Golden State Bonsai Foundation – at Lake Merritt

The bonsai garden is one of my favorite places to visit in Oakland, and it has a large amount of trees. Many volunteers are happy to talk and answer questions about bonsai. The redwood bonsai is one of the most interesting trees. Definitely recommend checking the garden out!

A hidden gym in Oakland. A tranquil sanctuary for a short stroll or just sit and soak in the beauty of the bonsai. There are many unique bonsai here with lots of history. Worth a visit.

This is a wonderful place to check out some great bonsai trees.
This Bonsai Garden has Free Admission but appreciates any donations. There is a wide variety of different kinds of bonsai and it’s a great pleasure seeing the gardeners at work here. The place is well-​kept and all the trees are visually stunning! This is a one-​of-​a-​kind place. Did I mention this place has free admission? Worth visiting at least once every season to see the leaves of the trees change color!

Great bonsai garden. got to see the experts at work in the back garden area. The staff was very helpful on how I should take care of my bonsai at home. This is a great garden to visit, it should not be missed.

Several of my mother’s Bonsai trees are part of the permanent exhibit here and the docent house is named after her. The people who operate the garden and who run the Golden State Bonsai Federation are unbelievably devoted to their art. My mother often went on expeditions to gather the makings of new trees, particularly juniper. She was always busy sculpting her trees and tending to her collection (I have no clue about it but she was a real expert). On her expeditions she knew what she was looking for and what she could make a tree from.
When she passed away in 1991 her collection was liquidated, with some pieces becoming part of the permanent exhibit here, and the proceeds of the liquidation going to fund the garden, which hadn’t found a home at the time. The fence surrounding the garden is a wonder to behold with its all-​wood joinery. I marvel at it every time I visit.
In this day and age, how wonderful it is that there are people who are dedicated to creating things of beauty for everyone to enjoy. Whether you are a devotee of Bonsai or not, it is great to come here just to enjoy such lovely surroundings. My brother and I are proud of the way the garden has turned out and of the people who are so devoted to it.

Wow. What a find. I’m definitely not loving Oakland, but a coworker brought me here and I’m not sure if it was because the sun was shining, it was Friday, or what, but I found this place really really appealing. It’s not a huge space, but it’s amazing looking at all these little potted trees that are often several hundred years old. I’d def take a short walk through here again and intend to take some other coworkers through.
I’m kinda meh on Lake Merritt, but the Bonsai Garden was inside another garden area, which was lovely to walk in too. It’s definitely away from the hustle and bustle of the foot path and the flowers and trees are a lovely contrast to the blarrrgh visuals of Lake Merritt.
I feel bad now that I didn’t leave a donation. Will next time.

Great place to come for a stroll. The volunteers were informative and knowledgeable. The grounds were well maintained and the trees were incredible!
Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.

Stumbled upon this gem while walking around Lake Merritt. It is amazing and wonderful. Definitely go.

If the bonsai you’ve seen have been limited to the malls, festivals and Home Depot, you must make a trip out to see the bonsai at GSBF’s (Golden State Bonsai Federation) collection in Oakland.
When you enter, you’ll be greeted by a volunteer who will give you a brief explanation about the collection and give you a tree list that can provide greater detail about each tree on display. It’s a self-​guided tour but the tree list will help you understand what type of tree you are looking at and the estimated age. Some of the trees are very old so it’s a privilege to be able to see such old trees. Because these are live trees, the trees will look different in different seasons so it’s nice to visit several times a year to see the trees in the various seasons. The volunteer should be able to answer any questions you have so don’t be shy.
The collection is a highly regarded one so take advantage of this free exhibit and learn more about the amazing art of Bonsai.

