Without a doubt one of the world’s greatest cities, San Francisco is vibrant, eccentric, spectacularly beautiful, and rich in history. The city is culturally and ethnically diverse, full of magnificent parks and museums. It is known as a place that marches to the beat of its own drum, where there is never a dull moment. A popular destination for families and foodies, the city is home to a variety of great restaurants. Here are the best things to do in San Francisco.
1. Golden Gate Bridge
Called one of the seven wonders of the world, the Golden Gate Bridge is San Francisco’s best known landmark. Everyone can recognize its magnificent span of orange steel from its appearance in numerous movies and TV shows. When it was completed in 1937, its two 746 foot towers that anchor the bridge’s single-suspension were the tallest buildings in San Francisco. The suspended road is supported by two 7,000 foot cables.
The engineering marvel was completed in spite of increasing opposition and it now connects San Francisco with the Marin County communities. Pedestrians and bikers are allowed on the sidewalks of the bridge but skateboards, roller blades and roller skates are not. On both sides of the bridge there are vista points with spectacular views and excellent photo opportunities.
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2. Golden Gate Park
The big green heart of San Francisco, Golden Gate Park is 1,017 acres of beautiful flora and fauna. This popular park is a favorite weekend destination, a perfect spot for lunch or practicing tai chi, and is a great place to take a date or visitors. The park is incredibly diverse, carved out from ancient windswept sand dunes by park engineer William Hammond Hall and renowned master gardener John McLaren.
The park includes lush gardens, a breathtakingly beautiful Victorian Conservatory of Flowers, a Japanese Tea Garden, the San Francisco Botanical Garden, Stow Lake, a beautiful Dutch Windmill, Oak Woodlands Natural Areas, the California Academy of Sciences, a Music Concourse where numerous concerts take place throughout the year, and so much more. Even if you live in San Francisco, you are going to be discovering new wonderful spots in the park all the time.
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3. San Francisco Presidio
For 218 years, until 1994 when it became a park, Presidio was a military base for Spain, Mexico and the USA. Today, Presidio is a Historic Landmark, located at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. Presidio is a lush, verdant park rich in diverse plants, some of them rare, with two hundred kinds of birds and a number of well-preserved historic structures. What was once an Air Service/Air Corps/Army Air Forces airfield is today Crissy Field Center, an urban environmental education center with rich programs for schools and summer camps.
There is also the Visitors Center, with rotating exhibits about the history of Presidio. Presidio is great fun to walk around, with its centuries old architecture. Things to do include visiting the national cemetery and the historic airfield, strolling through shady forests or walking to the beach. With such close proximity to the Golden Gate Bridge, Presidio offers a unique view of the city landmark.
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4. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is home to a renowned collection of contemporary and modern art, completely focused on 20th-century art and artists. The museum’s permanent collection has more than 33,000 sculptures, paintings, photographs, design, architecture and media arts. The museum’s exhibit space covers 170,000 square feet, making it one of the largest modern and contemporary art museums in the world.
The Museum started its life in 1935 with a modest 36 artworks donated by Albert M. Bender. Some of the museum’s biggest treasures are works by Henri Matisse, Paul Klee, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and Ansel Adams, among others. The museum organizes about twenty exhibitions and three hundred educational programs every year.
151 3rd St, San Francisco, California 94103, Phone: 415-357-4000
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5. Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, San Francisco
Rain or shine, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, the Ferry Plaza and Ferry Building come alive with over a hundred vendors selling local produce, crafts, freshly made breakfast and lunch, and a lot of fun. You will find local farmers selling their organic seasonal produce, artisanal food, flowers, fresh cheeses, honey, meats, fruits, veggies and much more.
There are Market-to-Table demos by popular local chefs, and the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture’s (CUESA) Food Shed education tent is there to offer a deeper understanding of what sustainable food systems are. The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is a California-certified farmers market managed by CUESA. Browse our California weekend getaways guide for more ideas.
Embarcadero & Green Street, San Francisco, California 94102, Phone: 415-353-5650, (website link)
6. Things to Do in San Francisco: Alcatraz
Before becoming home of the infamous penitentiary, Alcatraz Island was the site of the country’s first lighthouse, offering the most magnificent views of the San Francisco skyline, as well as the first American-built fort on the entire West Coast. It also serves as the home of a large bird colony, and features gardens and tide pools.
