San Francisco is divided into six zones: Downtown,
Midtown, Northeast, Northwest, and Southwest.
Many of San Francisco's famous attractions, including
North Beach, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, and Union Square,
are in its northeast quadrant. Golden Gate Park is in
the city's northwestern section.
Bus:
If you do not want to wait in line for a cable car,
you may wish to consider taking a Muni bus. You may
board lines 15-Third or 30-Stockton at the corner of
Kearny and Market Streets. Lines 15 and 30 travel through
Chinatown and North Beach, two of San Francisco's most
colorful neighborhoods. Line 15 terminates at Bay and
Kearny Streets near PIER 39; line 30 operates on North
Point Street from Columbus Avenue west to Van Ness Avenue
and serves The Anchorage, The Cannery and Ghirardelli
Square.
Alcatraz
Island (Northeast)
the
notorious former federal prison in the middle of the
San Francisco Bay, is accessible to the public through
the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Blue and
Gold Fleet.
To
reach Alcatraz Island, you travel by ferry from Pier
41 at Fisherman's Wharf. The ferry ride will take you
approximately 20 to 25 minutes. The ferry is easily
reached from the Union Square by bus lines 15-Third
or 30-Stockton or by cable car Powell-Mason line.
Once
you arrive at Alcatraz Island you must walk up a steep
hill. There are no elevators. There is an accessible,
interactive computer program of the island's history
available for those unable to make the walk uphill.
415-705-5555
or visit the ticket booth at Pier 41, Fisherman's Wharf.
The ticket booth is open Monday through Sunday, 8:30
am to 5 pm. Call 415-705-5555 for an update on extended
summer hours.
Golden
Gate Park. (Southwest)
John F. Kennedy Dr. west of Stanyan St.
415-263-0991 for walking tour info. Open 24 hours. Free
guided tours: Sat. at 11 and Sun. at 11 and 2.
Muni Buses 5-Fulton and 21-Hayes; N-Judah light-rail
car.
Bordered by the Great Highway on the west, Lincoln Way
on the south, Stanyan Street on the east, Fulton St.
on the north.
The 1, 017 acre park contains a dozen artificial lakes;
a world renowned collection of trees and other plants;
miles of roads, bridle paths and foot trails. The park
extends three miles from Fell and Stanyan Streets to
the ocean.
In addition to the Asian Art museum, there is a bison
paddock, a restored Dutch style windmill, an equestrian
center, a trotting track, tennis courts, archery fields,
golf course, a polo field stadium, and an outdoor music
concourse which offers concerts all year.
The Visitor Center is located in a Beach Chalet on Great
Highway and features murals with scenes of the city
during the Great Depression, as well as mosaics and
wood carvings. (Daily: 10-dusk).
Palace
Of Fine Arts (Northwest)
3601 Lyon Street (Adjacent to the Exploratorium) 415-567-6642
San Francisco's rococo Palace of Fine Arts is at the
western end of the Marina. The palace is the sole survivor
of the many tinted plaster, lath and chicken wire buildings
built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition,
the world's fair that celebrated San Francisco's recovery
from the 1906 earthquake and fire. The Palace of Fine
Arts was recast in concrete and reopened in 1967. The
massive columns, great rotunda dedicated to the glory
of Greek culture, and swan-filled lagoon have been used
in countless fashion layouts and films.
Exploratorium
(Northwest)
Inside the Palace of Fine Arts is the city's science
museum.
Baker and Beach Sts.
415-561-0364 for palace tours; 415-561-0360 for Exploratorium
info.
The
Exploratorium has a camera on top of their roof that
brings live images from the Marina, Golden Gate Bridge,
Alcatraz, Palace of Fine Arts and many more attractions.
Viewers have the ability to control the camera in order
to view particular attractions.
For information on upcoming exhibits, call 415 EXP-LORE.
San
Francisco Museum Of Modern Art ( Southeast)
151 3rd St. 415-357-4000.
Admission charged, but free 1st Tues. of each month
and 1/2-price entry Thurs. 6-9. Memorial Day-Labor Day,
Fri.-Tues. 10-6, Thurs. 10-9; Labor Day-Memorial Day,
Fri.-Tues. 11-6, Thurs. 11-9
The
architect Mario Botta designed the striking facility,
completed in early 1995, which consists of a sienna
brick facade and a central tower of alternating bands
of black and white stone. Inside, natural light from
the tower floods the central atrium and some of the
museum's galleries. Works by Matisse, Picasso, O'Keeffe,
Kahlo, Pollock, Warhol, and other 20th-century artists
form the heart of the diverse permanent collection.
Programming includes traveling exhibits and multimedia
installations.
Yerba
Buena Gardens (Southeast)
Between 3rd, 4th, Mission, and Folsom Sts - Sunrise-10
PM.
