The GSBF Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt (formerly the GSBF Collection North) is the home to some of the finest Bonsai in Northern California.  Northern California’s only public bonsai collection is the Demonstration Garden at Oakland’s Lakeside Park. It was built, is staffed and maintained by volunteers and is supported entirely by donations.  Bonsai Garden Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 11am-3pm; Saturday, 10am-4pm; and Sunday, noon-4pm.

This permanent collection assures that these precious trees and stones by outstanding masters and collectors will be preserved for everyone’s enjoyment. More than 50 superb bonsai and many viewing stones (suiseki) are on display at any given time. The collection is changed regularly, so visit several times a year. Chairman is  Gordon Deeg. Curator Kathy Shaner is the only Japanese-certified bonsai master in the United States. Our sister bonsai collection is the Golden State Bonsai Collection at the Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino near Pasadena, California.

Volunteer docents provide you with a self-guiding key sheet describing each tree and stone. They can help with further information about the landscape plants, Japanese gates, bonsai in general, and bonsai clubs.

Completion of this open air cultural museum has been made possible through the support of the Oakland City council and its Parks and Recreation Department and Golden State Federation officials.

The enthusiasm of volunteer labor by members of the various northern California clubs, their spouses and friends plus the generosity of commercial concerns have been invaluable. The beauty of this garden has been achieved through hard work, success and few failures by a dedicated force of volunteers.

Trees selected for the Garden number over 250 to supply a rotating display. These trees require constant care. Tree caretakers will work under Curator Kathy Shaner’s, direction.

ADMISSION is free; donations to help maintain and improve the garden are gratefully accepted.