Tours & Open Houses

Take a video tour of campus in Blockeley University! Blockeley is a virtual replica of the UC Berkeley campus in the popular Minecraft video game, built by more than 100 Berkeley students. This past May, hundreds of graduating students attended a virtual, mock commencement ceremony at Blockeley. You’ll experience avatars walking through campus and see Doe Library, Sather Gate, and other iconic places in a whole new way. Let there be light. And let there be blocks!

Spend some time with Cal’s peregrine falcons, Annie and Grinnell. Three webcams monitor their nesting area and balcony atop the Campanile around the clock. Check out the highlights from the 2020 breeding season and Q&A sessions with the scientists studying these very famous falcons. 

Link to watch: https://calfalcons.berkeley.edu

Take a self-guided tour using the Homecoming app through Guidebook. “Walk” the campus at your own pace and listen to campus leaders and students share information about Cal. You can do this any time throughout the weekend!

Get the free Cal Events app at guidebook.com/g/calhomecoming2020. Once you open the app, tap the menu icon in the top left corner of the screen, and select “Self-Guided Campus Tour.”

Or, if you aren’t using the mobile app, you can enjoy one of these self-guided tours from Visitor Services: visit.berkeley.edu/campus-tours/self-guided-tours.

Take a fun, virtual tour with revered campus historian Peter S. Van Houten ’56, M.A. ’62, Ed.D. ’73. Van Houten has developed an encyclopedic knowledge of memorable people, buildings, events, and traditions based on his 60-plus years on campus as a student and then as an administrator. Gain a special perspective and “meet” some important historical figures from Cal’s fascinating past.

While the Hearst Museum of Anthropology’s gallery is closed, you can take advantage of online resources for all ages to stay curious and engaged at home. Share stories about how you are using these tools with the hashtags #MuseumFromHome and #HearstFromHome. The museum’s current exhibit, Cloth that Stretches: Weaving Community Across Time and Space, explores textiles and objects as sites of cultural resilience and resistance. Did you know that UC Berkeley has over 20 museums and research collections? From rare plant species to dinosaur bones to insects, Berkeley has extensive collections of art, artifacts, and biological and physical objects as well as a hands-on science center. Learn about exciting behind-the-scenes opportunities for students from staff at these institutions with Museums of Berkeley: Opportunities for Student Research, Employment, and Learning.

Explore the Hearst from Home at http://hearstmuseum.berkeley.edu/hearst-from-home.

Learn about Cloth that Stretches: Weaving Community Across Time and Space at http://hearstmuseum.berkeley.edu/exhibit/cloth-that-stretches.

Watch Museums of Berkeley: Opportunities for Student Research, Employment, and Learning at https://youtu.be/yc6oNgvyLIM.

Have you ever wanted to meet other ambitious people, attend a DeCal on entrepreneurship, intern for a game-changing startup, or find out how to launch your new idea? Berkeley SkyDeck offers a program for all of the above! Come join us to find out how to get involved at SkyDeck and make your time at Cal more enriching and exciting!

How can students strengthen their sense of belonging and community at a great big university like UC Berkeley? The Berkeley Connect program has pioneered a new approach to academic mentoring that is both effective and efficient. The benefits and impacts of the innovative Berkeley Connect model will be discussed by Professor Bree Rosenblum, Berkeley Connect faculty director; Associate Director Michele Rabkin; a graduate student who is serving as a Berkeley Connect mentor; and an undergraduate student participant. An update on how the program is adapting to remote delivery will be included.

Hear from students mentoring youth in local schools, leading students on alternative break trips to explore social justice issues, and interning in government agencies. The Public Service Center (PSC) partners with students, community members, and faculty for programs and courses that support a more just and equitable world. Through the center, students, faculty, and communities work together to promote transformative social change and grow our next generation of civic leaders. Every year, the PSC supports nearly 200 student leaders in programs that support more than 5,000 students in partnership with 250 community-based organizations.

As the Jacobs Institute celebrates its fifth anniversary, learn how the institute has transformed hands-on education and inspired students from all across campus. Amy Dinh, student services and programs manager, and Joey Gottbrath, technical lab director, will lead the visit and Q&A session. Recent Jacobs graduate Sona Dolasia and Jacobs alum Roland Saekow will speak about their experiences at Jacobs Hall. Both Sona and Roland are part of the first Master of Design (Berkeley MDes) cohort launching in spring 2021.

The Berkeley Art Studio is hosting a virtual workshop inspired by the UC Berkeley campus landscape. This event will be led by Danny Neece, Berkeley Art Studio instructor and watercolor painter. The cost is $60 per person (alums only). Proceeds will go to ASUC Student Union programming that supports student activity and engagement. Registrants must be able to attend by Zoom via computer or phone and will receive an art box with watercolor palette, brushes, and watercolor art pad (to be mailed). Please register in advance through the Berkeley Art Studio by October 2 to ensure the art box is delivered on time. If you have any questions about this event, please email artstudio@berkeley.edu.

Join the event: https://campscui.active.com/orgs/BerkeleyArtStudio?season=2870002&session=48730216

Calling all kids aged 5 to 11! Join Lair of the Golden Bear staffers for a Zoom scavenger hunt! Be ready to find treasures around your home and bring them back to share with everyone on Zoom. Some adult supervision is needed for younger children. This event is free.

Register and join the event at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1f4eqXZHgXnts1SJf3ohnvGmZJh-Y8uYN7OAMdqROSmM/.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, the United States has seen a surge of Asian Americans reporting racially motivated crimes. Studies have shown that when viral outbreaks are deadly, fear often drives those at risk to place blame on external groups. Professor Lok Siu will discuss these complex issues. Please register in advance through the Cal Alumni Association to receive the Zoom link.

Join here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/13GSNjbbNjAhtCj9upWov4gF3E-f44SIDD8ZSmNsL3mo/viewform?edit_requested=true.

Hey preteens and teens! Join Lair of the Golden Bear staffers for a game of Quiplash! Quiplash is the hilarious online game of wits. Use your smartphone to answer funny prompts like, “something you’d be surprised to see a donkey do” or “the best way to impress an alien from Mars.” And then vote on the best answer. If you haven’t played before, don’t worry — we’ll go over the rules! This event is free to all preteens and teens. 

Register here to get the Zoom link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1USpSvI3_ghgTNTK3j45FJkGYUyihRCUw3ccokaA0Fo4/viewform?edit_requested=true. 

This exhibition explores the legacy of the early Bezalel school, an art movement in Palestine in the late Ottoman and British Mandate periods. At the turn of the 20th century under Ottoman rule, Jerusalem was rapidly developing into a center of Jewish cultural activities. The protagonists of this scene were primarily recent Eastern European Jewish immigrants. They had been inspired to move to Palestine by the emerging Zionist movement and were eager to shake off the oppressive conditions they had experienced under the Russian Empire. A link to this event will be added soon.

Join Here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmPTnL6Z