Today, the main reason why thousands of visitors take a scenic ferry ride across to the Alcatraz island is the infamous Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, a maximum high-security federal prison that operated from 1934 to 1963. Off-limits to the public for many years, the abandoned prison fires the imagination, which is mostly fueled by numerous movies and stories of notorious criminals who spent their years on the Rock. The prison was home to 1,576 of America's most dangerous criminals, Al Capone being one of them.
Pier 33 B201 Fort Mason, San Francisco, California 94122, Phone: 415-981-7625
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7. Things to Do in San Francisco: Palace of Fine Arts
Located in San Francisco’s marina district, The Palace of Fine Arts is a strange, magnificent, over-the-top building created in 1915 as an art exhibition space for the Panama-Pacific Exposition. Architect Bernard Maybeck was inspired by some famous Roman and Greek ruins and surrounded his creation with a lagoon, gardens, and walking paths.
The end result was so beautiful and became so popular that, after the exhibition, when other pavilions were demolished, the Palace of Fine Arts was preserved and continues to be used for art exhibitions but also for weddings and lavish parties; this building is a photographers’ dream. The Palace is still standing on its original site and is one of the most recognizable San Francisco icons.
3301 Lyon St, San Francisco, California 94123, Phone: 415-563-6504
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8. California Academy of Sciences
Located in Golden Gate Park, surrounded by lush gardens and expanses of green space, the California Academy of Sciences is a San Francisco museum no visitor should miss. All in one place you can see a planetarium, an aquarium, and a natural history museum – the only place in the world to offer so much under one roof (and on that roof you can see wildflowers).
Four floors are occupied by a real, thriving rainforest and the aquarium is home to a spectacular coral reef. After exploring all of the rich diversity that Earth has to offer, step into the planetarium and see our planet from an entirely different perspective. With more than 26 million specimens and 400,000 square feet, the California Academy of Sciences is one of the biggest natural history museums in the world.
55 Music Concourse Dr, San Francisco, California 94118, Phone: 415-379-8000
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9. Fisherman's Wharf
Almost all tours of San Francisco eventually lead to Fisherman's Wharf. One of the best California weekend getaways, this popular waterfront neighborhood includes the northern waterfront from Ghirardelli Square and Van Ness Avenue east to Pier 35. Funky city streetcars will take you there directly, or you can just walk downhill, where all the fun is. While it is now a popular tourist area, Fisherman’s Wharf is still an active home to fishermen and their fleets.
There is a lot to do at Fisherman’s Wharf – it is home to Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square, which contains the famous chocolate factory, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, a Ripley's Believe it or Not museum, the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, and so much more. You will find the city’s best seafood restaurants here, and a noisy sea lion colony just next to Pier 39. The best time to come is the Fourth of July to watch the spectacular fireworks display over the water.
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10. Things to Do in San Francisco: Cable Car Museum
Located in the Nob Hill neighborhood at the Washington-Mason powerhouse and car barn, the Cable Car Museum contains a collection of historic cable cars, mechanical displays, and photos in exhibits that feature the San Francisco cable car system. The still working cable cars are also considered a working museum - You can two restored cars from the Clay Street Hill Railroad, and a perfectly restored car from the Sutter Street Railway from the 1870s, the only existing car from the original cable car company.
Established in 1974, the museum is part of the complex that also includes the Ferries and Cliff House Railway Co. building built in 1887 with the cable car powerhouse and the car "barn." Visitors can see the powerhouse from two overlook galleries – access is not allowed.
1201 Mason St, San Francisco, California 94108, Phone: 415-474-1887, (website link)
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11. San Francisco Botanical Garden
San Francisco Botanical Garden is a unique, spectacularly beautiful 55-acre urban oasis in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, with more than 8,000 different kinds of plants from around the world. The Bay Area’s climate with its mild temperatures, dry summers, wet winters and famous fog, combine to provide optimal conditions for the growth of plants. The garden can recreate the conditions of tropical cloud forests of Southeast Asia, South and Central America, and even New Zealand’s high elevation palms thrive here.
These unique natural advantages are in large part responsible for San Francisco Botanical Garden’s world-known, diverse and unique botanical collections. There is a Mediterranean collection with California native plants, and plants from Southwestern Australia, South Africa and Chile, a magnolia collection, a collection of primitive plants, Dwarf Conifers, succulents, plants of Dry Mexico, and fragrant plants in The Garden of Fragrance.
1199 9th Ave, San Francisco, California 94122, Phone: 415-661-1316
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12. Things to Do Near Me Today: Pier 39
Reserve some time for visiting Pier 39 while strolling along the San Francisco waterfront, there is a lot to do in this lively area. Enjoy the street performers – musicians, jugglers, comedians and magicians – someone is always putting on a live show.
Take the kids to see the noisy colony of sea lions who have taken up residence here, taste the freshest seafood in one of the 14 excellent restaurants, or take a one-hour cruise with Blue & Gold Fleet to see the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz from a completely new perspective. Check out Magowan’s Infinite Mirror Maze, let the kids hop on the brightly lit San Francisco Carousel, make some music at the Musical Chairs or just keep strolling through the pier until something grabs your attention. There is always so much going on.
2 Beach St, San Francisco, California 94133, Phone: 415-705-5500, (website link)
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13. Emperor Norton's Fantastic San Francisco Time Machine
Just the name gives you a hint that you are in for a fun, albeit eccentric, time. Emperor Norton's Fantastic San Francisco Time Machine is a unique, informative and fun walking tour of San Francisco’s historic spots. It is led by self-crowned and appointed Emperor Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico, a colorful but very knowledgeable character San Francisco is famous for.
The two mile-long tours take about three hours and depart every Thursdays and Saturday from Union Square. You will learn about Lotta's Fountain, Union Square, Maiden Lane, The St. Francis Hotel, the 1906 earthquake and fire, and about Emperor Norton, of course.
333 Post St, San Francisco, California 94102, Phone: 415-644-8513
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14. Things to Do in San Francisco: 836M, a Non-Profit Gallery
836M is a non-profit art and exhibition space in the heart of San Francisco. Open throughout the week to the public and by appointment, 836M works in tandem with many different artists and creators to exhibit and display their works to the art-loving public. 836M is always getting in touch and reaching out to amazing artists from all over the globe. The concept of 836M is to open the doors of the art world to all who are interested through lots of public events and exhibitions all through the year. 836M is primarily focused on organizing exhibitions for amazing artists, but also holds documentary screenings as well as conversations, discussions, private and public events, and more, all in a warm, welcoming space where everyone can feel at ease. 836m.org
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15. Things to Do in San Francisco: Tenderloin Museum
The Tenderloin Museum tells the story about the Tenderloin district, one of San Francisco's least known and most misunderstood neighborhoods. The district consists of 31 blocks in the heart of the city, full of immigrants, rebels, artists, and activists. The Tenderloin Museum presents a colorful mosaic of an American city in all its aspects. The Tenderloin's turbulent history has been regularly ignored in history books about San Francisco. The Tenderloin Museum tries to change that by offering visitors famous walking tours, showing interactive exhibition space, or organizing a range of public programs. The stories they tell are about the legendary venue Blackhawk Jazz Club, immigrant stories of people from around the world who made the Tenderloin their new home, the role of the district as a center of LGBTQ activism and the 1966 Compton's Cafeteria Riot, and much more. More places to visit in the Bay Area
398 Eddy St, San Francisco, CA 94102, Phone: 415-351-1912
16. St. Frank - Artisan Home Décor and Handmade Products
St. Frank is offering collectors and art appreciators a chance to buy and enjoy handmade products that are truly one of a kind. Made by skilled artisans from far and wide around the world, these products represent the cultural heritage of the people who make them and the communities from which they came. The products are sourced from around the world, with St. Frank working together with various small businesses in the US to frame, print, and finish each item before shipping it out to the buyer or putting it up for sale in one of the brand's stores.
St. Frank works with creators and makers from all over the world, mainly in low and middle-income countries. St. Frank sources its products carefully and chooses its partners with equal care, favoring Fair Trade certified artisan organizations and socially responsible makers. The flagship San Francisco store for St. Frank is situated at 3665 Sacramento St, San Francisco, CA. Phone: 415-416-6918.
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17. Things to Do in San Francisco: Lolinda
Finding an interesting, innovative, and hot new restaurant in San Francisco’s Mission District is not difficult, but sometimes you’ll find one that stands out. Lolinda is an Argentinian steak house where Argentina’s world-famous beef-based cuisine receives an avantgarde California twist. The large two-story dining room with exposed brick and a high ceiling is beautifully decorated with select Argentinian antiques and massive chandeliers. There are several distinct dining spaces, from the large bar to the long communal tables. If you want a quiet dinner, ask for a table upstairs. Try not to miss anything, as eating at Lolinda is an experience. Start with fresh, spicy ceviche or hot croquetas and indulge in traditional Argentinian beef dishes such as matambra or tira. The delicious peanut mousse makes a perfect ending. The wine list is large and excellent and their cocktails are innovative and delicious. For some more fun, go up to the roof, where the El Techo bar serves great cocktails amidst fantastic views.
2518 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110, Phone: 415-550-6970
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18. Super Duper Burgers
Super Duper Burgers is not your average burger joint. They’ve become famous for kicking their burgers up a notch, and they only use humanely raised, 100% vegetarian-fed beef that they grind fresh daily. A local artisan baker makes all of their buns, while their milkshakes and ice cream cones are made with locally sourced, organic cream. Even the packaging is 100% compostable. Stop in and grab a burger with all the fixings and toppings you desire. They haven’t left out vegetarians, either. The organic veggie burger with hummus, cucumbers, and Super Sauce is delicious. Don’t miss out on the garlic fries! Super Duper Burgers has six locations throughout San Francisco.
783 Mission Street, 415-882-1750; 721 Market Street, 415-538-3437; 2304 Market Street, 415-558-8123; 98 Mission Street, 415-974-1200; 2201 Chestnut Street, 415-931-6258
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19. Raven Bar and Lounge
Raven Bar and Lounge is an intimate SoMa speakeasy and dance club themed around the legendary poem by horror writer Edgar Allan Poe. The club was originally opened in the 1990s as the Up and Down Club, noted for its Monday night jazz performances and trip-hop dance nights. Today, it brings '90s classics and modern pop and dance hits to its two vibrant dance floors, which host party nights every Friday and Saturday. Lounges on its upper and lower floors are home to three bars, which serve creative signature cocktails highlighting tropical ingredients. Design elements by San Francisco artist Michael Brennan evoke the feeling of noir film classics such as Dark Passage and The Maltese Falcon, with antique mirrors and dark leather booths adding to the secretive ambiance.
1151 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94103, Phone: 415-431-1151
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20. Things to Do in San Francisco: Delarosa
Delarosa is a Roman-style pizza parlor chain that opened its first location in 2010 in San Francisco's Marina District. In 2015, a second location was opened in the city's Financial District, near the Yerba Buena Gardens and the SoMa neighborhood. It serves thin-crust artisan pizzas and Italian small plates seven days a week in an unpretentious neighborhood dining atmosphere with communal seating. Classic pasta dishes and sea and land entrees are also available, along with an extensive list of Italian and Californian wines, local craft beers, and Italian-inspired cocktails highlighting liquors such as amaro and grappa. Indoor and outdoor seating is available, with semi-private seating available for groups of 15 or more. Happy hour specials are served Monday through Friday, and brunch is available on weekend mornings. More San Francisco date ideas
2175 Chestnut St, San Francisco, CA 94123, Phone: 415-673-7100
21. Things to Do in San Francisco: Beretta
Beretta is a bustling Italian pizzeria in San Francisco's hip Mission District neighborhood that has gained a reputation as one of the city's top late-night eateries. The dimly-lit restaurant is helmed by executive chef Ruggero Gadali and is known for its trademark thin-crust pizzas, crafted with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Small plates service is also offered, along with outdoor brunch service on the weekends. An extensive menu of clever cocktails is served from the restaurant's bar, and many vegetarian and vegan dining options are available. To-go service is available, with a maximum of two pizzas allowed per order. Downstairs, the restaurant's private dining space accommodates groups of up to 40 and hosts culinary-focused events such as family meals, a hands-on cocktail course, and the restaurant's Monday Night Social Club.
1199 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110, Phone: 415-695-1199
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22. Things to Do Near Me Today: Starbelly
Starbelly is a contemporary Californian comfort food restaurant located in San Francisco's lively Castro neighborhood, near the Mission District and the Lower Haight. The restaurant is helmed by executive chef Adam Timney, a former chef at Bay Area favorites Boccalone Salumeria and Chez Papa. The restaurant has been open since 2009 and strives to serve as a community-focused endeavor, donating portions of proceeds to local organizations such as the Castro Theatre and the arts education organization Root Division. Brunch, lunch, midday, and dinner service are offered daily, with menus highlighting new twists on traditional comfort fare such as artisan pizzas, craft beef and veggie burgers, and shrimp po'boy sandwiches. A full menu of draft and bottled local beers is available, along with an extensive wine and cocktail list.
