African American Arts and Culture Complex
The Sargent Johnson Gallery, founded in 1977, is named for one of the Bay Area’s most prominent sculptors, Sargent Claude Johnson, who was born in Boston on November 7, 1888 and came to San Francisco in 1915. The mission of the Sargent Johnson Gallery is to celebrate art through the promotion, exhibition and documentation of Black visual culture, with a focus on exhibiting works by African American artists from the Western Addition and the greater Bay Area. Free Admission
Alcatraz Island
One of the most popular destinations in the San Francisco area, and located in the Bay Area in a world of its own, Alcatraz has lots of history. Visitors are able to visit the remnants of the prison and see the plant and wildlife on this island. Did you know that the field mice on this island are a different color than anywhere else? The prison not only housed public criminals but military criminals before that. Alcatraz is also the location where popular movies have been shot, including The Rock and The Empire Strikes Back. Rangers are on hand to answer questions and discuss history. Helpful Information: Once on the grounds, you can take a tour led by a park ranger or explore the prison with the self-guided audio tour. No food service is available but there’s a picnic area near the dock.
Asian Art Museum
The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco is one of the largest museums in the Western world devoted exclusively to Asian art. But we are more than just an art museum – we are your ticket to Asia. Here, you can travel through 6,000 years of history, trek across seven major regions, and sample the cultures of numerous countries.
Steve Silver’s
Beach Blanket Babylon
Steve Silver’s Beach Blanket Babylon, the longest running musical revue in theatre history, is a zany musical spoof of pop culture with extravagant costumes and outrageously huge hats. With sold-out performances since 1974, Beach Blanket Babylon is an internationally acclaimed San Francisco institution. With more than 12,000 performances in San Francisco, the show has performed for standing room only during its London and Las Vegas engagements. Beach Blanket Babylon continually evolves in its hilarious parodies of current events and popular icons as today’s headlines unfold.
Boudin Bakery Museum and Tour
Before Fisherman’s Wharf was even on the map, the Boudin French Bakery was making bread for San Franciscans. Through a compelling array of historic photos, artifacts, and interactive exhibits, you will discover the history of Boudin, the events and personalities surrounding its origins, and the art and science behind our original San Francisco Sourdough.
California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is a world-class scientific and cultural institution based in San Francisco. The Academy recently opened a new facility in Golden Gate Park, a 400,000 square foot structure that houses an aquarium, a planetarium, a natural history museum and a 4-story rain forest all under one roof.
The Cannery
The Cannery at Del Monte Square is one of San Francisco’s most treasured places. Located at the foot of Columbus Street overlooking San Francisco Bay, and originally built in 1907, The Cannery was once the largest peach cannery in the world. Today, The Cannery at Del Monte Square is a vibrant waterfront marketplace featuring one-of-a-kind shops and restaurants, offices, live entertainment, and a world-class jazz club. The brick warehouse was converted into three levels of winding walkways, balconies and bridges surrounding an inviting courtyard with 130-year-old olive trees and several outdoor cafes. The Cannery’s European charm, unique shops and restaurants, and award-winning architecture make it one of the finest shopping and dining experiences in the world.
Cantor Arts Center
The Cantor Arts Center’s diverse collections span continents, cultures, and 4,000 years of art history and include the largest gathering of Rodin bronzes outside Paris. Come see a wide range of changing exhibitions and take advantage of docent tours, lectures, gallery talks, symposia, classes, and special events. Explore, participate, and visit often.
CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts
Established in 1998 at California College of the Arts, the Wattis Institute serves as a forum for the presentation and discussion of leading-edge local, national, and international contemporary culture.
Children’s Fairyland
Created in 1950, Children’s Fairyland is a historic 10 acre outdoor park and educational facility in which children’s literature is “brought to life” through fairy tale exhibits, animals, and talking storybooks that children activate by turning a “Magic Key.”
