Things to Do in San Francisco - page 2
Known for its vibrant culture, often busy by both day and night, Cow Hollow is a central San Francisco neighborhood that attracts many of the city’s young professionals. At the heart of the scene is Union Street, a pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare lined with cafes, antique shops, wellness centers, bars, and restaurants. Before it was a trendy urban area, it was an open valley where cows grazed (hence its name!) Its proximity to the Marina and coastline also made it the place many fishermen resided.
Though now filled with boutique shops and posh apartments, the old Victorian houses lining Cow Hollow streets are reminiscent of this area’s past. If history is what you’re after, you’ll find it in the Octagon House, a 19th century home built to let in natural light from all angles. As for modern city life, a variety of cuisines and an active nightlife make this area a draw for many.
The best reason to go to a San Francisco Giants baseball game used to be to sit in AT&T Park, known for its ideal setting on the San Francisco Bay, with views of the water from the higher seats. But now, the best reason is to watch the 2010 World Series champions in action. There are few better ways to spend a summer evening in San Francisco than cheering on fan favorites like Tim Lincecum, Brian Wilson and Cody Ross in one of the finest ballparks in the country, although “summer” is a misleading term – temperatures on a typical night at AT&T Park are not what you find at most baseball games, so bring jackets, scarves and other layers because you will need them. Welcome to San Francisco.
If you can’t get tickets to a game, you can stand at the archways along the waterfront promenade and watch a few innings for free.
If ever there was a heaven for foodies, the San Francisco Ferry Building is surely it. Since 1898, it has been a transit terminal, the second-busiest in the world until the Bay and Golden Gate bridges were completed in the 30s. For well-heeled gourmet food lovers however, it began serving a different purpose when it opened as an upscale food market in 2003. The beautiful building houses small shops that sell fancy mushrooms, olive oil, sourdough bread, wine, cheese, produce and cupcakes, as well as well-known Bay Area restaurants the Slanted Door, Gott’s Roadside and Hog Island Oyster Company. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the outdoor plaza fills with farmer’s selling local, organic and seasonal produce, plus food merchants selling specialty cheeseburgers, tacos, pizzas and more. In other words, it’s mecca for the Bay Area’s sustainable food craze. The back wharf is a great spot to watch the boats passing under the Bay Bridge.
Part of San Francisco’s Golden Gate National Recreation Center, Fort Mason is a historic landmark and arts center located on the city’s waterfront. It once served as the San Francisco Port of Embarkation for the US Army. Facing the San Francisco Bay, it is both a former military port and coastal defense site. It remains an example for excellent reuse of a military base, drawing more than 1 million annual visitors to its events and facilities.
Divided into upper and lower sections, Fort Mason dates back to 1864 when fortifications along the coast of the United States were built — as prompted by the Civil War. The area was also an important military base during World War II. Today it operates primarily as the home of the Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture, holding regular events, festivals, and performances. There is also a youth hostel, various galleries and schools, and a bar, restaurant, and coffee shop on site.
Willy Wonka would tip his hat to Domingo Ghirardelli, whose business became the West's largest chocolate factory in 1893. The square is no longer a factory, of course. Since then, it’s evolved into a handsome three-level luxury mall with spiffy boutiques, spas, and wine-tasting rooms – care for a massage and some merlot with your chocolate?
Sit in the sun and watch street performers, who regularly entertain at the West Plaza and fountain area. If your sweet tooth beckons, surrender to its desire with a "world famous" Ghirardelli hot fudge sundae at the old-fashioned soda fountain inside the mall.
Running the western strip of San Francisco, Ocean Beach is a 3.5 mile strip of white beach and beautiful ocean. Adjacent to Golden Gate Park and so straight and flat you’ll think it was drawn by a ruler, Ocean Beach is great for joggers, Frisbee players, young love, and just coming to the beach and watching the tide come in. Though the water is cold, the views are spectacular, and you’ll often find it unoccupied – great for getting out of the city while remaining firmly within its borders.
The Castro District, known otherwise as simply, "the Castro," is widely considered the United States' gay capital. Not only is it the largest, but also the country's first.
Regardless of a visitor's sexual orientation, the Castro is full of wonderful attractions, including the Castro Theatre, one of San Francisco's more popular movie palaces, complete with a world-class interior chandelier and designed with a colonial Spanish Baroque facade.