The two block heart of the South of Market Street redevelopment
area includes the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the
Sony Metreon entertainment complex, and the Moscone
Center convention facilities.
Rooftop
at Yerba Buena Gardens contains a Looff carousel, a
high-tech, interactive arts and technology center for
children, gardens, a playground, an ice-skating rink,
and a bowling alley.
The
waterfall memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr. is the
focal point of the East Garden in the block between
Mission and Howard streets. Water surges over large,
jagged stone columns, mirroring the force of King's
words that are carved on the stone walls and on glass
blocks behind the waterfall. Above the memorial are
two restaurants and an overhead walkway to the rooftop
area.
Asian
Art Museum (Southwest)
Tea Garden Dr. off John F. Kennedy Dr., near 10th Ave.
and Fulton St.,
415-668-8921 or 415-379-8801.
$s off with Muni transfer, good also for same-day admission
to the M. H. de Young Museum and the Legion of Honor
Museum in Lincoln Park; free 1st Wed. of month. Tues.-Sun.
9:30-4:45, 1st Wed. of month until 8:45.
The museum's collection includes more than 12,000 sculptures,
paintings, and ceramics from 40 countries, illustrating
major periods of Asian art. On the first floor are special
exhibitions as well as galleries dedicated to works
from Korea and China. On the second floor are treasures
from Iran, Turkey, Syria, India, Tibet, Nepal, Pakistan,
India, Japan, Afghanistan, and Southeast Asia.
California
Palace Of The Legion Of Honor (Northwest)
34th Ave. at Clement St.
415-863-3330 for 24-hr information.
$s off with Muni transfer, good also for same-day admission
to Asian Art and M. H. de Young museums. Free 2nd Wed.
of month. Tues.-Sun. 9:30-5.
Spectacularly situated on cliffs overlooking the ocean
and the Marin Headlands, this landmark building is a
fine repository of European art. The lower-level galleries
exhibit prints and drawings, English and European porcelain,
and ancient Assyrian, Greek, Roman, and Egyptian art.
The 20-plus galleries on the upper level are devoted
to European art from the 14th century to the present.
Two galleries are devoted to the Rodin collection, and
a third with works by him and other 19th-century sculptors.
An original cast of Rodin's The Thinker welcomes the
visitor in the courtyard.
Chinatown
(covers about 16 square blocks)
Delicious smells waft out of restaurants, fish markets,
and produce stands. Good-luck banners of crimson and
gold hang beside dragon-entwined lampposts, pagoda roofs,
and street signs with Chinese calligraphy.
Grant Avenue and Stockton Street are the main thoroughfares
and are lined with tearooms, shops and temples, Christian
missions, Chinese schools, theaters, and grocery stores.
Be sure to visit the district's narrow side streets
also. At No. 56 Ross Alley west of and parallel to Grant
Avenue between Washington and Jackson Streets visitors
are welcome to watch fortune-cookie bakers in action.
Three flights of stairs lead up to Tin How Temple, at
No. 125 Waverly Place, where elderly ladies can often
be seen preparing "money" to be burned as
offerings to various Buddhist gods or as funds for ancestors
to use in the afterlife. Visit Chinatown as you would
like people to visit your home neighborhood. Be open
to learning from those who welcome your presence, and
leave an impression of warmth and good will behind.
Chinese
Historical Society of America (Midtown)
644 Broadway, Suite 401 - 415-391-1188
Mon 1-4 Tues-Fri 10:30-4 Sat hours vary.
Donations.
Documents the role of the Chinese in the settlement
of San Francisco and the West through a series of exhibits.
Cannery
(Northeast)
415-771-3112
East
side of the block bordered by Jefferson, Leavenworth,
Beach and Hyde Streets
Formerly a Del Monte fruit cannery; it houses specialty
shops, art galleries and restaurants, linked by arcades,
bridges and balconies.
Ghiardelli
Square (Northeast)
415-775-5500
Between Beach, Polk, Northpoint and Larkin Streets within
walking distance of the Cannery and Fisherman’s
Wharf, this 2.5 acre site houses the former Ghiardelli
Chocolate factory, a woolen mill, apartments, and other
buildings that have been refurbished to house specialty
shops, bakeries and international restaurants. Many
mimes and “human statues” perform next to
the square.
The
Metreon ( Southeast)
415-369-6000
Daily 10-10
SONY entertainment center at Fourth and Mission Streets
in Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. The center features
an interactive play space called: “Where the Wild
Things Are”; an Adventure zone called Airtight
Garage; and “The Way things Work in Mammoth 3-D”.
Coit
Tower (Northeast)
Telegraph Hill Blvd., at Greenwich St. or Lombard St.,
415-362-0808.
