Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek is the business hub of Contra Costa County, due in part to its prime location at the intersection of SR-24 and I-680, as well as accessibility by BART. Over the years, Walnut Creek has grown beyond a quiet bedroom community of San Francisco, becoming a regional business and retail center of the East Bay. Downtown Walnut Creek has become a destination center for quality restaurants and shopping, while the surrounding community is filled with parks and recreational areas for families.

Once in downtown Walnut Creek, walking is basically your only choice. This shouldn't pose a problem because most of the downtown area is somewhat concentrated (10- to 15-minute walk at most). The biggest problem is parking.

• 🌍 Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr. The city's performing and visual arts center, opened in October 1990, houses the 800-seat Hofmann Theatre, the 300-seat Margaret Lesher Theatre, the 130-seat Knight Foundation Stage 3 theatre, the Bedford Gallery, offices and rehearsal space. Pretty impressive for a suburb, but not exactly The Met. It was opened as the Regional Center for the Arts (RCA), but the name was changed to the Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts after a donation from the Lesher Foundation. The word "Regional" was subsequently removed to encourage patronage from the greater Bay Area. 
• 🌍 Lindsay Wildlife Museum, 1931 First Ave. W–F noon–5PM (opens 10AM in the summer), Sa Su 10AM–5PM. Well worth a visit for the opportunity to see owls, hawks, and other wildlife up close and (often) not from behind glass or cages. This museum is actually a wildlife rehabilitation and educational center that focuses on native California wildlife and natural history. The museum exhibits live, non-releasable native wildlife. Founded in 1955, the museum operates the oldest and one of the largest wildlife rehabilitation hospitals in the United States, treating more than 6,000 injured and orphaned wild animals each year. $12 for adults, $10 for seniors 65+, $10 for children 2-17. (updated Aug 2020)
• 🌍 Old Borges Ranch, 1035 Castle Rock Rd. The former ranch of early Walnut Creek pioneer Frank Borges, Old Borges Ranch is the home base for Walnut Creek's Shell Ridge Open Space activities. The ranch complex includes a blacksmith shop, numerous outbuildings, and farm equipment displays. It also features a barn and covered trellis available for group reservations. The Borges family home, built in 1901, houses historical displays of the early 1900s. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Old Borges Ranch is a great place to go if you forgot or always wondered what growing up on a farm was like. (updated Apr 2016)
• 🌍 Ruth Bancroft Garden, 1552 Bancroft Rd. Tu-Su 10AM-4PM. This 2½-acre public dry garden preserves an exceptional example of Southwest American garden design, demonstrating the beauty and excitement possible in a water-conserving landscape. Internationally recognized as one of the finest private gardens in North America, the garden was the first in the United States to be sponsored by The Garden Conservancy. The garden showcases rare and unique species of cactus, succulents, palms, and desert trees, while still maintaining the lush and manicured style typical of Northern California. $10 adults, $8 students and seniors, children (12 & under) free. (updated Jan 2017)
• 🌍 Shadelands Ranch Historical Museum, 2660 Ygnacio Valley Rd, ☏ +1 925 935-7871. Built by early Walnut Creek pioneer Hiram Penniman, this 1903 redwood-framed house is a showcase for numerous historical artifacts, many of which belonged to the Pennimans. It also houses a rich archive of Contra Costa and Walnut Creek history in its collections of old newspapers, photographs and government records. The museum is on the National Register of Historic Places and belongs to the city, but is operated by the Walnut Creek Historical Society. Museum tours are offered every week from February to October. 
• 🌍 Walnut Creek Model Railroad Society, 2751 Buena Vista Ave. A permanent, 1,800-square-foot model train layout. It includes an HO-scale train set with more than 4,300 feet of track on over 175,000 ties and over 340 turnouts. 
• 🌍 Sugarloaf Open Space, 2161 Youngs Valley Rd (off Rudgear Road), ☏ +1 925 944-5766. This is a 177-acre open space in the southern part of Walnut Creek. Visitors can enjoy amazing ridgeline views, scenic trails and a walnut orchard. There are also picnic areas and restrooms. 
• 🌍 Boundary Oak Golf Course, 3800 Valley Vista Rd, ☏ +1 925 934-4775 (golf reservations), +1 925 934-6211 (golf course pro shop). This is an 18-hole municipal course overlooking Walnut Creek. 

