Located near the start of the 1991 Oakland Hills Firestorm, one of the nation’s largest fire disasters, The Gateway Emergency Preparedness Exhibit Center & Garden offers visitors practical information about how to prepare their neighborhoods for disasters.

The outdoor pavilion offers visitors a panoramic view of Oakland, Berkeley, the San Francisco Bay and San Francisco while encouraging them to work with their neighbors to prevent future disasters from occurring. Exhibit panels provide easy to read information on the history of fires and earthquakes and how individuals and neighbors can work together to reduce fire dangers and prepare for natural and human disasters.

The garden, with 200 tons of granite boulders arranged in unusual configurations and an array of fire resistant and drought tolerant plants and trees, invites visitors to explore additional vistas.

Development of The Gateway Exhibit Center & Garden was spearheaded in 1993 by the North Hills Landscape Committee , a group of local residents who lost their homes in the 1991 Oakland Hills Firestorm and work to prevent future disasters by creating and maintaining landscaped parks in the area and at local schools. Working closely with the City of Oakland, who owns and maintains the park site, and numerous local agencies, businesses and individuals, the Gateway Emergency Preparedness Exhibit Center & Garden was dedicated in May, 2003.