Admission charged. Daily 10-6:30.
Among San Francisco's most distinctive skyline sights,
the 210-ft-tall Coit Tower stands as a monument to the
city's volunteer firefighters. From the Tower there
is a spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge, the
East Bay, and surrounding areas.
Inside the tower, Depression era murals depict economic
and political life in California. The government commissioned
the murals and paid 25 artists $38 a week each to paint
them. The radical Mexican painter, Diego Rivera inspired
the theme of the murals: the exploitation of workers.
At the time they were painted, there was widespread
friction between management and labor along the waterfront
and elsewhere in San Francisco.
Golden
Gate Bridge (Northwest)
Lincoln Blvd. near Doyle Dr. and Fort Point
415-921-5858.
Daily, 24 hrs for cars and bikes, 5 AM-9 PM for pedestrians.
Muni Buses 28 and 29 to San Francisco side.
The suspension bridge that connects San Francisco with
Marin County impresses visitors and locals alike with
its 750-ft towers, and simple but powerful Art Deco
design. Nearly 2 mi, long, the Golden Gate was completed
in 1937 after four years of construction, and was built
to withstand winds of more than 100 mph.
This landmark is a symbol of San Francisco and the Bay
Area. The Bridge is an architectural marvel, and is
one of the longest suspension bridges in the world.
The two towers are purposely out of alignment in order
to compensate for the curvature of the earth.
Because it is frequently gusty and misty , walkers should
wear warm clothing. The bridge offers unparalleled views
of the Bay Area.
Bay
Area Discovery Museum (Northwest)
Off US101 at 557 McReynolds Road
(In
Golden Gate National Recreation Area at the north end
of Golden Gate bridge.)
415-487-4398
Tues-Sun. 10-5 (6/15-9/15) Tues-Thurs 9-4; Fri-Sun 110-5,
(rest of the year) Call for holiday schedule.
Admission charged. Children must be accompanied by an
adult.
This museum features hands-on exhibits for children.
Children can climb on a fishing boat and fish; learn
to ride a unicycle; create clay animation movies; crawl
through an underwater tunnel; decorate a doll house,
to name a few of the choices. There is a Tot Spot storybook
environment for children 1-3.
Cable
Car Barn & Museum (Downtown)
1201 Mason St. at Washington St. - 415
474-1887
Daily
10-6 Apr-Sept. 10-5 rest of year
Donations.
Contains models, photographs and memorabilia chronicling
the history of San Francisco’s early transit system,
including the first cable car built in 1873.
Underground viewing room shows mechanics of the system.
California
Academy of Sciences (Southeast)
in Golden Gate Park - 415-750-7145
Daily 9-6 (Memorial Day weekend - Labor Day) 10-5 rest
of the year.
Admission charged. Free to all first Wed. of the month.
Consists
of:
1) Morrison Planetarium - 415 750-7141
Admission charged.
Houses a 5,000 pound star projector, built specially
for the planetarium. Under a 65 foot dome star shows
are given Sat, Sun. first Wed. of the month and holidays
on the hour 11-4. Mon-Fri. at 2:00. Call for program
titles and to confirm hours. The Planetarium also features
Laserium, a laser light and music show.
2)
Natural History Museum
Includes
Wild California Hall; Simson African Hall; Hall of Gems
and Minerals. There are also Far Side of Science Gallery
and Earth and Space Hall in which visitors can safely
experience a simulated California earthquake on a “shake
table.” Life Through Time and the Age of the Dinosaurs
are also popular exhibits.
3)
Steinhart Aquarium
Houses
some 14,000 aquatic animals including octopuses, alligators,
turtles, reptiles, sharks, sea anemones and sea horses.
Sharks of the Tropics are housed in a re-created tropical
reef habitat. Sharks are fed daily every two hours 10:30-4:30.
Penguins are fed at 11:30 and 4:00.
Embarcadero
Center (Downtown)
between Clay & Sacramento Sts. on Drum Street -
800-733-6318
The
Embarcadero Center is one of the most vital urban centers
in San Francisco. It is a city in itself with five high
rise towers and the Old Federal Reserve Bank building
connected by elevated walks, escalators and stairways.
More than 140 shops and restaurants are available to
residents and office workers and to the numerous visitors.
A five screen movie theater, luxury hotels, and the
observation SkyDeck complete the picture. Live music
and festivals are frequently found at the Center. In
late November, 17,000 white lights are turned on to
outline the towers.
