San Francisco attractions

Area information and events listings :

• SF Chamber of Commerce
• San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Events search engine

Area attractions:
(colored text links to the a website with more information).

The Chamber of Commerce site is a great resource for additional information on local events and attractions, as is the City Search website.

Alcatraz Island - Former maximum security federal penitentiary that held such notorious criminals such as Al Capone, "Creepy" Carpis, and Robert Stroud, the "Birdman of Alcatraz." Closed since 1963 due to the high cost of maintenance, it was reopened in 1972 as a recreation area with a self-guiding trail, cellblock tour, slide show and ranger programs.
Round trip admission (includes ferry trip and audio tour): $9 adults, $8 seniors 62 and up, $4.50 children 5-11. Winter daily 9:30am-2:45 pm; Summer daily 9:15am-4:15pm. Ferries from Pier 41 depart every half hour, at 15 and 45 minutes after the hour. (415) 546-2700

Angel Island State Park (San Francisco) - This island of incredible beauty is haunted by the bittersweet memory of its one-time immigrants.
Price: Adults $5; children $3; bikes $1; overnight camping $12. Phone: (800) 444-7275 or (415) 897-0715

Aquarium of the Bay - Tunnel tanks make this small aquatic zoo a worthwhile adventure.
Weekday hours: 10 am to 6 pm, Monday through Friday. Weekend hours: 10 am to 7 pm Saturday and Sunday. Extended hours during summer months, everyday from 9 am to 8 pm. Admission: Adults: $12.95, Children (3-11) and Seniors (65+): $6.50, Family Rate: $29.95 for 2 adults and 2 children. Located at Pier 39 (adjacent to Fisherman's Wharf), Phone 1-888-SEA-DIVE

Cable Cars - Hanging off the side as you whiz down hills and around corners is a quintessential San Francisco experience. 949 Presidio Avenue.

Chabot Space and Science Center - Explore eclipses, supernovae or take a trip to Antarctica after you visit the heart of the sun. Price: Adults $8.00, kids and seniors $5.50; Planetarium $8.75/$6.50
10000 Skyline Blvd, Oakland, CA, Phone: (510) 336-7312

Chinatown - Much more than a tourist attraction--it's one of the city's most culturally aware, culinarily delectable neighborhoods.
800 Kearny St, San Francisco, CA

Coit Tower - Firemen saved the life of Lillie Coit as a child--the eccentric heiress built this observation tower in their honor. Coit Tower is the best way to see a panorama of the city. It is situated on top of Telegraph Hill. You can climb the stairs or take the 39 ("Coit") bus. Rest assured that people living on Telegraph Hill do not need exercise classes. It is so steep that steps were built in. Admission (elevator to top of tower) $3 Adults, $2 seniors and students, $1 children 6-12 Daily 10am-7pm. Phone 415-362-0808

Exploratorium - in the Palace of Fine Arts area (see below), it includes hands-on exhibits for adults and children of all ages. Ever wondered what space is like? This is the place to find out. Adults $10; students/seniors $7.50; children (5-17) $6. -3601 Lyon St, San Francisco. Phone: (415) EXP-LORE

Fillmore Auditorium - Now a classy concert hall, this legendary hippie haven's all grown up.
1805 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, (415) 346-6000

Fisherman's Wharf - It's hard not to think of the word "tourist trap" when Fisherman's Wharf comes to mind. There are blocks of souvenir shops with all the T-shirts, bumper stickers and miniature cable cars your heart may desire. Commercialized as it may be, millions of tourists visit Fisherman's Wharf every year. There are good seafood restaurants here, sidewalk vendors selling fresh-boiled Dungeness crab and sourdough, museums, street performers, barking sea lions in the boat harbor and much more to see and do. As you head west, you will see a view of Coit Tower, rolling hills and the Golden Gate Bridge. Ferries to popular destinations, such as Alcatraz and Sausalito, start here at the piers. It's much easier to take a bus than to hunt for a parking space in this area. Public parking lots are available along Beach, Bay, North Point and Francisco streets.

Fort Mason Center - Buchanan St. and Marina Blvd. Fort Mason Center is a World War II embarkation point that has been transformed into a regional cultural center. Former warehouses are now galleries, workshops, classrooms, studios, and even a well-known vegetarian restaurant. Four theatres, museums, a second-hand bookstore, numerous craft studios, and about fifty resident non-profit organizations are also here. A variety of events are presented weekly. Daily 8 a.m.-midnight. Free; charges for some events and galleries. Closest Bus Stops 22 (Fillmore) and 28 (19th Ave). 24-hour Information Line (415) 979-3010. The Center includes:

San Francisco Maritime Library - Building E. More than 250,000 historic artifacts. Daily 10-5; (415)556-3002
Mexican Museum - Building D 1st Floor, 415-441-0404
Museo Italo Americano - Building C, 1st Floor Wed though Sunday, noon-5:00, (415) 673-2200
San Francisco African-American Historical and Cultural Society - Building C, 1st Floor Wed though Sunday, noon-5:00 Library hours are noon-5:00 p.m. (415) 441-0640