I really enjoy walking through and checking out the trees, they change so much throughout the seasons! It’s especially fun when they are blossoming or when they have fruit on them. Many of the trees are remarkably old.
The docents are very passionate and knowledgable, eager to answer any questions or share interesting stories. The handouts are a nice touch so you can tour at your own pace and read about each tree if you want.
I wish they were open daily, but I think it’s run by volunteers, which probably limits the hours. Maybe I’ll help them out! :)

Definitely worth a visit. Some of the bonsai are very old: This one is 400 years old:

This place is a real hidden jewel. It took me to another place and time. The most historical one is the one that dates back to the time when Lincoln was president and his foreign minister was given this bonsai as a gift while in Japan. Other highlights include a bonsai redwood (who would’ve thought?), a grape vine bonsai, and a miniature forest of maple trees. Wow.
The volunteer docents really added a lot to the experience too. They were so enthusiastic and kind. One came from San Mateo and the other one from Cupertino.
Did I mention that this is the largest bonsai collection in all of Northern California? Oh, and it’s free!

Please support with not only a visit but donations. My bf and I feel bad for not being able to donate here today, but believe me, I’m sending in a check ASAP. Their bonsai collection is absolutely amazing. The work and detail of the trees are indeed a work of art. The patience and love that goes into these gorgeous plants is a must see. Even during the winter, the details of the branches and to see the training of the growth. My bf and I practically forgot where we were when we left the gates. To think this beautiful collection by Lake Merritt.
My favorites by far were their juniper and redwood trees. The miniaturization of the trees is so detailed you can’t believe that some of these giants make you the giant. I gladly support such places, even if it isn’t the first time around, but thereafter because it takes great volunteers and even greater donors to gift such magnificent beauty in this urban setting.

This is a beautiful place and a lovely collection of donated bonsai. It is small, but worth a trip if you are in this area. It’s within the botanic garden by Lake Merritt. Walk around the gardens — its a lovely space to read on a bench, meditate & explore

I had never been inside the actual Bonsai Garden, just the garden surrounding it. It is definitely worth checking out at least once to take a self guided tour of the many sculpted bonsai trees on display, especially the oldest bonsai from the President Lincoln Era.

This is a cute little garden filled with donated miniature bonsai trees. When you walk in, you are given a guide to reference all of the bonsai trees that tells you where it’s from, how old it is, and who it was donated from. There was probably about a hundred or so displayed –it was pretty cool. It was peaceful and quiet and nice to stroll through. It’s not a huge place and it’s not a place where you can spend your whole entire day but it’s worth stopping by if you’re into this sort of thing. I don’t think it’s worth going out of your way to visit though.

This place is amazing. I stumbled upon it by accident, just walking around the neighborhood. A really old guy, extremely bent-​over with a gentle way, gave me a self-​tour guide packet and a few kind words, wishing me well through the garden. Ah, volunteerism.
Not only can you feast your eyes upon these beautiful, delicate, artistic bonsai trees, but you can also just sit (or stand) and think a while. This is a nice slice of tranquility in the heart of Oak.
Perfect for those who enjoy sketching, ruminating, writing, and just slowing down life a bit.

Amazing Bonsai garden in the middle of a very nice experimental garden along Lake Merritt. It wasn’t the easiest thing to find, but the looking was pleasant enough. It is free and staffed by very nice volunteers. The Bonsai collection itself includes interesting specimens, including several of great historical importance. They only display about 40 at a time but they have over 200 in the collection. The pleasant arrangement and the interesting views (with a traditional Japanese garden and gate with skyscrapers in the background) make this a special place to visit.

After a good half hour of boating, walking sounded really nice, and lo and behold the gardens at Lake Merritt. Quite a cute little assortment of plants and then we saw IT. You’ll know when you see it, surrounded by the tall wooden fencing. The Bonsai collection. Beautiful.
The docent was incredibly insightful and helped me track down the famous bonsai oak tree. Stop by and pose for a few pictures with it. It has quite a long and storied past. They’ll tell you all about it if you ask.
The collection changes often so each visit you make here will be unique. It is volunteer-​run so everyone involved is passionate and it shows.
Admission is free and a visit alone is like a retreat in the middle of the city. Unlike the rest of the gardens, the bonsai collection is open for viewing during specific hours– so be sure not to miss out.

My husband and I toured this garden. It was lovely. Who knew this was lurking by Lake Merritt?