Nob
Hill (Downtown)
between Clay, California, Jones and Powell Streets -
415-391-2000
A century ago the railroad erected mansions, and today
the wealthy live there in penthouses. Among the famous
landmarks are the Fairmont and Mark Hopkins Hotels and
the newer Renaissance Stanford Court: three of the most
luxurious hotels in the world. Nearby Grace Cathedral
is modeled after Notre Dame in Paris and Huntington
Park contains a replica of the Tartarughe Fountain in
Rome. Classical and art nouveau apartment buildings
line the downtown side of the steep hill.
Pier
39 (Northeast)
The Embarcadero at Jefferson Street - 415 981-7437
Cable
car transport to Union Square every 20 minutes.
San Francisco's version of the old-fashioned boardwalk,
this two level marketplace designed to look like a village
by the sea, features over 100 specialty shops and restaurants.
Children enjoy the Venetian Carousel. Teens hang out
at the Cyber Station Family Games Arcade. The Bungee
Trampoline and the big screen multimedia Turbo Ride
in hydraulic seats are other prime attractions. A giant
screen with surround sound shows two films: The Great
San Francisco Adventure and the Living Sea. The famous
California 1000 pound sea lions perform on K Dock. Musicians,
mimes, actors, and jugglers entertain on outdoor stages.
Underwater
World ( Northeast)
Pier 39 at the Embacadero and Beach Street.
415
623-5300. Daily 9-8.
Admission
charged. Discount for public transit riders.
Clear acrylic tunnels give visitors the same close look
a diver would have at such marine life as sharks, jellyfish,
rays and eels. Guided tours last an hour.
USS
Pampanito (Northeast)
at
the end of Taylor Street and Pier 45
415-775-1943
Daily 9-8 (mid-May-mid Oct.) Sun-Thurs 9-6 rest of the
year). Admission charged.
A World War II submarine that saw action in the Pacific
theater. Self guided tours. Stooping through low bulkheads
is required to tour the sub.
San
Francisco Maritime Park (Northeast)
Hyde Street Pier
415 556-3002
America's only floating national park features the world's
largest collection of historic ships from the annals
of San Francisco's history. Programs, exhibits and events
focus on living history at this floating museum. For
more information, call 561-6662.
Fisherman's
Wharf (Northeast)
At the end of Taylor Street
Ripley’s Believe it or Not; and the Wax Museum
are two attractions in this area.
Millions visit this part of San Francisco each year
to gaze across the piers, take in the local scene, and
enjoy the numerous fine restaurants.
San
Francisco Zoo (Southeast)
Sloat-Great Hwy. - 415
753-7080
This world-renowned zoo is home to over 1,000 exotic,
wild and domestic animals housed on dozens of acres.
Be sure to visit the primate center, penguin island
and the children's petting zoo.
Golden
Gate Railroad Museum (Southwest)
Hunters Point Shipyard - 822-8728
has one of the most extensive collections of historic,
operating, railroad equipment in the west. Famous trains
such as the Daylights, Overland Limited, Cascade, Sunset,
Lark, Del Monte, California Zephyr and City of San Francisco
are on display, as well as the museum's "star,"
steam engine SP 2472. The GGRM now offers Rent-A-Locomotive
and special events programs allowing guests to actually
operate a full sized locomotive.
Japan’s
Center (Southwest)
Boundaries
are: Post, Fillmore, Geary and Laguna Streets
415-922-6776
Underground parking is available.
A five acre complex containing Miyako Hotel; the offices
of the Japanese consulate; and the Peace Pagoda which
stands in the central plaza. Music, dance, tea ceremonies,
and martial arts presentations are given on many weekends.
Call for schedule of events and times. The area has
restaurants, shops, art galleries, movie theaters, and
Japanese baths.
Japanese
Tea Garden (Southwest)
8th Avenue and Kennedy Drive - 415-752-1171
Daily 9-6:30 (Mar-Sept) 9-5 (rest of the year).
Admission charged.
Landscaped with bridges, walks, ponds, miniature waterfalls,
statues, and pagodas. The garden is spectacular when
the cherry blossoms bloom in the Spring.
Strybing
Arboretum (Southwest)
9th
Avenue and Lincoln Way
415-661-1316
Mon-Fri. 8:30-4:30 Sat, Sun 10-5 Free guided tours daily
at 1:30 Sat, Sun. 10:30.
Donations
More than 7,000 species of plants from around the world
are displayed. Within the 70 acres are demonstration
gardens, a Mediterranean collection, a New World cloud
forest collection, the Garden of Fragrance for the visually
impaired, and the Moonviewing Pavilion and waterfall.
Mount
Tamalpais State Park
Mill Valley, California - 415-388-2070
Daily dawn-dusk. Parking fee.
The park covers 6,300 acres of picturesque coastal hill
country. Triple peaked Mount Tamalpais rises above it.
Hiking and bicycling trails and a winding road lead
to the summit. The view is unparalleled. There is a
visitor center at the summit.
