Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts

Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, Performance & Event Venue, 10 10th Street, Oakland, CA.

An iconic Oakland cultural venue offering world-class performances and versatile rental spaces purpose-built for concerts, meetings, celebrations, and community-driven events.

✊🏾 On October 15, 1966 — right here in West Oakland — two Merritt College students changed the course of American histor...
06/02/2026

✊🏾 On October 15, 1966 — right here in West Oakland — two Merritt College students changed the course of American history.

Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense in a small apartment on 56th and Montgomery Streets. What started as neighborhood patrols against police brutality grew into a movement that would expand to 40+ cities across the country.

The Panthers created more than 65 documented survival programs — including the free breakfast program that became the model for the federal School Breakfast Program we know today. They provided free health clinics, sickle cell anemia testing, legal aid, and transportation for seniors.

The Henry J itself is part of this legacy. Bobby Seale organized a 10,000-bag grocery giveaway here for the community. The building has always been a place where Oakland shows up for its people.

The Town doesn't just make history. The Town makes change. 🖤💚

#510 https://www.rfr.bz/f6f0fca

06/02/2026

🚨 TOMORROW NIGHT. 🚨

Apocalyptica takes the stage at the Henry J — and if you haven't grabbed tickets yet, this is your final warning. ⏰

Four cellists. One legendary catalog. A night where classical training meets heavy metal thunder in the most unexpected way possible. This is the kind of show that leaves jaws on the floor — and it's happening RIGHT HERE in Oakland.

🗓️ TOMORROW — June 3 | 8:00 PM
📍 Calvin Simmons Theater at the Henry J
🎟️ FINAL tickets — https://www.rfr.bz/ff8670f NOW

Don't miss your chance to witness cello-driven metal history. 🎻🔥

#510

🗣️ PSA: The best family adventure in The Town is hiding in plain sight.Dinos Alive at the Henry J isn't just another wee...
06/02/2026

🗣️ PSA: The best family adventure in The Town is hiding in plain sight.

Dinos Alive at the Henry J isn't just another weekend activity — it's a full-blown Jurassic expedition. 🦖🌴 Walk among giants. Hear them ROAR. Feel the jungle humidity. This is the kind of immersive experience Oakland deserves, and it's right here on 10th Street.

Whether you've lived in the 510 your whole life or you're visiting for the weekend, this one belongs on your must-do list. Locals are calling it the surprise hit of the summer. 🔥

🗓️ Open through July 31
🎟️ Timed tickets: https://www.rfr.bz/f20999c
📍 the Henry J, Oakland
♿ ADA compliant | Fun for ALL ages

Tag an Oakland parent who needs to know about this 👇

#510

🎶 From ATL to The Town — Orchestra Noir is redefining what an orchestra can be. 🎻⚡Under the baton of Maestro Jason Ikeem...
06/01/2026

🎶 From ATL to The Town — Orchestra Noir is redefining what an orchestra can be. 🎻⚡

Under the baton of Maestro Jason Ikeem Rodgers, this isn't your grandmother's symphony. Orchestra Noir takes the biggest 2000s Hip-Hop and R&B hits — the songs that defined a generation — and reimagines them through lush, cinematic orchestral arrangements.

What to expect at the Henry J on June 12:
→ A full orchestra delivering the biggest Y2K-era anthems
→ High-impact production with music, movement, and nostalgia
→ Sing-alongs to the songs you grew up on — now with strings
→ A room full of energy you won't find anywhere else in Oakland

The Culture 2000 Tour is selling out across the country. Don't let this be the one that got away.

🗓️ Friday, June 12 | 8:00 PM
📍 Calvin Simmons Theater at the Henry J
🎟️ Tickets: https://www.rfr.bz/fe23281

Tag your crew from the 2000s era 👇

&B #510

🏛️ THE HENRY J TURNED 110 THIS YEAR — AND IT HAS SOME STORIES TO TELL.Originally dedicated as the Oakland Municipal Audi...
05/30/2026

🏛️ THE HENRY J TURNED 110 THIS YEAR — AND IT HAS SOME STORIES TO TELL.