3583 16th St, San Francisco CA 94114, Phone: 415-252-7500
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23. The Bird
The Bird is an upscale fast casual fried chicken sandwich shop offering locations in San Francisco and Berkeley, including a location on Montgomery Street in the bustling SoMa neighborhood. It is dedicated to serving high-quality indulgent food on a budget, crafting signature fried chicken sandwiches with free-range chicken, berbere spices, freshly-baked buns, and housemade crunchy apple slaw. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner service are available, with variants such as signature fried chicken breakfast biscuits and bird salads with kale, beets, and apples. Sandwiches can be paired with curly or loaded fries or hash rounds to make meal platters or paired with sides such as housemade apple fritters. Beer and soda are served at lunch and dinner, with orange juice and hot drip coffee available during the morning hours.
115 New Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94105, Phone: 415-872-9825
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24. Plow
Plow is a charming farm-to-table restaurant offering from Maxine Siu and Joel Bleskacek, best known for their work at Oakland favorite Oliveto Restaurant. The Potrero Hill restaurant strives to recreate a home entertaining atmosphere at breakfast and lunch service daily, offering new Californian twists on classic comfort fare recipes. Dates can enjoy excellent brunch fare such as lemon ricotta pancakes, Dungeness crab scrambles, and pulled pork sandwiches, complemented by homestyle buttermilk biscuits and homemade granola. Extended menus are offered on weekends, featuring delicacies such as rhubarb coffee cake and walnut rosemary muffins. Full children's menus are available for couples bringing their children along on family outings. Equator coffee, Five Mountains tea, and Apple Farm apple juice are served up alongside meals, along with a selection of regional and national craft beers.
1299 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94107, Phone: 415-821-7569
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25. Leap Sandcastle Classic - Bay Area Sandcastle Competition
Each year, in the San Francisco Bay Area, a special event is held to bring talented sandcastle and sand sculpture creators together and pit them against one another in a fascinating and always-enjoyable sandcastle building competition. The event, known as the Leap Sandcastle Classic, is organized by Leap, a non-profit focused on offering arts programs and education to Bay Area students, with all proceeds and profits raised by the Sandcastle Classic itself going towards these art programs.
It's an exciting event, with many teams in attendance and thousands of spectators cheering them on and admiring their work from the sidelines. Typically, teams consist of designers, architects, and engineers, but can also include students and other individuals from all walks of life. Judges walk around during the show, handing out prizes to the best teams. Each year, the Leap Sandcaslte Classic has a fun theme for all the participants to focus on. leapsandcastleclassic.org
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The top attractions to visit in San Francisco near me today according to local experts are:
- 1. Golden Gate Bridge
- 2. Golden Gate Park
- 3. San Francisco Presidio
- 4. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
- 5. Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, San Francisco
- 6. Things to Do in San Francisco: Alcatraz
- 7. Things to Do in San Francisco: Palace of Fine Arts
- 8. California Academy of Sciences
- 9. Fisherman's Wharf
- 10. Things to Do in San Francisco: Cable Car Museum
- 11. San Francisco Botanical Garden
- 12. Things to Do Near Me Today: Pier 39
- 13. Emperor Norton's Fantastic San Francisco Time Machine
- 14. Things to Do in San Francisco: 836M, a Non-Profit Gallery
- 15. Things to Do in San Francisco: Tenderloin Museum
- 16. St. Frank - Artisan Home Décor and Handmade Products
- 17. Things to Do in San Francisco: Lolinda
- 18. Super Duper Burgers
- 19. Raven Bar and Lounge
- 20. Things to Do in San Francisco: Delarosa
- 21. Things to Do in San Francisco: Beretta
- 22. Things to Do Near Me Today: Starbelly
- 23. The Bird
- 24. Plow
- 25. Leap Sandcastle Classic - Bay Area Sandcastle Competition
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Children’s Creativity Museum
The Children’s Creativity Museum is a place where kids between the age of 2 and 12 can spend time exploring technology and art through hands-on activities, exhibits, and workshops. The museum is located in Yerba Buena Gardens, in San Francisco. The innovative concept allows children to create their own media with programs like robot coding, stop motion animation, design challenges, music video production, and art projects. The Animation Studio is where kids use clay to mold characters for their own animation movie. In the Tech Lab they learn to program a robot in an introduction to coding, while the Innovation Lab challenges kids’ critical thinking by giving them a problem to which they have to find a solution. The Music Studio is a sort of karaoke where kids can perform on a stage. All the activities are challenging, innovative and, most of all, great fun.
