COME VISIT US!
We’re open Tuesdays through Fridays 10:00am to 4:00pm. Whatever your age, the Dunsmuir is the perfect place for your family adventure. Make memories that last a lifetime while exploring the estate grounds. It is one of the City of Oakland’s finest historic sites located in a crescent-shaped valley near the southeastern city limits. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, State Register, and is protected on the local level by being designated as a City Landmark.
ESTATE LANDSCAPE
Golden Gate Park’s landscape architect, John McLaren, is said to have assisted the Hellman’s in designing the Dunsmuir gardens. A wide variety of trees, including Camperdown Elms, Bunya-Bunya and Hornbeam, still grace the estate’s gardens and expansive meadows. In addition, the Hellman estate contained: a golf course, formal croquet court, and tennis court, swimming pool with Mission-style bathhouse, glass conservatory with grotto, an elaborate aviary, formal garden maze, and Japanese garden.
On the southern portion of the property, farm buildings stand recalling the time when chickens, cows, and vegetable gardens were here to supply the family’s needs.
GROUNDS MAP
Beginning at the Peralta Oaks entrance you will see:
- *Dinkelspiel House,built for Florence Hellman and her husband, Loyd Dinkespiel. A knotty pine recreation room. garages and chauffeurs quarters.
- Gazebo & South Pond The Pond once was a sanctuary for migrating mullards
- Pavilion, built on the site of the estate’s tennis court, now an event venue that transforms to reflect whatever event is taking place.
- The Dunsmuir Mansion, Built in 1899 with 37 rooms and 12 fireplaces. It contains 16,224 square feet of living space.
- *Pool & Bathhouse – Built and utilized by both families.
- Conservatory and Grotto, Huge glass greenhouse ( now gone) were used. The wooden building is a potting shed with a mushroom cellar.
- Chicken Coop and Broader house
- Milk House
- Souther Farm Shed
- Carriage house
- Stable
- Coal Shed
- Covington Gate
Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate 