Top 35 Attractions in San Francisco

San Francisco started out as a city of adventurers obsessed with the glitz of the Gold Rush and the opportunity to get rich instantly. From a small settlement of Yerba Buena, it has grown into a large modern city, which today attracts thousands of tourists.

Unfortunately, everything that was built before 1906 has practically not been preserved. As a result of a large-scale earthquake, the old San Francisco ceased to exist. But gradually a new one began to appear - with magnificent squares, business districts and huge parks.

There are many amazing places in the city - this is Pier 39 with a colony of California lions that settled right in the city, and a mysterious prison island, and a group of miraculously surviving Victorian mansions. In a word, everyone can find an attraction to their taste.

What to see and where to go in San Francisco?

The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.

Golden Gate Bridge

The main transport artery of Northern California and a recognizable symbol of San Francisco. The Golden Gate Bridge was opened to traffic in 1937. The design fell in love not only with motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. Many filmmakers have filmed the Golden Gate in their films. Grandiose flying spans of red color can be seen in the films "Interview with the Vampire", "Terminator 4", "Superman" and others. The bridge was designed by D. Strauss, I. Morrow and C. Ellis. The length of the structure is 2737 meters, the width is 27 meters.

Alcatraz

Former prison on an island in San Francisco Bay. This place became famous for the fact that well-known and especially dangerous criminals were kept under the strictest guard. Until the closure in 1963, not a single person managed to escape from Alcatraz and survive. In 1969, the island was occupied by Indian leaders who protested against the government and believed that the Americans had occupied their rightful lands by force. Alcatraz has now been turned into a museum.

Presidio of San Francisco

San Francisco Bay Park, next to the Golden Gate Bridge. At the end of the 18th century, Spanish fortifications were located on this site. Then for more than 200 years this territory was occupied by a military base. And in 1994, a national park was arranged here. The park has trails for walking and cycling. The most popular is the trail along the coast.

cable car

Historic public transport that began operating in 1873. The cable car moves like a funicular along a cable car, that is, the engine is not in the car itself, but in the depot at the substation. Now this transport is used more as a tourist attraction, but the system is capable of transporting up to 7 million passengers a year. In the middle of the 20th century, there was a serious struggle to preserve the historical line, as a result, after several reconstructions, it was decided to leave the tram.

Union Square

One of the central squares of San Francisco, located in the district of the same name. It is surrounded by huge shopping centers, boutiques, hotels, souvenir shops, restaurants, salons and galleries. Life here is in full swing around the clock and does not stop for a minute. The square is the starting point for exploring the city; locals arrange dates and business meetings here.

Girardelli Square

The famous square of the city, which has become a symbol of renewal. At the end of the 19th century, a cloth factory was located on this site, then a chocolate factory. Renovation of the square began in 1962, when William Roth bought the entire block and organized the redevelopment of the square. Currently, it is a restaurant and shopping complex. The former clock tower houses the Fairmont Heritage Place Hotel.

Lombard Street

A picturesque street, or rather, a 400-meter section of the highway, located on the Russian Hill. Lombard Street is famous for being in the shape of a winding ribbon that descends to the highway at a rather steep angle. For cars, this is a rather difficult section of the road, for tourists it is an interesting sight like an attraction. The pavement of the street is made of red brick, green lawns are planted along the edges.

Golden Gate Park

A city park with a rather vast territory (the area is about 400 hectares), which starts in the city center and ends on the ocean coast. Inside there are artificial lakes, hills, islands, waterfalls, dunes, plains, and there are also several museums. The park has all the conditions for sports, walking, cycling and just relaxing. In terms of attendance, the Golden Gate is second only to New York's Central Park.

Painted ladies

A group of Victorian houses that survived the 1906 earthquake. The attraction is located on the territory of the elite urban quarter of Nob Hill. The name “Painted Ladies” was given to the houses due to their architecture and bright exterior painting, which B. Kardum worked on in 1963. Picturesque wooden facades of buildings are decorated with balconies, towers, verandas and other architectural delights.

Fisherman's Wharf

Tourist port area, which is famous for the abundance of fish restaurants, shops, museums. Ferries to Alcatraz leave from here, as well as a cable car line. During the Gold Rush, Fisherman's Wharf became a habitat for unfortunate gold miners who began to fish for a living in order to somehow feed themselves. The area is home to the Marine Historical Park.