221 Fourth St. San Francisco, CA 94103, 415-820-3320
Spa Radiance
Spa Radiance has been helping San Franciscans stay young and beautiful for the last 40 years. Founded by mother-daughter team Galina Rovner and Angelina Umansky, Spa Radiance is a day spa with a relaxing space and minimalist décor located in San Francisco’s up-and-coming Cow Hollow district. While soft and soothing, the spa is known for the latest, almost hard-core, anti-ageing and beauty treatments. The highly trained beauty therapists use everything from dermaplaning and microdermabrasion to LED light therapy. Spa Radiance has developed a reputation as the premiere destination in San Francisco for anti-aging facials. They also offer massage, makeup application, and waxing and carry a range of products for all skin types, with trained beauticians to help each client select the right face washes, serums, toners, lotions, creams, and other beauty products.
3011 Fillmore St., San Francisco, CA 94123, Phone: 415-346-6281
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
Located in the Fisherman's Wharf neighborhood, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is a huge diverse facility that vividly brings to life the Pacific Coast maritime history. Start your exploration at the visitor center, located across the street from Hyde Street Pier, in the park's historic waterfront warehouse.
The center contains various exhibits such as a lighthouse first order Fresnel lens, a shipwrecked boat, and a theatre. Check out the Maritime Museum and Maritime Research Center before heading out to explore the park's historic vessels such as Balclutha, a square rigged sailing ship built in 1886, C.A. Thayer, an 1895 built schooner, and others.
499 Jefferson St, San Francisco, California 94109, Phone: 415-447-5000
Dandelion Chocolate
Chocoholics, hold on to your heart: Dandelion Chocolate is a chocolate factory in San Francisco’s Mission District where you can taste chocolates from all over the world, learn how they are made during the factory tour, or even take one of their courses and get your hands covered in chocolate! Dandelion does it all: They source cocoa beans from small farmers and cooperatives all over the world, including Peru, Ecuador, and Madagascar, then roast, crack, sort, grind, and do whatever else is necessary to turn the rough purple-brown beans into chocolatey deliciousness. The unique flavors are the result of the different origins of the beans. Dandelion’s owners carefully craft each chocolate bar, cake, cookie, and drink by hand in small batches, using only one kind of bean at a time to ensure that the unique, individual flavors of the beans come through. Visit Dandelion to learn how chocolate is made, taste the exquisite small samples included in the tour, and load up on nicely packaged chocolate for later.
740 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110, Phone: 415-349-0942
Places to Visit in San Francisco: Alamo Square
Alamo Square is a park and neighborhood in San Francisco, California. The highly coveted residential neighborhood covers four city blocks located at the top of a hill, overlooking downtown San Francisco. It is famous for a number of substantial mansions and architecturally distinctive houses, such as a row of colorful Victorian houses bordering the park known as the "Painted Ladies.” Alamo Square Park has a tennis court and a kids’ playground and is a popular hangout of local residents, tourists and dog walkers. The view from the park on a clear day is spectacular and it is possible to see San Francisco City Hall, the Transamerica Pyramid building and even the tops of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Lands End
Lands End is a popular San Francisco park with a rocky, windswept coastline, located at the end of the Golden Gate Bridge, next to the Fort Miley Military Reservation. There is a memorial to the USS San Francisco in the park. The park is most popular for its scenic hiking trails that follow the former Ferries and Cliff House Railway railbeds, along the steep cliffs all the way down to the shore. A section of the California Coastal Trail is also located here, following the railbed of the old Cliff House Railway, passing by the picturesque Mile Rock Overlook. From Mile Rock Point and Mile Rock Beach, one can have glorious views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Lands End contains the historic ruins of the Sutro Baths and a number of famous shipwrecks which can be seen at low tide.
Fort Point, San Francisco, California
Located on a vantage point overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Point was built by U.S. Army Engineers between 1853 and 1861 as part of a crucial defense system for the protection and defense of San Francisco Bay. Its guns have never fired a shot in a battle, but the fort has witnessed Civil War, earthquakes, the construction of its glamorous neighbor the Golden Gate Bridge, repurposing and reuse during World War II, and a listing as a National Historic Site.
You can explore the fort on your own, or join one of the Fort Point docents for a half-hour tour to learn about the lives of soldiers stationed at Fort Point, the Fort's interesting and unique architecture, the plans of defense for the Golden Gate, and much more. There are two informative videos you can watch in the theatre next to the bookstore: One about the fort’s history and one about the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Long Ave & Marine Dr Bldg 999, San Francisco, California 94129, Phone: 415-556-1693
The Walt Disney Family Museum
The Walt Disney Family Museum features the life of Walt Disney and the history of his corporation, tracking the rise of his multibillion dollar company, from Mickey Mouse and Snow White to Mary Poppins and Disneyland. The Museum celebrates Disney’s life and accomplishments and his influence on many generations of kids.
