractive Art Moderne-style structure dates back to 1931, and the building is one of the East Bay's architectural treasures; a high-ceilinged, second-floor reading room is particularly inviting.
Explore the extensive Berkeley Marina, particularly a long wooden pier popular with local fishermen, but a nice stroll too with excellent views of San Francisco and the Bay. Sunday is a great day to take in the countless spectacular kites flown at this breezy haven.
Head for the hills-Indian Rock Park to be specific-for one of the finest sunset vistas in California. This eye-catching rock outcrop in northeast Berkeley has steps carved into it for fairly easy ascension, and often draws an interesting and eclectic group of visitors, from brave rock climbers to wine-sipping couples.
Another good free stop in the north hills is the Berkeley Rose Garden, a terraced oasis with more than a hundred different kinds of roses on view (blooming is best during early spring). A pedestrian tunnel will take you under Euclid Avenue to Cordonices Park, a hillside escape of basketball courts, playgrounds, winding trails and a legendary concrete slide that adults as well as children have partaken in.
Free celebrations, like the one-day "How Berkeley Can You Be" festival every September in Martin Luther King Park. Berkeley's great farmer's markets are a lively outing as well, and you can try the various free samples and hear some exceptional street musicians performing without spending a dime; rain or shine the rotating market goes on all year long on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Center Street at M. L. King, Jr. Way); Tuesdays from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. (Derby Street at M. L. King, Jr. Way); and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. (Shattuck Avenue at Rose Street).