Perhaps the area's most culturally significant landmark, the GLBT Historical Society includes a museum and archives documenting the history of the gay and lesbian communities in the U.S. Aside from its core purpose, the building also houses other interesting institutions including the Cartoon Art Museum, which features well over 6,000 different cartoons and comics, and the Catharine Clark Gallery, an exhibition including different forms of media for contemporary, living artists.
Once a large, privately owned indoor swimming pool complex in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Recreation Area, due to a fire in 1966, the ruins of this magnificent bath-house now sit seemingly forgotten by time save for a small museum and gift store atop the hill. The ruins themselves stand all-but-gone amidst the beauty of the rough Californian coast, and are a great stoic testament to the innovation of man and the humbling power of Mother Nature.
Easily accessible by the Sutro Baths Trail right off of the Lands End parking lot, this hallowed, beautiful, and eerie escape amongst the cypress-lined cliffs are a great stop for any day spent exploring the San Franciscan outdoors. And while often windy, the Sutro Baths Museum offers guests a chance to come in from the cold, sip some coffee or hot cocoa, and get a glimpse into a time when this landmark was once the largest indoor bath house in the world.
At once both a place of peace and relaxation and a museum housing collections spanning more than 6,000 years of ancient and European Art, the California Palace of the Legion of Honor is a museum that always takes precedence on any visit to San Francisco. Easily identifiable by the classical façade, its grand fountain, and the statue of El Cid in front of the museum, the Legion of Honor is hailed as a great representation of some of the most iconic art of the early Renaissance. In addition, the Legion of Honor houses the Skinner Organ, an organ of such amazing capacity and diversity that its concerts routinely sell out to people who come to hear the colors of a full symphony, echoed by one magnificent instrument.
More Things to Do in San Francisco
Painted Ladies
The finest restaurants in town can't provide views as spectacular as the picnic tables atop Alamo Square Park facing Steiner Street's Postcard Row, a row of pastel Victorian houses, known as the Painted Ladies. In fact, the lavish gingerbread detailing, look-at-me bay windows, and frosting flourishes that adorn the houses may leave you craving dessert.
This collection of candy-jar colored Victorian houses is one of San Francisco's most famous assets. Though many exist throughout the city, this is where you’ll find the greatest concentration of these restored gems. At the corner of Fulton and Steiner streets, in Alamo Square, you can see the crisp edges of the Financial District skyscrapers behind a row of Victorians - it's one of the most famous views of San Francisco. You can even see City Hall.
Civic Center
In a select few blocks of San Francisco’s bustling downtown lies the beautiful Civic Center. Known for housing some of the city’s main governmental and cultural institutions, the Civic Center is a hub of activity and not just for municipal officials – there’s really a lot to do and see. Take a look and you’ll find the impressive City Hall and War Memorial Opera House built in the beautiful Beaux Arts style. The San Francisco Public Library houses millions(!) of books, and on Sunday mornings the UN Plaza Farmers’ Market has more fine nibbling you could hope to wish for. After touring the buildings, consider the adjacent Hayes Valley for wandering the antique shops, restaurants, art galleries, and book stores.
Mission District
A lively hub of vibrant activity, thrift shopping, and some fantastic Mexican eateries, San Francisco’s Mission District is also home to some of the best weather and artwork San Francisco has to offer. Multicultural and honest, a stroll through Balmy Alley and Clarion Alley will have you pointing and snapping photos, while the sun breaking through the clouds will make a picnic in popular Dolores Park a treat. For as pleasurable a walk as you’re likely to find in San Francisco, consider Mission Street on a sunny day and watch out for roving mariachi bands playing in local restaurants. This oldest of San Francisco neighborhoods completes the image of San Francisco as a truly great multicultural American city.
California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences holds a fascinating collection of 38,000 natural wonders and the occasional freak of nature. Under the wildflower-covered “living roof,” butterflies flutter through a four-story glass rainforest dome, a rare white alligator stalks a swamp, and Pierre the Penguin paddles his massive new tank in the African Hall.
