15 Best Things To Do In Livermore: Vineyards, Technology and History

1. Wente Vineyards

Did you know that Wente Vineyards is a winery that is registered as a California Historical Landmark? That is not all. This Livermore attraction also holds the title of being “the oldest continuously operating, family-owned winery in the United States.” While visiting this beautiful winery you can taste the wine, eat at the gourmet restaurant, enjoy a round of golf at the golf course or just relax and enjoy the view from the golf club.

I love this place due to its peaceful atmosphere and scenic views. Just sitting outside on a pleasant day is soothing to me. It is no wonder that people choose to host events, such as weddings here.

Wente Vineyards

Address: 5565 Tesla Rd, Livermore, CA 94550

Contact: +1 9254562300

Website: Wente Vineyards

2. Discovery Center

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

The Discovery Center in Livermore is located just outside the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory gates and is free of charge. It offers a number of interactive learning displays, which are great educational lessons for kids. This place is so fun and kids as well as adults really enjoy it, especially those who love science. My family and I love to go here and check out the exciting exhibits. We spend hours here and the best part is that it is close to our house in San Ramon.

Discovery Center

Address: 7000 East Ave, Livermore, CA 94550

Price: Free of charge.

Opening Hours: The Discovery Center is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 1 pm to 4 pm

Access: It is off Greenville Rd. about 2.2 miles (3.5 kilometers) S. of I-580 at the East Gate entrance

Contact: +1 9254233272

Website: Discovery Center

3. Concannon Vineyard

Don’t know what to do in Livermore? Check out Concannon Vineyard. This beautiful vineyard was established in 1883 by James Concannon. This 132 years of family winemaking makes it America’s oldest, ongoing winery under the same family label and stewardship. An interesting fact about the Concannon Vineyard is that it was one of the first vineyards in California to become certified sustainable. This vineyard has also been honored as a California Registered Historical Landmark for its great California wine making history. Last, but not least, the vineyard was given the honor of a USA Today Travel, 2014 “Wine Country Holiday Destination” ranking, as well as a place in IntoWine’s 2014 “Top 25 Most Awesome Tasting Rooms in California.”

Concannon Vineyard

Address: 4590 Tesla Road, Livermore, CA 94550

Price: Cost: 30 USD Guest; 5 USD Member (Minimum: Parties of up to 8 guests)

Opening Hours: Open 11 am to 4:30 pm daily

Duration: Minimum 1 hour

Contact: +1 8002589866 or +1 9254562505

Website: Concannon Vineyard

4. Ravenswood Historical Site

Ravenswood Historical Site is a lovely 1885-era Victorian country estate with a beautiful backdrop of gardens, with palm trees and a gazebo, which can be reserved for special occasions. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places since it is known as a State of California Historical Point of Interest as well as a City of Livermore Historic Preservation Landmark Site. The site used to be a summer home for the Buckley family from 1885 to 1920. Free tours of the site by docents in historical costumes are offered on the second and fourth Sunday of each month. It is certainly something to check out.

Ravenswood Historical Site

Address: 2647 Arroyo Road, Livermore, CA

Price: Tours are free of charge and are held on the second and fourth Sunday of each month

Opening Hours: Tours are from noon - 4pm

Contact: +1 9253735700

Website: Ravenswood Historical Site

5. Sycamore Grove Park

A great park for hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding which offers both paved and unpaved trails. There are great views of the valley from this park. That is why it is so nice to have a picnic here. Since Sycamore Grove Park was originally the Olivina Winery, the ruins of the winery are still visible. Also visible are the wildlife such as deer, that reside in the park. There are also ducks, frogs and butterflies to just name a few of the creatures that have been spotted. Go and see which animals you can find!

