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FollowVisitor Information
NERSC is located in Shyh Wang Hall (also known as Building 59) on the campus of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California.
Site Access
If you are visiting NERSC for a conference, meeting, or event, your host will arrange site access before your visit. (Site access clearance can take time, so please give your host as much lead time as possible.)
Getting to Berkeley Lab
Berkeley Lab Shuttle
Berkeley Lab operates its own shuttle bus service for employees and visitors. To board the shuttle, you will need a
- Government-issued ID (such as a passport or driver’s license) and
- A hard copy of your invitation, event confirmation, or an email from your host.
Use the TripShot app to plan a ride, look up schedules, find stops, and for real-time arrival information.
To get to NERSC, take the Blue Route, which has stops in downtown Berkeley near the BART station and around the perimeter of the UC Berkley Campus. Catch the “Uphill Blue” shuttle (look for the lighted head sign) at the bus stop near Shattuck and Allston Way.
If you catch the shuttle at any stop other than downtown, you must wave to flag down the driver, as these stops also serve city and UC Berkeley buses.
Sit-down Scooter Rental
Bicycle helmets are required while riding a scooter or a bicycle on the Berkeley Lab campus.
Rent a Veo sit-down scooter and ride it to and around the Lab campus. Lock the scooter up in any bike rack on campus. There are bike racks in the plaza just outside Building 59 / Wang Hall.
If you are using a mapping app, be sure to navigate to “Blackberry Gate,” or you may be sent to any one of the Lab’s three gates.
Enter using the lane marked for visitors. Present your government-issued ID and a hard copy of your visit invitation or confirmation to enter. (See getting to NERSC by bicycle or sit-down scooter for more.)
Bicycle
Bicycle helmets are required while riding a scooter or a bicycle on the Berkeley Lab campus.
Bicycling to and around campus is a popular option. BART and many area buses accommodate bikes. If you’d rather not ride up the hill, most Lab shuttles have bike racks on both front and back. These are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Always make sure the driver knows that you are loading a bike before you do so, especially on the rear racks.
If you decide to ride to the Lab, be sure your mapping app is navigating to “Blackberry Gate,” or you may be sent to any one of the Lab’s three gates.
Enter using the lane marked for visitors. Present your government-issued ID and a hard copy of your visit invitation or confirmation to enter. (See getting to NERSC by bicycle or sit-down scooter for more.)
Driving
Visitors who have cleared it with their host may drive to campus in a private or rented vehicle. Please do not drive if you have not prearranged it with your host, who must clear parking with site access prior to your arrival.
If you are using a mapping app, be sure to navigate to “Blackberry Gate,” or you may be sent to any one of the Lab’s three gates.
Enter using the lane marked for visitors. Present your government-issued ID and a hard copy of your visit invitation or confirmation to enter. The security officer will check your name against the approved visitors list.
If your host has prearranged it, you will receive a general parking pass. Hang the pass on your rearview mirror to park in any space that is unmarked or marked with a blue triangle. Do not park in spaces that are reserved for specific people or functions, government or electrical vehicles, or marked with an orange circle.
A limited number of accessible parking spaces (with room for wheelchair lifts) are available near the Wang Hall entrance. Only vehicles displaying unexpired state handicapped plates or parking placards may use these spaces.
For the safety of everyone on campus, including our plentiful wildlife, please observe Berkeley Lab’s campus-wide 15 mph speed limit.
(See Getting to NERSC by car for more.)
Directions to NERSC
Lab Shuttle
Board the Berkeley Lab shuttle bus and show the driver a copy of your visitor pass and a photo ID. (Do not take other shuttle routes such as Orange.) Tell the driver you are going to the “Building 65 stop” and ask them to let you know when you are there.
When the shuttle arrives at Blackberry Gate (the main gate for Berkeley Lab), site security will board the bus, ask for your ID, and check it against site access records to confirm that you are on the visitor list.
While this is happening, look up and to the right to see Building 59 / Wang Hall. This is your destination.
After the shuttle passes through the gate, it may stop at the foot of the building if a rider requests the stop. Don’t get off here. Building 65 is the next stop.
The bus will climb an incline and turn left into a circle drive with three flagpoles. This is the Building 65 stop.