Downstairs, kids are sure to enjoy the basement aquarium, where they can duck inside a glass bubble to enter an eel forest, find Nemos in tropical fish tanks, or pet starfish. Head upward in the elevator to the roof for panoramic views of Golden Gate Park, or glimpse skyward into infinity in the Planetarium. For the ecology-minded, check out the displays throughout the main floor, which show how conservation issues affect California’s ecosystem.
If you stay for lunch, the dining options at the Academy are first-rate, as both the Academy Café and Moss Room restaurant are run by two of the city's top chefs.
De Young Museum
Also known as the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum, this fine arts museum is known for its creative offerings as well as its unusual exterior and prime location in Golden Gate Park. As many people in the community were unhappy with a large museum being constructed in the middle of the park, the architects covered the building -- which is made of natural materials like stone, wood and glass -- in 950,000 pounds of perforated copper in order for it to oxidize and eventually turn green, blending in with the landscape’s eucalyptus trees. Additionally, the textured copper helps the structure to imitate light shining in through a tree canopy. By doing this, the De Young Museum aims to act as a natural addition to the Golden Gate Park.
Upon first viewing the building, you’ll probably notice the striking copper exterior as well as the 144-foot twisting tower off to the side.
Japanese Tea Garden
Located in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, the Japanese Tea Garden is the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States. Originally built as an exhibit for the 1894 California International Expo, it stands today as one of the cultural gems of San Francisco. Its caretaker, a Japanese immigrant to San Francisco, extended it to nearly five acres and keeps it meticulously maintained.
The garden embodies the harmony, peace, and tranquility of this exquisite Japanese tradition. It includes elements such as a zen garden and stepping stone paths, along with a five-story pagoda, a koi fish pond, stone lanterns, and an arch drummed bridge. It also contains native Japanese plants, including the famed cherry blossom trees that bloom during spring in the garden just as they do in Japan. Visitors can sit on a bench and contemplate in silence or wander the gardens while listening to the sounds of the stream. There is also a tea house and small gift shop.
Conservatory of Flowers
Imagine a botanical garden filled with the lush greenery of rare and exotic plants…in the middle of a major U.S. city. The Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park is exactly that, housed in a Victorian greenhouse that is oldest public wood-and-glass conservatory in North America. It was originally commissioned by a wealthy businessman in the 19th century for his estate, though later bought by a group and presented to the public. After sustaining devastating damage from years of natural disasters it has since been strengthened and restored, becoming a central spot for San Franciscans seeking a place of beauty in the city.
Educational tours are given to connect people to the hundreds of rare plants. The conservatory is organized into sections based on plant type, including aquatic plants, highland tropics, lowland tropics, and potted plants — making the collection of brightly colored flowers and buds easy to navigate.
Baker Beach
Few places offer more spectacular (and iconic) views of San Francisco’s most famous bridge than Baker Beach. Tucked below the raggedy cliffs of Presidio, this popular destination offers scenic picnic facilities, rugged beaches and a rare chance to spot harbor porpoises diving into Pacific surf.
Once the original home of Burning Man, an art and music festival that has gained a cult-like following since its inception in 1990, Baker Beach is now a quiet—if popular—destination for travelers to the San Francisco Bay. Geologically inclined globetrotters will find a rare opportunity to check out gray-green serpentine, California’s state rock, from the shores of Baker Beach. And since this rare rock produces mineral rich soil, hard to find species of plants, like Marin Dwarf Flax, also grow here.
Aquarium of the Bay
Located at the base of San Francisco’s bustling and touristy Pier 39, Aquarium of the Bay takes you below the surface of San Francisco Bay. With 300 feet of clear acrylic tunnels holding 700,000 gallons of bay water, the view is as unique as the critters themselves. Aquarium of the Bay is home to approximately 20,000 animals, from sea stars to octopuses to native sharks.
There are three main exhibit areas to explore in the aquarium. Discover the Bay focuses on ecosystems. Touch the Bay puts critters like leopard sharks, big skates and juvenile bat rays at your fingertips. But what makes this city-sized aquarium truly unique is the Under the Bay tunnels exhibit. As you walk through the first tunnel you’ll see animals that live near shore including anchovies, sea bass and sea stars. Explore deeper water as you make your way through the second tunnel. Stop and stare as five species of local sharks and skates glides over top of your head.