Originally dedicated as the Oakland Municipal Auditorium on April 30, 1915, this Beaux-Arts landmark was designed by architects John J. Donovan and Henry Hornbostel. For decades, it was the gathering place for The Town:

→ Elvis Presley performed here in 1956 and 1957
→ The Grateful Dead played here 57 times between 1967 and 1989
→ Bob Marley and the Wailers rocked the stage in 1979
→ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to 7,000 people here in 1962

After closing in 2004, the building sat silent for nearly two decades. In January 2024, it reopened as the Henry J — and the next chapter began.

When you walk through these doors, you're walking through Oakland history. ✨

#510 https://www.rfr.bz/f02730f

🎼 The theater inside the Henry J carries the name of a trailblazer.Calvin Simmons was the first African American conduct...
05/29/2026

🎼 The theater inside the Henry J carries the name of a trailblazer.

Calvin Simmons was the first African American conductor of a major U.S. orchestra — the Oakland Symphony. A prodigy who conducted the New York Philharmonic at age 20, Simmons became music director of the Oakland Symphony at just 28. His performances were known for their energy, precision, and passion.

Tragically, Simmons passed away in 1982 at the age of 32. The theater at the Henry J was named in his honor — a permanent tribute to a man who opened doors and changed the sound of American classical music forever.

Tonight, when you take your seat at Calvin Simmons Theater, you're sitting in a space named for a legend. 🎵

#510

🦆 Did you know? Right here in the heart of Oakland sits the FIRST official wildlife refuge in all of North America. 🇺🇸In...
05/27/2026

🦆 Did you know? Right here in the heart of Oakland sits the FIRST official wildlife refuge in all of North America. 🇺🇸

In 1870 — 33 years before the first *national* wildlife refuge was established — the California legislature designated Lake Merritt a protected refuge for migratory birds. Dr. Samuel Merritt, who was mayor of Oakland from 1867 to 1869, donated the land and funded the dam that turned the tidal lagoon into the lake we know today.

155 acres. 3.4 miles of shoreline. A National Historic Landmark since 1963. And it's sitting right across the street from the Henry J. 🏛️

Next time you catch a show at the Henry J, take a walk around the lake. You're walking through conservation history.

📍 Lake Merritt, Oakland
🗓️ Established: 1870

#510

05/27/2026

🎻 What happens when four classically trained cellists from Finland decide to cover Metallica? A global phenomenon — and they're coming to the Henry J. 🌎🔥

Here's what makes Apocalyptica unmissable:

→ Born at Helsinki's Sibelius Academy in 1993
→ Debut "Plays Metallica by Four Cellos" dropped in 1996
→ 8 acclaimed albums, 6+ million records sold worldwide
→ "Plays Metallica, Vol. 2" features Metallica's Rob Trujillo on "The Four Horsemen"
→ James Hetfield joins on a spoken-word version of "One"
→ Deep cuts and bold reinterpretations of Metallica's catalog

The cello is the new electric guitar. Don't believe us? Come hear it for yourself. 🎸→🎻

🗓️ Wednesday, June 3 | 8:00 PM
📍 Calvin Simmons Theater, the Henry J
🎟️ Tickets: https://www.rfr.bz/f8c4da6 — moving fast

#510

☀️ Summer starts THIS WEEKEND — and the Bay Area arts scene is bringing the heat. 🔥KQED just dropped their roundup of th...
05/26/2026

☀️ Summer starts THIS WEEKEND — and the Bay Area arts scene is bringing the heat. 🔥
KQED just dropped their roundup of the best free concerts in the Bay Area this summer, and the lineup is STACKED. From Stern Grove in SF to outdoor stages in Oakland, Berkeley, and San Jose, there's live music everywhere you look.

But let's be real — nothing hits quite like catching a show inside a historic venue. While you're mapping out your summer concert calendar, don't forget what we have coming up at the Henry J:

→ Apocalyptica — Jun 3 — cello-driven Metallica covers 🎻
→ Orchestra Noir — Jun 12 — 2000s Hip-Hop + full orchestra 🎼
→ Ballet Folklórico México Danza — Jun 14 — 35th anniversary 💃
→ And Dinos Alive running ALL SUMMER through July 31 🦕

Visit https://www.rfr.bz/fe8257a for more details.

The Town doesn't do summer quietly. What's on your must-see list? 👇

#510

Address

10 10th Street
Oakland, CA
94607

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