Fort Point National Historic Site - A trove of military history beneath the Golden Gate Bridge.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco

Ghirardelli Square - This altar to the chocolate god houses many shops and hang-outs.
900 N Point St, San Francisco, CA

Golden Gate Bridge - This high level suspension bridge is the quintessential symbol of San Francisco. Walk (dress warmly) or bike across its 3-mile arc connecting San Francisco with Hwy 101. Watch speed limit--traffic fines doubled on bridge. Price: San Francisco-bound vehicles $5.  (415) 921-5858

Golden Gate Park - Dappled sunlight, archery fields and family-friendly museums--this park is a sprawling urban oasis.
John F Kennedy Dr, San Francisco, CA, (415) 831-2700

Grace Cathedral Episcopal Church - Devastatingly beautiful and ornately spooky, this is a heavenly spot in which to pray and ponder.
1100 California St, San Francisco, CA (just up the hill from the Nob Hill Inn)

Haight Street - From tie-dyes to gargoyles, the center of Flower Power still has it all.
Haight St, San Francisco, CA

Lombard Street - Sharp curves, lush flora and beautiful views make the "Crookedest Street in the World" a favorite stop for visitors. Lombard St, San Francisco.

Mission Dolores - A San Francisco landmark, providing sanctuary to believers and shivers of recognition to fans of Hitchcock's "Vertigo."
3321 16th St, San Francisco, CA

Musee Mecanique - A playground of nickel-and-dime curiosities for the pre-Pac Man generation.
Pier 45 At End Of Taylor Street / (415) 386-1170

Oakland Museum of California - the only museum dedicated to the art, sciences, history and natural sciences of California.
1000 Oak Street , Oakland
Phone: 510-238-2200

Pacific Bell Park - San Francisco takes you out to the ballgame in grand style at this truly awesome new stadium.
24 Willie Mays Plaza, (415) 972-2000

Palace of Fine Arts - Resembles a Roman ruin. Built for the Pan Pacific Expo of 1915. Holds a 1000 seat theater and the Exploratorium. Daily. Dawn to sunset. Free. Baker Street
415-567-6642

Palace of the Legion of Honor - Four thousand years of European art under one roof.
100 34th Ave, San Francisco, CA

Pier 39 - A tourist trap with a carnival-like atmosphere, the Pier continues to enthrall visitors with sleight-of-hand and seafood.
The Embarcadero and Powell Street, San Francisco, CA, (415) 981-7437

Presidio of San Francisco - San Francisco's crown jewel, this immense parcel of relatively undeveloped public land represents the history and beauty of Bay Area.
Highway 101, San Francisco

Randall Museum - School kids learn natural history and adults take classes at this picturesque community center.
199 Museum Wy, (415) 554-9600

San Francisco City Hall - Proudly referred to as the crown jewel
of San Francisco
1 Carlton B Goodlett Pl.

San Francisco Main Library - Art, technology and architecture converge to make this a state-of-the-art public facility.
100 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park - In Fisherman's Wharf and includes:
Hyde Street Pier- displays a coastal lumber schooner, a ferry, a tugboat, and a sailing vessel launched from Scotland in 1886 Daily 9:30-5, September 16-May 14; 10-6, May 15-Sept. 15 Admission $3; ages 12-17, $1; free to all first Tues. of the month. (415)556-3002 — Maritime Museum - Daily 10-5, Free. (415) 556-3002

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)- Open every day except Wednesday 11am - 5:45pm. Open late Thursdays until 8:45pm. . Price: $10; students $7; seniors $6
151 Third Street, (415) 357-4000

San Francisco Zoological Gardens and Children's Zoo - Nature's living marvels, tastefully displayed. Price: $9; $6.50 teens and seniors; $3.00 children.
1 Zoo Rd, San Francisco, (415) 753-7080

Steinhart Aquarium
An integral part of the California Academy of Science, this is more than your typical fishbowl.
Muni bus: 5 Fulton, 7 Haight, 21 Hayes, 33 Stanyan, 44 O'Shaughnessy, 66 Quintara, 71 Haight-Noriega. Muni Metro: N Judah
Lincoln Wy at 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA
(415) 221-5100

Union Square - The epicenter of Bay Area shopping.
Geary St and Stockton St, San Francisco, CA

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts - A mecca of multicultural expression.
701 Mission St, San Francisco

Yerba Buena Gardens - Picnic on the lawn and enjoy free midday concerts at San Francisco's lovely patch of green.
899 Howard St, San Francisco

Zeum - Kids will love this hands-on art and technology center's treasure chest of multimedia tools. Price: Adults $7; children (4-18) $5; students/seniors $6; members free.
221 4th St, San Francisco - (415) 777-2800

For information or reservations:
(415) 673-6080