An expansive green space at the edge of downtown Oakland, Mosswood Park is an iconic Oakland institution rich with history and culture. Mosswood Park combines the names of 19th century Oaklanders J. Mora Moss and Julia Wood, whose 1864 Carpenter Gothic style Victorian mansion still stands at the center of the site.

The former Mosswood estate became a public park between 1909 and 1911, thereafter hosting pre-NBA basketball players on its courts, important cultural events on its grounds and everyday Oaklanders throughout the years.

Park Activities

Reviewers place Mosswood Park near the top of any list of great Oakland parks. This historic site is notable for beautiful grounds populated by old growth oaks, pines and eucalyptus trees and the sheer variety of available activities. The J. Mora Moss House, declared an Oakland Heritage Landmark in 1975, provides an attractive focal point from which basketball courts, a baseball field, playgrounds, a community garden and a dog play area radiate outward.

Reviewers note the presence of a large homeless encampment on the park’s Broadway boundary (as of October 2020) and recent community efforts have focused on rebuilding the park’s recreation center, which was damaged by fire in 2016. With its central location, history and contemporary life as a community crossroads, Mosswood Park remains a vibrant Oakland melting pot.