• 🌍 Iron Horse Trail. This multi-use, whole-access trail runs between Concord and Dublin. The Walnut Creek part of the trail goes directly into the heart of downtown Walnut Creek. The trail abuts what's left of the actual waterway named "Walnut Creek," which is now mostly routed underneath Broadway Plaza. Widely used by dog owners, cyclists, and recreational buffs, the Iron Horse Trail follows the Southern Pacific Railroad right-of-way established in 1891 and abandoned in 1977. If you walk your dog on the Iron Horse Trail, please use the complimentary pooperscooper bags provided for your convenience. 
• 🌍 Castle Rock Regional Recreation Area, 1700 Castle Rock Rd, toll-free: +1-888-EBPARKS (3272757). Castle Rock Regional Recreation Area is a public park in the East Bay Regional Park District. The park is adjacent to Diablo Foothills, in a scenic canyon along Pine Creek. The area is dominated by oak woodlands and prominent sandstone formations. Volleyball courts, softball fields, picnic sites, and a swimming pool are available for public recreation. The pool complex features a 30 feet by 70 feet swimming pool and deck areas. In addition, the complex is fully accessible to individuals with disabilities, including the bathhouse and an accessible lift into the pool. There is a beach access fee to enter the swim area. Swimming is allowed only when lifeguards are on duty. 

• 🌍 Broadway Plaza, 1275 Broadway Plaza. Broadway Plaza is a high-end outdoor mall located in downtown Walnut Creek. As one of the first post-World War II malls, Broadway Plaza was designed on an open-air model. In subsequent years, the trend in mall design gravitated toward the self-contained monstrosities that have become the signature of the suburban lifestyle. As an open-air mall, Broadway Plaza integrates well with the existing downtown. Parking is perhaps the only negative, although expensive valet service is available on weekends and during peak shopping seasons. Three large parking structures are available for use. Major tenants include Nordstrom, Macy's, Banana Republic, California Pizza Kitchen, J. Crew, P.F. Chang's, and other upscale chain retailers. 
• Downtown Walnut Creek. Downtown Walnut Creek is home to many local stores and businesses. After your next shopping spree to Baby Gap or Pottery Barn for Kids, make a detour down Locust and Main Streets. The variety and unique quality of the local shops complement Broadway Plaza and preserve Walnut Creek's small town feel. Many restaurants offer sidewalk or patio seating, except in mid-winter, creating a Mediterranean pedestrian feel. Occasionally, Walnut Creek will close down one of the downtown streets for art festivals. 
• 🌍 Diablo Oriental Foods, 2590 N. Main St, ☏ +1 925 933-2590. This small market is more than it appears (i.e. dilapidated shack), and despite its name, is a specialty Japanese market jam-packed with Japanese foodstuffs that are nearly impossible to find on this side of the Bay Bridge. From natto and fresh tuna to sake and Santoku knives, this market has more Japanese foodstuffs per square foot than any other place in the Bay Area. 