Madame Tussauds San Francisco
Madame Tussauds around the world are famously home to wax recreations of famous figures, including celebrities, politicians, and athletes. Modeled after the original Madame Tussauds in London, the San Francisco Wax Museum was converted in the 17th Madame Tussauds worldwide in 2014. Life-size wax versions of Tiger Woods, Muhammed Ali, Abraham Lincoln, Michael Jackson, and Marilyn Monroe can be found here, among many others. Contemporary figures such as Barack Obama and Lady Gaga are also brought to life.
Madame Tussauds San Francisco is home in particular to an area called “The Spirit of San Francisco,” which celebrates local artists, politicians, and activists that have played a role in the city’s history. It is a chance to specifically see icons of the Bay Area in one place. The figures are set against realistic backdrops, making them all the more lifelike!
SS Jeremiah O'Brien
San Francisco has one of the only remaining historic World War II Liberty ships docked in its bay, and it is open to visitors. Named for American Revolutionary War ship captain, the SS Jeremiah O’Brien is one of only two currently operational World War II Liberty ships afloat of the 2,700 built during the war. The ship survived the storming of Normandy on D-Day in 1944, and is now a National Historic Landmark visitors can tour near Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.
The preserved Liberty ship is completely unaltered, allowing for an authentic and accurate historical experience of exploring the ship just as it was made. Walking through the hallways and on deck, one can truly experience a time and place of being on the ocean in wartime decades ago. Everything from the engine room to the flying bridge is accessible to visitors, allowing a rare glimpse into life at sea and at war at that time.
San Francisco Dungeon
Welcome to Fisherman’s Wharf newest and spookiest attraction! Located in what formerly was the Wax Museum, the San Francisco Dungeon takes visitors on a frightening journey through the city’s gruesome past, from the Gold Rush era to Alcatraz. The experience consists of 36 enthusiastic and terrifying actors, 200 years of history, one dark boat ride and nine live shows—not to mention the screams! The Dungeon focuses on terror and ghastly stories, yet somehow manages to provoke genuine belly laughs even from those having just screamed bloody murder. Dark and claustrophobia-inducing spaces, working girls, murders, questionable surgical abilities and hair-raising stories await in company of San Francisco’s most sinister characters, like Miss Piggott, the Wild West saloon owner, and the infamous crimper, Shanghai Kelly.
The Dungeon features several attractions, including Gold Rush Greed, Lost Mines of Sutter’s Mill, the Court of San Francisco.
Mission Dolores Park
When the sun breaks through the clouds in San Francisco, the Mission District feels it first. Thus, look to Dolores Park to find the first of the fair-weather fans in the most literal sense. Tennis and basketball courts, a soccer field, a children’s playground area and a dog play area as well as public restrooms make this one of the most popular family parks in San Francisco. Also noted for its spectacular panoramic views of the San Francisco skyline, Dolores Park is a highlight to any sunny day in San Francisco.
SoMa (South of Market)
SoMa or South of Market, as it is sometimes known, is one of the larger neighborhoods of San Francisco. Containing the smaller micro-hoods of Yerba Buena, South Beach, and Rincon Park, it is known for its industry feel — with many warehouses, loft apartments, and offices of major and startup tech companies. The area is also home to many of San Francisco’s best museums, including SFMOMA (Museum of Modern Art,) the California Historical Society and the Museum of the African Diaspora, as well as the Yerba Buena Arts District. The Yerba Buena Gardens, surrounded by the skyscrapers of downtown, is a scenic place to walk around and feel both the energy and peacefulness of the city.
Aside from the many museums and industries, SoMa is also home to AT&T Park and the San Francisco Giants, the annual Folsom Street Fair, and many of the city’s nightclubs. It is a vibrant, modern cultural hub of San Francisco that continues to evolve.
Things to do near San Francisco
- Things to do in California
- Things to do in Sausalito
- Things to do in Napa & Sonoma
- Things to do in Santa Rosa
- Things to do in Yosemite National Park
- Things to do in Paso Robles
- Things to do in San Luis Obispo
- Things to do in Pismo Beach
- Things to do in Santa Barbara
- Things to do in Santa Monica
- Things to do in Los Angeles
- Things to do in Long Beach
- Things to do in Las Vegas
- Things to do in Nevada
- Things to do in Oregon