The museum combines personal stories and professional accomplishments with exciting and interactive experiences for the children. Some of the permanent exhibits are the early drawings of Mickey Mouse, the "Multiplane Camera" Disney developed for the early classics such as Snow White, and 26 Academy Awards statues. The museum is located in beautiful Presidio, with wonderful trails through eucalyptus forests to the San Francisco Bay.
104 Montgomery St, San Francisco, California 94129, Phone: 415-345-6800
Chinatown, San Francisco
San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest and second largest Chinatown in North America. As in other Chinatowns, it was and still is the starting point for many newly arrived Chinese immigrants. About 15,000 Chinese people live within 20 city blocks, making this the densest part of an already very densely populated city. Large numbers of residents do not speak English, especially the elderly.
Chinatown is also a cultural center of the community, with original architecture, Buddhist temples, social clubs and associations. For tourists, Chinatown is a major cultural experience and visitors come in large numbers, often by tourist buses, which make this crowded, densely packed part of the city almost impossible to navigate. For San Francisco locals, Chinatown is the place to go for a Sunday Dim Sum or an occasional dinner, and to participate in the Chinese New Year, which is considered everyone’s holiday.
Japanese Tea Garden, San Francisco, CA
In the heart of Golden Gate Park, there is a place of intense beauty, an oasis of serenity that will awake all your senses. The Japanese Tea Garden will greet you with the sounds of a waterfall surrounded by blooming azalea, an intoxicating smell of lush wisteria, and the sight of regal Japanese lanterns and stone statues. The Garden was created as an exhibit called “Japanese Village” for the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition.
When the exposition ended, Japanese landscape architect Makoto Hagiwara continued to create and maintain the Japanese-style garden, becoming its caretaker, pouring all of his passion, talents and even personal wealth into creating a marvel we can enjoy today. During WWII, he was unjustifiably sent to an American concentration camp, along with many other Japanese-Americans, and was never allowed to return.
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California 94117, Phone: 415-752-4227
The Mechanic's Institute Library and Chess Room
The Mechanic's Institute Library and Chess Room is one of San Francisco most enduring institutions, originally founded in 1854 to offer supplemental vocational school needs for gold miners out of work after the boom of the California Gold Rush. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the institute offered technical and artisan courses focused on topics ranging from woodworking and ironwork to electrical science and applied mathematics. Today, a general-use library is offered for member and visitor use, including ebook and music collections. Book discussion groups are held at the library throughout the year, along with a variety of author events and poetry readings. The annual CinemaLit film series presents nearly three dozen public showings of films a year, while the oldest continuously-operating chess club in America brings in world champions and chess celebrities for matches.
57 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94104, Phone: 415-393-0101
The Interval at Long Now
The Interval is kind of a bar where you come for a drink and spend hours browsing through the enormous bookshelves, quirky clocks, and fascinating modern art. It is a bar, a coffee shop, a mad scientist’s lab, a start-up work space, or your favorite quirky library. The large two-story industrial space in San Francisco’s Fort Mason is also an event location and the headquarters of the Interval at Long Now organization. Find out what they do and think while sampling one of the masterpieces from the head cocktail geek Jenifer Collieau, have a great cup of Java, or nibble on the light munches they serve. The whole place is so fascinating you might not even notice the wonderful views of the Golden Gate Bridge.
2 Marina Blvd, Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA 94123, Phone: 415-496-9187
Lombard Street
Picturesque and always surrounded by colorful blooms, Lombard Street has starred in a number of movies, mostly involving breakneck car races thundering down its steep, twisting pavement. Located a few blocks from the San Francisco Art Institute and numerous other San Francisco attractions such as North Beach, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Chinatown, Lombard Street is one of the most visited streets in the city.
Although it is called the “crookedest street in the world,” San Francisco has one street even more crooked: Vermont Street on Potrero Hill. It is difficult to understand, but the strange switchbacks were created to make the street, which was considered by residents as too steep, safer to navigate.
Pier 24
Pier 24 Photography is a modern photography museum along San Francisco's Embarcadero. The Diane Arbus exhibition Revelations (2003) at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art inspired the Foundation’s first photograph. The museum, which is operated by the Pilara Foundation and opened to the public in 2010, presents annually-rotating exhibitions by top national and international photographers. The exhibitions are primarily drawn from the Foundation’s extensive permanent collection, which highlights photographic works by prominent 20th and 21st century artists around the world. Exhibition catalogues are also published annually in correlation with special exhibits. The museum is free and open to the public throughout weekdays, accessible via advance appointment.