Contemporary Jewish Museum
Since its founding in 1984, the Contemporary Jewish Museum has engaged audiences of all ages and backgrounds through dynamic exhibitions and programs that explore contemporary perspectives on Jewish culture, history, art, and ideas. The Museum has distinguished itself as a welcoming place where visitors can connect with one another through dialogue and shared experiences with the arts.
Cool Harbor Nights
Classic cars and motorcycles on display, the first Thursday of every month at Pillar Point Harbor parking lot, just in front of Princeton Seafood Company. Join other vehicle enthusiasts from around the Bay Area to admire and discuss these works of art on wheels. The collection changes every month. This is a fun family event and the admission is free.
The Exploratorium
The Exploratorium is an experimental, hands-on museum designed to spark curiosity – regardless of your age or your familiarity with science. With hundreds of exhibits to touch, look through, pick up, and tinker with, let curiosity be your compass to endless discoveries! The Exploratorium is located at Pier 15, San Francisco.
Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
With over 100 farmers and 30 artisan vendors setting up every week, you will find yourself immersed in a cornucopia of the freshest fruit, produce, baked goods, cheeses and prepared foods in town. The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, operated by CUESA (Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture) features farmers such as Star Route, Heirloom Organics, and Eatwell for organic greens and Lagier for organic jams, almonds and cherries.
Fisher Family Children’s Zoo
The Children’s Zoo is specially designed to encourage parent-child interaction and discussion about living together with animals. Children can come here to connect with the animals that share our daily lives, from companion animals and livestock to the wildlife in our backyards and beyond. Along the way there are plenty of opportunities for close-up encounters: touching, feeding, brushing, smelling, hearing, or looking an animal square in the eye. Many exhibits and activities teach children what it’s really like to care for animals at the Zoo. There are many enjoyable opportunities for involvement with the staff, helping with animals, and caring for the Family Farm. Young children will enjoy tactile experiences and imaginative animal play such as climbing on a giant “spider web,” or crawling through a “meerkat tunnel”.
Fisherman’s Wharf
San Francisco’s most popular destination is known for its historic waterfront, delicious seafood, spectacular sights and unique shopping. Fisherman’s Wharf offers a wide array of things to do for everyone. Visitors are within minutes of the Maritime Museum, Alcatraz, Coit Tower and everyone’s favorite: the world famous San Francisco Cable Car lines. Fisherman’s Wharf offers some of the most incredible views of the San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge and the cityscape.
Grabhorn Institute
The Grabhorn Institute is a nonprofit organization formed in 2000 for the purpose of preserving and continuing the use of one of the last integrated type foundry, letterpress printing, and bookbinding facilities, and operating it as a living museum and educational and cultural center. The Grabhorn Institute hosts a variety of lectures and other events. Free Admission
Haas-Lilienthal House
As featured on A&E‘s America’s Castles’ “Castles by the Bay,” this exuberant Queen Anne-style Victorian was built in 1886. It is the only intact private home of the period that is open regularly as a museum, complete with authentic furniture and artifacts. The House has elaborate wooden gables, a circular corner tower and luxuriant ornamentation. Volunteer docents lead tours through the House and explain the Victorian architecture of the exterior. A display of photographs in the downstairs supper-room describes the history of the home and the family that lived here until 1972.
Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle is one of the largest of approximately 5,000 historic house museums in the U.S., with one of the most sophisticated guided tour programs in the country. Once the home of William Randolph Hearst, California State Parks strives to keep the estate looking like a private residence. The tours take the visitor back into time through the interpretation of a combination of many aspects regarding the estate, including William Randolph Hearst and his family, and the collection, architecture, gardens and lifestyle at the Castle. Formal guide training is an integral aspect of Hearst Castle. Castle tour guides are initially trained a total of 168 hours with additional in-service training and ongoing independent study between tours, resulting in a high quality interpretive experience for all who visit “The Enchanted Hill.”
Legion of Honor
The Legion of Honor, San Francisco’s most beautiful museum, displays an impressive collection of 4,000 years of ancient and European art in an unforgettable setting overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.
