Crown Memorial State Beach

Crown Memorial State Beach is a state park in the city of Alameda, CA on the shores of San Francisco Bay. It is operated by East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD), under a cooperative agreement with the State of California and the City of Alameda.DescriptionThe park's Crab Cove Visitor Center, at the north end of the beach, 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 offer programs for schools and other groups, and weekend nature programs and lectures. The park's visitor center is located at Crab Cove.The Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary, at the east end of the beach, is currently undergoing restoration and is closed to visitors until this work is completed.HistoryFrom the 1880s until the U.S. entry into World War II, in December, 1941, the area around the visitor center was part of Neptune Beach, an amusement park and resort community that featured bathing spas and waterfront houses. It was formally called Alameda Beach and nicknamed "Coney Island of the West." During World War II, the site was used as a training base for Merchant Marine commanders. The park was subsequently known as "Alameda Memorial Beach" until it was renamed for a local politician, Assemblyman Robert W. Crown (1922 - 1973) who was struck and killed by a vehicle while running (jaywalking). The current visitor cent