Pier 24, The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105, Phone: 415- 512-7424
BART Train San Francisco
San Francisco is widely known as one of the cultural and technical hubs of not only California, but the United States as a whole. Leading the way in many fields while still respecting its history and heritage, San Francisco is a hugely popular place to live and visit, boasting numerous attractions, beaches, museums, and more. Epcot is immediately recognizable for its huge sphere standing right near the entrance and visible from almost any area in the entire park.
BART stands for Bay Area Rapid Transit and is the name given to the full network of elevated and subway rail systems that connect the San Francisco area with Oakland, Fremont, Berkeley, and other surrounding cities. With 48 different stations in total and six separate routes spread across 112 miles (180km) of rapid transit lines, the BART trains are the one of the fastest and most efficient ways for locals and travelers to get around the San Francisco Bay Area.
History of BART Trains in San Francisco
Before the BART train system, there was the Key System. This mass transit system operated in the early part of the 20th century and was comprised of streetcar and bus lines. It was the best way for people to get around at the time, but planning for an improved system, which would later become the BART trains, began in the 1950s. The Bay Area Rapid Transit District was established in 1957 in order to govern the BART trains.
It took a few years for the initial administrative planning phase to reach its conclusion, with construction of the BART train system beginning in 1964. Various issues plagued the construction, and the first passenger trains didn't start running until 1972. The first route ran between Fremont and MacArthur, with the additional routes and full system opening two years later, in 1974. Regarded as a pioneering system for public transport in a major city, the BART trains were heralded upon opening, but initial users were hesitant and wary regarding the system's safety.
Over the years, however, people grew to trust the BART system and various extensions and improvements made it even better. Millions of dollars of funding have gone into the BART trains over the last few decades, fitting the system with earthquake protection technology and additional features and services. Now, in modern times, the service boasts average of over 400,000 passengers every single weekday and more than 120 million each year.
Details of the BART Trains of San Francisco
On weekdays, BART trains operate from 4am through to midnight. The schedule changes to 6am opening times on Saturdays and 8am on Sundays, finishing again at midnight on both of these days as well. Trains are scheduled to run every 15 minutes through the working week and 20 minutes on the weekends. Whenever the trains aren't running, the tracks are checked and maintained to provide the maximum levels of safety and reliability.
There are six different routes currently featured on the BART system. The first one ran from Richmond to Warm Springs/South Fremont, but additional routes have been added over the years, with the latest addition, the Coliseum to Oakland International Airport line, opening in November of 2014 and not actually being connected to other BART tracks, despite being technically part of the same transit system.
BART Train Tickets
Various kinds of tickets can be purchased for use on San Francisco's BART trains, with a color-coded ticket system in use to distinguish tickets for different age groups. Blue cards are the most common, while green cards are used for seniors, red cards for disabled or Medicare passengers, and orange tickets for people aged 18 and below. Clipper smart cards are sometimes used by locals who rely on the trains to get around on a daily basis, but regular tickets are the most commonly-used method of getting around on the BART system.
All BART stations are equipped with automatic ticket machines which accept both cash and cards. It's important to note that any young riders aged 4 or below can ride for free, but everyone else must have a ticket on them at all times. Fare gates are used throughout the BART system and tickets must be inserted into these gates upon entry and exit. Each ticket has a set value assigned to it, which gradually decreases as you travel around. When the value of the ticket reaches $0 or is no longer sufficient to pay for your journey, you'll be instructed to add more fare.
Coit Tower
Coit Tower is a 210-foot Art Deco tower built of reinforced unpainted concrete located in San Francisco’s Telegraph Hill neighborhood, in the heart of Pioneer Park. The tower was built in 1933 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The tower’s interior in decorated with a series of fresco murals painted by 27 different artists and two paintings created and installed later. The murals, which illustrated the depression era, were controversial at the time, and some, considered too leftist and provocative, were painted over. Guided or unguided tours of the frescoes are available.
The view of the city from the top of the tower is quite spectacular – there is an elevator which will take you up for a fee. The park around the tower is a pleasant place for a stroll. The tower got its name from its benefactor Lillie Hitchcock Coit, who left one-third of her estate to the city of San Francisco for the purpose of adding to the beauty of the city she had always loved.
1 Telegraph Hill Blvd, San Francisco, California 94133, Phone: 415-488-7772
