Art

Outdoor installations make these sections of the Bay Trail great places to take in art and the natural landscape of the bay.

Credit
Joey Kotfica

Cupid’s Span (San Francisco)

Designed by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, this dramatic fiberglass and steel sculpture stands 60 feet tall and 140 feet wide spanning Rincon Park, just south of Pier 14 and the Ferry Building.

Seal Point Park (San Mateo)

Many sleek metal sculptures greet you on your stroll or ride through Seal Point Park. Some evoke leaves and birds, others might be attempting alien communication. Which is your favorite?

Mariner Park (Redwood City)

Located in Redwood Shores, Mariner Park is host to several sculptural art-park benches that serve as inspiring resting spots along the trail.

Byxbee Park (Palo Alto)

Inspired by transitions between the natural and built environment, the sculptures at Byxbee Park invite contemplation and interpretation along the edge of the bay.

Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline (Oakland)

At the 66th Avenue Gateway entry to this shoreline park, you’re welcomed by a series of sculptures that invoke the bay and its creatures. There’s a wave sculpture that doubles as a terrific canopy as you sit and enjoy the views.

Union Point Park (Oakland)

At this isolated and largely unknown park along the Bay Trail at the southernmost reach of Embarcadero, you’ll find a park that is an art piece in itself. Get close to the water on the Wave Oculus, an art piece that allows you to walk over the bay waters and uses hundreds of little mirrors to create playful reflective interaction between water and light.

Powell Street-80 Underpass (Emeryville)

Ride on the Bay Trail along Powell Street underneath Interstate 80 and find yourself welcomed to Emeryville by eight steel figures created by local artists. These art pieces can be enjoyed in the evening too, as the lighting for the underpass casts a silhouette of these figures against walls.

Emeryville Waterfront

As you’re traveling on the Bay Trail adjacent to West Frontage Road, be sure to stop at Shorebird Park and walk out on the pier to see Snoopy chasing the Red Barron on the bay.

Albany Bulb

Find evidence of the wild history of the Bulb and discover some of the urban art created by local artists out of the debris at this former trash dump.

Marina Bay Park (Richmond)

Part sculpture and part history, the Rosie the Riveter Memorial in Marina Bay Park provides visions of the Liberty Ships that were once built along the Richmond waterfront. See the historical photos of Rosies working the shipyards for victory during World War II. 

Benicia Waterfront

Several different whimsical art installations can be seen along the Bay Trail in Benicia — walk the length and find them all!