• 🌍 Dan's Irish Sports Bar, 1524 Civic Dr, ☏ +1 925 932-1331, fax: +1 925 945-1428. The "Irish" and "Sports" portions of the bar's title may be questionable, but amongst Walnut Creek's trendier offerings, Dan's stands out as a true "Bar". Bands on weekends, a raucous crowd, great happy hour specials ($3 Fat Tire drafts on Tuesdays, $2 domestic drafts other days), and pool in the back make this a worthwhile alternative to some of the other Walnut Creek hotspots. The $3 weekend cover can be a small turnoff, but it's Walnut Creek - you can't have everything. 
• 🌍 Masses, 2721 N Main St, ☏ +1 925-256-7665. Billiards, billiards, and more billiards. About 30 tables are arranged in this converted hardware store. The food is dreadful, but the billiards and beer are just fine. The local kids have made this the place to hang, so expect a line to get in on Friday and Saturday nights. A cute wait staff and a willingness to serve all but the most intoxicated drunks makes this bar a comfortable place to spend time. If you're prone to inner ear infections, do not go on karaoke night. 
• 🌍 Mr Lucky's Bar and Grill, 1527 Locust St, ☏ +1 925-935-7778. Mr Lucky's is the last "old fashioned, honest bar" you will find downtown. Friendly, no-nonsense bartenders pour proper drinks at reasonable prices. Can be a scene Th F Sa nights, with a line to get in and lots of fun inside. Bring your ID, they are 100% strict on this. Surprisingly good lunch menu. Open late, the place can liven up when other spots shut down. 

• 🌍 Diablo Mountain Inn, 2079 Mt Diablo Blvd, toll-free: +1-800-353-5059. 24 rooms and a swimming pool located in downtown Walnut Creek. This hotel is Walnut Creek's concept of budget accommodation at $70–110 per night. 
• 🌍 Embassy Suites, 1345 Treat Blvd (near the Pleasant Hill BART station), ☏ +1 925-934-2500. You know what to expect from an Embassy Suites since this one is like any of the countless others across the country. If you stay here, you will be a couple miles from downtown Walnut Creek. 
• 🌍 Motel 6, 2389 North Main St, ☏ +1 925 935-4010, fax: +1 925 906-0860. Motel 6 provides any visitor to Walnut Creek exactly the same experience that they would experience in any one of a thousand Motel 6s across the United States. If you like other Motel 6s you'll like this place. 
• 🌍 Renaissance ClubSport Walnut Creek Hotel, 2805 Jones Rd (near the Pleasant Hill BART station), ☏ +1 925 938-8700, fax: +1 925 938-8707. This hotel seeks to claim the upscale hotel title of Walnut Creek. Perhaps it is, but it's quite a trek from downtown if you don't have a car. It's next to the Iron Horse Trail and has an extraordinary fitness center. This is the place to stay if you are a total workout freak and can't stand the thought of staying in Walnut Creek over several nights without a vigorous workout washed down with wheatgrass lattes. Most likely, you are staying here on business because of the little corporate downtown around the Pleasant Hill BART station, are staying here in some misguided attempt to save on hotel expenses on your trip to San Francisco, are trying to impress your corporate underling with whom you're having an affair, or all of the above. 
• 🌍 Walnut Creek Marriott, 2355 North Main St, ☏ +1 925-934-2000, fax: +1-925 934-6374. A 338-room hotel that caters to business travelers, located close to the highway and BART. Fitness center, pool, restaurant, and pretty much anything else that every other Marriott in the country has. Rates average nearly $200 per night, although if you are staying here you're probably going to expense the whole thing. 
• 🌍 Holiday Inn Express Walnut Creek, 2730 N. Main St, ☏ +1 925-932-3332, info@hiewalnutcreekhotel.com. Complimentary hot breakfast, free Wi-Fi, shuttle, swimming pool & fitness center. 

• 🌍 Danville – wealthy suburb to the south with hiking trails and the former home of Eugene O'Neill
• 🌍 Lafayette - One of Walnut Creek's neighbors, Lafayette is a mostly residential town that offers interesting dining opportunities and is home to the Lafayette Reservoir, a great spot for hiking or jogging.
• 🌍 Pleasant Hill - This neighboring city is primarily a typical family suburb, but it does offer options for food and shopping.
• 🌍 Concord - Another Walnut Creek neighbor, Concord is one of the largest cities in the East Bay and has a variety of shopping and dining options.
• 🌍 Mount Diablo State Park - This 20,000-acre park borders Walnut Creek to the east and provides great hiking opportunities on a mountain that dominates the landscape for most of central and eastern Contra Costa County. It offers an incredible viewshed, with views on clear days stretching 181 miles to Mount Lassen.