San Francisco - What To See

ALCATRAZ ISLAND, in San Francisco Bay, can be reached via Alcatraz Cruise’s ferries that leave Pier 33 at The Embarcadero.  Known as “The Rock” Alcatraz was a maximum security federal penitentiary 1934-63 that once held such notorious criminals as Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, and Robert Stroud, the “Birdman of Alcatraz”.   Self-guiding audio tours through the cell house, narrated by inmates and correctional officers, provide insights into what life was like at the prison; the tours are available in six languages.    Wear comfortable shoes and a warm jacket.  Ferries depart daily starting at 9:30am and then every half-hour until 4:15pm.  The cruise to the island takes 20 minutes and provides panoramic views of San Francisco’s skyline.  You are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets in advance, 415.981.7625

BOUDIN AT THE WHARF: MUSEUM & BAKERY TOUR, is at 160 Jefferson Street at Fisherman’s Wharf.  Boudin French Bakery has baked bread, including sourdough, for generations.  The company’s wharf location offers a museum with photographs, artifacts and exhibits that trace the history of the bakery and the science behind the production of sourdough bread.  A demonstration bakery provides viewpoints, including a glass-walled catwalk directly over the production facility, from which visitors can watch the steps involved in the production of the company’s products.  Allow 1 hour, 30 minutes minimum.  Food is available.  Daily 11:00am-7:00pm.  Admission $3.00; free for ages 0-12.  415.928.1849

CABLE CAR MUSEUM AND POWERHOUSE VIEWING GALLERY, 1201 Mason Street at Washington Street, contains models, photographs and relics of San Francisco’s early transit system, including the first cable car, buit in 1873.  A videotape presentation about cable cars describes how they work, and an underground viewing room enables visitors to observe the huge sheaves that guide the vehicles from under the street.  Allow 1 hour minimum.  Daily 10:00am-6:00pm.  415.474.1887

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, in Golden Gate Park includes Kimball Natural History Museum, Morrison Planetarium, and Steinhart Aquarium.  The most obvious feature of the museum is its living roof, where wildflowers and perennials cover most of the undulating surface.  Live animals, including a colony of penguins, tortoises, chameleons and a python, are featured in dioramas in the African Hall.  At the aquarium visitors can see tanks of coral reef, fish, sharks, and other sea life as well as a snake exhibit.  The two-story dome rainforest features three galleries with live animals, including free-flying birds, from Costa Rica, Borneo and Madagascar.  The Morrison Planetarium offers visitors a 180-degree view of our solar system with real-time imagery from NASA.  Food is available.  Open Monday-Saturday, 9:30am-5:00pm, Sunday 11:00am-5:00pm. 415.379.8000

THE CANNERY is on the east side of the block bordered by Jefferson, Leavenworth, Beach and Hyde Streets.  Formerly a Del Monte fruit cannery, it houses two levels of specialty shops, art galleries, and restaurants, all linked by arcades, bridges, and balconies.  Street performers also frequent this spot.  415.771.3112

CHINA TOWN covers 16 square blocks and is bounded by Broadway, Bush, Kearny and Stockton Streets.  More Chinese live in the “city within a city” than in any other place in the world outside China.  Walking tours features the area’s history, culture, and traditions with 2- and 3-hour tours.  Reservations are required for all tours, 415.986.1822

FISHERMAN’S WHARF is part of the northern waterfront; parking is available in public garages and parking lots along the Beach, North Point, Bay, and San Francisco Streets.  This working wharf has picturesque sights and pungent smells that attract millions of visitors annually.  The area contains many restaurants, hotels, shops, and markets, and bay cruises, and ferries depart from nearby piers.  Fresh seafood and sourdough bread are favorite buys. 

GHIRARDELLI SQUARE, between Beach, Polk, North Point, and Larkin Streets, is within walking distance of Fisherman’s Wharf and the Cannery.  The 2.5 acre site comprises a complex of crenellated, white-trimmed brick buildings of the old Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, a woolen mill, apartments and other buildings that have been refurbished to house specialty shops, bakeries, and international restaurants.  Free live entertainment takes place daily.  415.775.5500

GOLDEN GATE PARK is bordered by the Great Highway and the visitor’s center, in the Beach Chalet, features murals with scenes of the city during the Great Depression, mosaics, and wood carvings.  Miles of roads, bridle paths and foot trails weave through the 1,017-acre park.  Boats can be rented at Stowe Lake, a moat ringing the steep slopes of Strawberry Hill, whose summit of over 400 feet is the highest point in the park.  Picnic facilities are available.  Park open daily 24 hours.  Visitor Center open daily 9:00am-6:00pm.  415.831.2700, 415.751.2766, or for tours, 415.263.0991

LOMBARD STREET, between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets, is often referred to as “the crookedness street in the world”.  In a series of S-curves, this one-block portion descends a 40-degree slope.  Stairs are available. 

NORTH BEACH is spread around Telegraph Hill and down to the waterfront.  Known as San Francisco’s “Little Italy”, the area also was a hangout for the “Beat” generation.  It is noted for its art galleries, bookshops, interntional restaurants, and informal approach to life. 

SAN FRANCISCO ZOO, has approximately 1,000 mammals and birds.  Of interest are Hearst Gizzly Gulch, home to two orphaned bears; the Primate Discovery Center; Gorilla World; Penguin Island; Koala Crossing, which features an Australian Walk-About; a feline conservation center; a warthog exhibit; broad-snouted caymans; an antique Dentzel carouse; and a miniature steam train.  Open daily 10:00am-5:00pm. 415.753.7080