Robert Crown Memorial State Parks on the Beach - Guide to Robert Crown Memorial State Beach

Crown Memorial State Beach looking towards San Francisco. The city, the bay bridge and the conning tower of the USS Hornet are visible in the background in Alameda, California

Known as Alameda Beach from the 1880s until the outbreak of World War II, it was an amusement center and day-trip destination for San Francisco and Bay Area residents.

The beach is a great achievement of landscaping and engineering. After wind and water action had eroded the beach dangerously, it was restored in early 1982 with sand from San Francisco Bay, pumped ashore by pipeline from a barge. More sand has been added since then, and groins have been constructed to keep it in place.

Crown Memorial State Beach is a state park in the city of Alameda, CA on the shores of the San Francisco Bay. It is operated by the East Bay Regional Parks District.
Crown Memorial State Beach looking towards San Francisco. The city, the bay bridge and the conning tower of the USS Hornet are visible in the background.

The park's Crab Cove Visitor Center features exhibits about the marine life environment of San Francisco Bay, the history of Alameda, and the importance of the Bay. There is an 800-gallon aquarium system with interactive stations for viewing sea creatures up close. Naturalists offers programs for schools and other groups, and weekend nature programs and lectures.

The visitor center's current exhibits opened in 2004. Until the late 1930s, the area was part of a resort community that featured bathing spas and an amusement park. During World War II, the site was the used as a training base for Merchant Marine commanders. The current visitor center building was used as the base infirmary. Most of the beach received a grade of A or B for year-round water quality in 2010.

Facilities - Activities of Robert Crown Memorial State Beach

Beach Walkway in Robert Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda, California (in Alameda County)

The Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary is located at the east end of the park and is home for aquatic birds and other salt marsh creatures. At the north end of the beach, Crab Cove is a marine reserve.

The Crab Cove Visitor Center features exhibits of the area's colorful past when it was known as the "Coney Island of the West" with bathing spas competing for business with concerts, hot-air balloons, carnivals, baseball games, prize fights and other attention-getting events.

The visitor center also has exhibits and aquaria highlighting flora and fauna of San Francisco Bay and other marine areas.

The park features 2.5 miles of beach, bordered by lawns and picnic grounds, with a bicycle trail. The water at the beach is usually warm and swimming is permitted year round, although there are no lifeguards on duty. A bathhouse is available with changing rooms.

Nearby are picnic tables, barbecue pits, and a lawn area, popular for baseball games.

Each June the park features a sand castle and sand sculpture contest. The contest is held in front of the bathhouse on a low-tide Saturday morning in June. Open to all ages, the contest attracts hundreds of participants and spectators.

Crown is popular with windsurfers. Rental sailboards and lessons are available on summer weekends.

East Bay Regional Park District operates Robert W. Crown Memorial SB.

Location of Robert Crown Memorial State Beach

The Robert Crown Memorial State Beach is located at 37.7657622°N 122.2746916°W. The Robert Crown Memorial State Beach is In the city of Alameda, the visitor center is located on McKay Avenue. Robert Crown Memorial State Beach can be contacted at 510-562-PARK which operate by East Bay Regional Park District.

Robert W. Crown Memorial SB is one of the few California State Parks that does not accept the Annual Day Use Pass.

Here is a driving map to Robert Crown Memorial State Beach.

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Here is a detailed list of other state beaches of California besides Robert Crown Memorial State Beach.