Get off the shuttle and turn to face the main road.
This birds-eye view shows the walking route from Building 65 shuttle stop to NERSC in Building 59 / Wang Hall.
Across the street is Perlmutter Road (marked with a street sign). Walk up the slight incline (behind the guard rails) to the crosswalk and cross Chu Road. Walk up the hill on Perlmutter Road. Use the white-painted cross-hatched pathway on the left of the road until you reach a painted crosswalk.
Cross to the right side of the road at the crosswalk. Directly ahead, you will see a yellow “pedestrian access” sign that directs you behind the retaining wall, through the plaza, and toward the Building 59/Shyh Wang Hall entrance, which has an overhang.
Car
The closest parking area that usually has spaces is Lot E, next to Building 88. To get there, take a sharp left turn immediately after entering Blackberry Gate.
Accessible parking is also available to those with valid handicapped parking placards or plates issued by any state.
Turn left into Lot E, Bldg. 88 after Blackberry Gate.
From Building 88, walk back to the main road and follow it up the hill. Cross at the second crosswalk at the intersection of Chu Road and Perlmutter Road. The map below shows the walking route.
Walking route from Lot E to NERSC.
Sit-down Scooter or Bicycle
For the safety of everyone on campus, including our plentiful wildlife, please observe Berkeley Lab’s campus-wide 15 mph speed limit.
After you enter Blackberry Gate, follow the main road until just after the first curve and take that right turn onto Perlmutter Road. At the retaining wall marked Shyh Wang Hall, dismount and walk your bike or scooter along the pedestrian path (marked with a yellow sign) behind the retaining wall and onto the Building 59 / Wang Hall plaza. Against the building to your right, there are bike racks where you may lock up your scooter or bicycle. Please do not lock bikes, scooters, or similar conveyances to fences, signposts, or anything other than designated bike racks.
Continue along the pedestrian path through the plaza to the building entrance under an overhang.
Building 59 Plaza from near the entrance looking back towards the main road.
Accessibility
Parking
A limited number of accessible parking spaces (with room for wheelchair lifts) is available near the Wang Hall entrance (see following directions).
Additional accessible parking spaces are available around the campus. Only vehicles displaying unexpired handicapped plates or parking placards may use these spaces.
The spaces are not reservable, but your host may be able to reserve a space for you near Wang Hall if you prefer.
Directions to Accessible Parking Nearest NERSC
After you clear the Blackberry Gate, continue on the main road. Observe the 15 mph limit to avoid missing your turn.
Take the first right turn onto Perlmutter Road. Drive up the incline. Stay to the right where the road splits to access to lower parking lot.
The Wang Hall / Building 59 entrance will be on your right. Marked accessible parking spaces are on the left.
Please do not park in spaces reserved for other purposes, including electric vehicle charging. Be certain that both your Berkeley Lab guest parking pass and handicapped parking placard are clearly displayed for parking enforcement.
Shuttles
Berkeley Lab’s shuttles are wheelchair accessible. To ride, you must show your visitor pass and a government-issued ID. See also general shuttle information and directions for getting to NERSC for more.
Wang Hall Building 59
The main entrance doors have no steps or slopes and can be operated using an ADA pushplate. However, the doors can only be unlocked with an employee badge. Hosts are responsible for making sure all visitors have appropriate access and escorts while on campus.
NERSC’s offices are located on the 4th floor of Wang Hall. The machine room is two floors below. Both are served by a large elevator located just inside the main entrance.
Restrooms are wheelchair accessible.
Interactive Campus Map
The Berkeley Lab interactive map can help you navigate around the campus. (Pro tip: You may also hear the campus referred to as “the hill,” e.g., “Are they on the hill today?”)
Nearby Airports
Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, Berkeley Lab is easily accessible by two local airports: Oakland International Airport (OAK) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) connects both airports to downtown Berkeley. Of course, both airports also offer many other options for ground transportation. Check their respective websites for details.
Lodging
Hotels are plentiful in the area. Two that are close to the downtown Berkeley Lab shuttle stop include
Another option is to stay on the Berkley Lab campus at the Berkeley Lab Guest House. Due to construction, however, on-site food services are limited.
Public Tours
Please visit Berkeley Lab’s main website to learn about current tour opportunities.