Sycamore Grove Park

Address: 1051 Wetmore Road, Livermore, CA

Price: 7 USD per vehicle or by annual permit

Opening Hours: 7am - 6:30pm Daily

Contact: +1 9259602400

Website: Sycamore Grove Park

The following content is contributed by Trip101 writer, Anne

6. Boomers! Livermore

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Boomers is the place to go if you’re looking for fun things to do in Livermore. Scaling the rock wall tests visitors’ strength and skill. The whole family can have fun at the miniature golf courses. The course includes water features, wacky windmills, and other challenges to test any skill level. Visitors can have loads of fun on the go-karts, handling hairpin turns and curves at speed. Another attraction is the bumper boats, where each boat has its own water cannon to prevent anyone else bumping into yours! Enjoy a game of laser tag on the black-light battleground, with fun light phasers. Your chest plate will vibrate to let you know if you’ve been tagged, and a computer will keep track of your score. The games arcade on the property is also a great place to try your skills and beat the high scores.

Boomers! Livermore

Address: 2400 Kitty Hawk Rd, Livermore, California, USA

Website: Boomers! Livermore

7. Shiva-Vishnu Temple

Shiva-Vishnu Temple in Livermore is a Hindu temple as well as a community and cultural center. The temple was first incorporated in 1977 so that there was a place where Hindus could pray, have cultural programs, and study their religion. The temple is considered a good place for people from all cultures to learn about this religion. The staff and priests are friendly and helpful. The temple building is beautifully decorated inside and out. A pleasant, grassy area in front of the temple is an ideal place to relax in the fresh air during a visit.

Shiva-Vishnu Temple

Address: 1232 Arrowhead Ave, Livermore, California, USA

Website: Shiva-Vishnu Temple

Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 9am - 12pm, 6pm - 8pm; Fri - Sun: 9am - 8pm

8. Lizzie Fountain Park

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Right in the heart of Livermore, Lizzie Fountain Park was named for Elizabeth Mendenhall. William Mendenhall, who created the original town map for Livermore, named one of the streets “Lizzie”, after his daughter. The city later changed the name of the street to South Livermore Avenue in 1927. To make up for this, in 1976 the fountain park was created and was named Lizzie Fountain Park after Ms. Mendenhall. These days, the fountain park is a refreshing place to cool down in the hot weather and is plenty of fun for the kids, while adults can relax and watch on from the shade of the trees.

Lizzie Fountain Park

Address: First Street and S Livermore Ave, Livermore, California, USA

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

9. Murrieta's Well

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Murrieta’s Well is one of California’s original wine estates, and it’s nestled in Livermore Valley. All wines sold at the winery are sourced from the estate. Different grape varieties are planted here, creating exceptional wines with unique characteristics. The winery offers the best small-batch blends in order to showcase each vintage. Murrieta’s Well offers a Wine and Food Experience, which includes a tour of the estate followed by wine tasting in their historic barrel room. Visitors then experience a wine-focused culinary treat of seasonal bites served with four of the best estate wines. A tasting bar is also available so guests can sample their latest vintage wines.

Murrieta's Well

Address: 3005 Mines Rd, Livermore, California, USA

Website: Murrieta’s Well

Opening hours: Wed - Thu: 12pm - 5pm; Fri - Sun: 11am - 5pm (closed on Mon & Tue)

10. Granada Native Gardens

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Granada Native Gardens is a place that was created to preserve the native plants of California, which are gradually disappearing due to the spread of cities. The world is changing with global warming, and water is a limited resource - many of the native plants have adapted for these reasons. The Native Americans who originally inhabited the land depended on these plants since they used them for food, medicine, and many other important aspects of their lives. Another reason for the creation of the gardens is the fact that nature is therapeutic. Visitors can spend time in the gardens and enjoy the fresh air while surrounded by nature and beauty.

Granada Native Gardens

Address: 801 Murrieta Blvd, Livermore, California, USA

Website: Granada Native Gardens

11. Blacksmith Square

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Blacksmith Square is a shopping and studio area of downtown Livermore. The retail shops are located in historic buildings on the corner of Livermore Avenue and Railroad Avenue. The historic buildings were formerly a blacksmith shop, leading to the name of the square. A variety of restaurants and wine tasting rooms are available in Blacksmith Square, including Swirl on the Square Inc wine bar, serving tapas and desserts, Victorine Olive Oil, offering olive oil tasting and sales, Big White House Winery and John Evan Cellars, a wine tasting room, and GreenLeaf BBQ, which offers gourmet barbeque products.

Blacksmith Square

Address: South Livermore Ave, Livermore, California, USA

Website: Blacksmith Square

12. Bankhead Theater

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Bankhead Theater and Bothwell Arts Center are run by Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center. Their aim is to inspire new ideas and creativity within the community. This place features a wide range of performances, including theater, dance, and music. This allows people of all ages, interests, cultures, and talents to become involved in the arts. Previous theatrical performances at Bankhead Theater have included The Capitol Steps and Fiddler on the Roof. Meanwhile, Bothwell Arts Center offers art exhibits and gallery events as well as lessons in creative writing and songwriting, among others.

Bankhead Theater

Address: 2400 First St, Livermore, California, USA

Website: Bankhead Theater

13. Altamont Beer Works

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

If you’re looking for things to do near Livermore’s downtown area, take Tesla Road and walk 10 minutes to Altamont Beer Works. This is a locally owned craft beer brewery in Livermore, California. This was the first brewing company in the city that opened following the Prohibition. The brewery hosts a number of themed events, and they also offer tastings of house-made ales on tap. There is a wide range of craft beers available for tasting and purchasing on-site. The brewery has something for all tastes. Some of their cans include Bianco, My Little Pale, and Maui Waui. They also have Mild in the Streets Crowler and Richard Pils Crowler, both of which are worth a try. Year-round beers include Rich Mahogany, Berry White, and Juice Above the Crowds.

Altamont Beer Works

Address: 2402 Research Dr, Livermore, California, USA

Website: Altamont Beer Works

Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 12pm - 6pm; Sun: 12pm - 4pm

14. Holdener Park

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Holdener Park is located in Livermore and was named after the Holdener family who operated a dairy in the city. Livermore Area Recreation and Park District took a portion of the former ranch to create an open space park with multi-use trails. These are ideal for hiking, horseback riding, and biking. The open grasslands are beautiful in the spring, and several small ravines in the park offer shade under the blue oak trees. Visitors can spot a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects in the park. These include deer, great horned owls, red tail hawks, western fence lizards, and a wide variety of butterflies. No restrooms or running water are available in the park. Dogs are allowed as long as they are kept on a leash.

Holdener Park

Address: 2995 Hansen Rd, Livermore, CA 94550-9647

Opening hours: 7am - 5pm (daily)

15. Centennial Light Bulb

Nowadays, light bulbs have planned obsolescence to make sure we keep buying them. This light bulb is different. Livermore’s Centennial Light Bulb is the longest-burning light bulb in history. Set in the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department, the light bulb is in its 120th year of illumination as of 2020. Visitors can learn about the history behind the long-burning light bulb, along with stories, pictures, and facts. It was proven to be the oldest known working light bulb by the Guinness Book of World Records. In 1972, Ripley’s Believe It or Not researched the light bulb and also declared it to be the oldest. This Centennial Light Bulb has been featured on TV - in the 1970s, Charles Kuralt of “On the Road with Charles Kuralt" visited the fire station and also included it in his book.

Centennial Light Bulb

Address: Fire Station #6, 4550 East Ave, Livermore, California, USA

Website: Centennial Light Bulb

Opening hours: 10am - 11:30am; 3pm - 5pm (daily)

Livermore: It is not just about the vineyards

I love to visit Livermore, especially the newly revised downtown area. It is only about 20 miles (32 km) from my house, so I enjoy going here to shop, eat, relax or just stroll. I always feel welcome and safe here. It is a cute and inviting city that everyone should definitely visit at least once. Be sure to add some of these things to do in Livermore if you’re planning to come here!