Natural History Museum
The exhibits of the Kimball Natural History Museum address two of the most significant and closely-intertwined scientific issues of our time: The evolution of life on Earth and the maintenance of life on Earth. The exhibits draw heavily from the Academy’s 150-plus years of research, its 20 million specimens, and the expertise of its many world-class scientists and affiliates.
Pier 39
Pier 39 is San Francisco’s top attraction, a festival marketplace with more than 110 stores, 13 full-service restaurants with bay views and numerous fun-filled attractions. Pier 39’s two-level design complements one of San Francisco’s most unique shopping districts, featuring everything from NFL merchandise to jewelry and imported chocolates. Activities and fun are endless.
The Presidio
The Presidio’s history is central to its status as a national park. Before the arrival of Europeans, the indigenous Ohlone people were the first known users of the land. In 1776, the Presidio was established as a military post by a Spanish expedition that marched north from Sonora, Mexico. After Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, the Presidio became a Mexican frontier outpost. During the Mexican-American War in 1846, the U.S. Army took control of the Presidio. As a result of the Base Closure and Realignment Act, the Presidio was transferred to the National Park Service in 1994. Two years later, the U.S. Congress established the Presidio Trust to manage the Presidio, in partnership with the National Park Service.
San Francisco Botanical Garden
San Francisco’s unique botanical garden inspires visitors with the extraordinary diversity of rare and unusual plants that can be grown in coastal California. Through its programs and displays, the Garden celebrates the bond between people and plants, and instills a deeper understanding of the necessity to conserve Earth’s biological diversity.
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
Stand on the stern of Balclutha, face west to feel the fresh wind blowing in from the Pacific Ocean. Located in the Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park offers the sights, sounds, smells and stories of Pacific Coast maritime history.
San Francisco Zoo
The San Francisco Zoo connects people with wildlife, inspires caring for nature, and advances conservation action. Located near the sweeping vistas of Ocean Beach, the zoo offers a brand new three acre African savanna, a lemur forest, children’s zoo, carousel, bird sanctuary and so much more.
San Francisco Zoo
Saturdays & Sundays
Today at the Zoo
Tour Time: 9:30 A.M. to 11:30 A.M.
Take an exciting journey through the San Francisco Zoo and watch the animals start their day! The Early Bird Tour is a guided tram tour throughout the Zoo where you will see and learn about some incredible animals like ostriches, gorillas, penguins, koalas, kangaroos, sea lions, bears and more. Available on weekends only, each tour starts promptly at 9:30 a.m. You will be picked up where you and other tour-goers can experience the Zoo before it opens to the general public.
Steinhart Aquarium
Steinhart Aquarium, the Living Collection, is home to 38,000 live animals from around the world, representing more than 900 separate species. Come nose-to-beak with an African penguin, watch sharks and stingrays cruise beneath your feet, check out the set of teeth on a piranha, and learn about the critical, life-sustaining role that water plays on Earth.
Lindy in the Park: Free Outdoor Swing Dance | Golden Gate Park
Every Sunday
Golden Gate Park | JFK Drive at 8th Ave., Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
Get ready to swing in Golden Gate Park every sunny Sunday at “Lindy in the Park” – a weekly free event near the de Young Museum when the streets of Golden Gate Park are closed to traffic and the dancers take over. 11:00 am to 2:00 pm | Cost: FREE Lindy in the Park takes place every Sunday – even on holidays (except when it’s raining) – so even if New Year’s Day, Christmas, Fourth of July falls on a Sunday, they’ll be out there dancing! Free Beginners Swing Lessons - Noon to 12:30pm Lindy in the park offers a free weekly beginning swing dance lesson, taught by Hep Jen – the lessons are short, easy and fun and then you can practice your new steps with the whole group until 2pm. No partner is required, as they rotate leaders and followers throughout the lesson.
Wax Museum at Fisherman’s Wharf
The Wax Museum in the heart of San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf is home to over 250 internationally personalities. A millennium of history is represented in fabulous scenes from the birth of Christ through the most dramatic milestones in man’s history. As one of the world’s largest wax museums, this San Francisco attraction endeavors to show life in all its aspects from A to Z – Artists to Zombies!