Find these stunning murals near BART

This two-story mural is on display in Oakland's Temescal neighborhood. Photo courtesy of William Newton.

Whether you’re socializing during a guided group tour or enjoying a mural-laden solo stroll, these BARTable neighborhoods are covered—in art. Scope out massive painted walls, smaller mosaic pieces, sculptures and other creative public displays where outdoor visual treasures can be seen year-round. 

Use BART's Trip Planner for detailed routes and transit options.

Find this popular mural by MCXT in Downtown Walnut Creek. Photo courtesy of Bedford Gallery. 

Downtown Walnut Creek | Walnut Creek Station

Take a walk on the Walnut Creek side—with help from Bedford Gallery Walking Tours. The gallery’s schedule of monthly tours covers various areas dotted with eye-catching public scenes like Lesher Center for the Arts, City Hall and Civic Park. The business parks near Walnut Creek Station, Plaza Escuela and shopping areas, Downtown Main Street and more. Let the vibrant colors of Civic Park’s “We Well All Be” mural by Monica Canilao and Xara Thustra (known as MCXT) or the Buddhist-inspired “Jiko-jitsugen” mural by David “Hyde” Cho hold your attention.

Creative Concord keeps an inventory of all the colorful murals in the area. Photo courtesy of Creative Concord. 

Downtown Concord | Concord Station

Discover the murals and sculptures of Downtown Concord with help from Creative Concord’s self-guided art tour that’s centered around Todos Santos Plaza. You can explore 12 different scenes listed on the walkable route. The map includes interpretations of each work, starting with Emily Ding’s “Lead the Way” mural at Brenden Theatres and ending with Felicia Gabaldon’s “Memories of the Desert” mural at The Veranda. Arsenio Baca’s “Land Reclaimed” mural, located at Concord Avenue and Pacheco Street, pays homage to some local and endangered wildlife of Mt. Diablo. 

Find art in buildings and on the streets in the Mission District. Photo courtesy of Mark Dombrofski.

Mission District | 24th St Mission

San Francisco’s Mission District has long been a hotbed of art, music and culture, and it’s an easy starting point for exploring incredible street art. Including Clarion Alley, Balmy Alley, the expansive Women’s Building, and 2060 Folsom—and so much more—you can wander for hours with curiosity and amazement. Here, Precita Eyes Mural Tours will take you through various routes dressed in colorful imagery. Each tour starts at Precita Eyes Mural Arts Center, located at 2981 24th Street (just a 9-minute walk from 24th St Mission). Learn about the history of the neighborhood and the meanings behind each mural during different 1.5-hour educational walks.  

"The Embrace" mural is just one of a dozen murals in Jack London Square. Photo courtesy of the Oakland Uptown Rotary.

Jack London Square | 12th St/Oakland City Center 

Oakland’s Jack London Square is one of the East Bay hubs for art, food and events. Take BART to 12th St/Oakland City Center and catch the free Broadway Shuttle for an 8-minute transfer to the sights of this bustling community space. See pieces like “The Embrace,” commissioned by three Rotary Clubs as a mural to inspire peace and “Warmer Waters” by Alise and Jack Eastgate, which is located a short walk to 679 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. And don’t forget to see the expansive wings of Jack London Square’s famous “Cheemah” bronze sculpture designed by Osprey Orielle Lake.

The "Ohlone Park" mural. Photo courtesy of Berkeleymurals.org.

North Berkeley | North Berkeley

Murals of Berkeley describes the city’s wealth of public art as ranging from “the historical to the hysterical,” and its thorough map of murals makes a self-guided walking tour a breeze. From North Berkeley BART, you can encounter enough to stay busy for a long while. There are bright colors and child-like wonders in the Totland mural, which brings a smile to families visiting each day. A further walk from BART towards the other end of the Ohlone Greenway sits Ohlone Park’s beloved four-sided “The Ohlone Journey” mural by Jean LaMarr.

The "Colorful Magic" mural showcases Asian culture in Chinatown. Photo courtesy of Murals of Oakland.

Oakland Chinatown | Lake Merritt

Complementing the views of the lake itself, art pieces from various mediums create welcome scenes near Lake Merritt in Chinatown. Down the street from Lake Merritt  Station, a newer addition to the neighborhood at 7th and Webster, is 2023’s striking “彩色布 Colorful Fabrics” mural by Sorell Raino-Tsui. Various storefronts in Chinatown boast dragon- and panda-themed images; see the building at 6th and Jackson for a sprawling mural of dragons or the walls at 7th and Harrison for paintings of Bruce Lee, a tiger and more. Check out Oakland Art Murmur’s map for its Dragon School 99 Mural Tour in Chinatown.

"Way's to Remember" mural by Lena Gustafson. Photo courtesy of Temescal District.

Temescal | MacArthur 

Around the corner from MacArthur BART station, known for its own selection of wall art, Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood is energized by murals supported by artist-minded businesses. You can roam during your own self-guided art tour with help from the Temescal Mural Map curated by Visit Oakland. Walk down Telegraph Avenue to peruse an abundance of street art, then head to 51st and Shattuck for the impressive “Love Letter to Oakland 2” mural by artists Pancho Pescador, David Burke and Joevic Yeba, featuring portraits honoring influential Bay Area musicians and artists.

"Hope for the World Cure" in the Castro District. Photo courtesy of Hoodline. 

Castro District | 16th St Mission

From murals adorning business walls to colorfully painted crosswalks to dedicated galleries, a stroll anytime in San Francisco’s Castro District serves up plenty of lively art for visual entertainment. And when you’re looking to join a monthly outing with scheduled events, the first Friday Castro Art Walk tour map spotlights local scenes and small businesses with special installations (both indoors and outdoors). Learn about local art and insights into the LGBTQ+ neighborhood’s history from murals like the famous 25-year-old “Hope for a World Cure” mural (restored by the Precita Eyes Muralists) at Market and 15th Street which commemorates the community’s losses and hopes during the AIDS epidemic.

What's your favorite art piece near BART?

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