Pier 39

A marina with a wide range of entertainment options, a popular vacation spot for visitors and residents of San Francisco. Pier 39's main attraction is the California sea lion rookery. Special wooden platforms have been built for animals in the water, on which they rest and bask in the sun in whole flocks. In total, about 1,500 lions live in the pier area, they first appeared in the bay in 1989.

Chinatown

Bright and colorful Chinatown with traditional red lanterns and pagodas. Chinatown is not only a place of residence for immigrants from the Middle Kingdom, but also a popular tourist attraction. The area began to take shape in the middle of the 19th century, it became home to numerous Chinese refugees from Guangdong. Over more than 150 years of history, the quarter has grown and acquired its own infrastructure.

Quarter Castro

A small urban area where a large number of representatives of sexual minorities live. On the streets of the quarter, rainbow flags of the LGBT community are hung everywhere. Local attractions are dedicated to the history of the emergence and development of the gay movement, as well as its struggle for equality. There is the Museum of LGBT History, the famous gay club Twin Peaks with glass walls, the Pink Triangle Park.

Grace Cathedral

The construction of the temple began in 1906 after an earthquake and continued for more than 50 years. Due to the seismic instability of the territory, the architect had to abandon additional elements of the facade decoration, as they could collapse during a natural disaster. The interior of the cathedral is made in the Neo-Gothic style with numerous stained-glass windows, frescoes and massive bronze gates.

Palace of Fine Arts

The building is located on the shore of an artificial lake. It is not a palace in the literal sense, the construction is an open arched white stone colonnade surrounded by a picturesque park. In fact, the Palais des Beaux-Arts is a more durable replica of the 1915 exhibit called the Tower of Gems. The design was so loved by the people of San Francisco that they called it a palace and decided to keep it for the city.

Palace of the Legion of Honor

The museum is located in Lincoln Park. Built in 1922-1924 by magnate Spekels. He and his wife have amassed a unique collection of art and historical items. The earliest exhibits of antiquity date back to the 4th century BC. Artistic works form the core of the museum's collection. Including, these are the works of El Greco, Rubens, Monet.

Cable Car Museum

The cable car is a hybrid of cable car, funicular and tram. The museum of this unusual vehicle is located in the building of the current depot. In it you can see the types of cable cars of different times, see how the cable moves. The first wagons are also on display in the museum. The history of the creation and development of the cable car is presented in the form of a photo gallery.

Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)

The largest museum on the West Coast of the United States and the second most popular in the entire country. The works of contemporary artists who worked in the XX-XXI centuries are exhibited here. Among the exhibits there are works by Pollock, Klee, Matisse, Saarinen, Warhol and other eminent masters. The gallery was opened in 1935, in 1995 an original modern building was built for it according to the project of M. Bott.

Science Museum Exploratorium

Interactive exposition founded by experimental physicist F. Oppenheimer in 1969. Some visitors call it the "mad scientist museum". Oppenheimer himself could not hold academic positions after being accused of un-American activities. He took a job as a high school science teacher. At this time, he made many experiments to study the properties of the environment and materials, which became the blanks for the future museum.

de Young Museum

The exposition is located on the territory of the Golden Gate Park. Its founder was M. de Young, a journalist for a local news agency. The exhibition halls house a collection of objects and works of art belonging to the period of the 17th - 21st centuries. - paintings, clothes, furniture and more. Basically, the exhibits were collected in North and South America, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.

California Academy of Sciences

Museum of Natural History, which is also a serious scientific organization. The academy was founded in the middle of the 19th century. The team is engaged in educational work, organizing exhibitions and conducting scientific research in various fields, which include marine botany, ichthyology, ornithology, paleontology, anthropology and other disciplines.

Museum of Asian Art

The exposition is housed in a building that previously belonged to the Public Library. The museum presents exhibits brought from various parts of the Asian region. The gallery also has a shop where you can buy jewelry, Chinese porcelain, silk and various antiques. There are free guided tours around the museum.

Walt Disney Family Museum

The museum was opened to the public in 2009 thanks to the efforts of the daughter of a famous cartoonist. The building is located in the Presidio Park. Here is a collection of personal belongings of W. Disney, his sketches and sketches, models and other exhibits. One of the walls of the building where the exhibition is located is made of glass. Thanks to this, you can admire the picturesque views of the San Francisco Bay.

Maritime National Historical Park

Museum located in the open air in the bay. It includes several objects: a library, the museum itself, a marina and a visitor center. The exposition is devoted to the history of shipbuilding and navigation, as well as some events of the US naval history. On the pier you can look at the historical ships of the XIX-XX centuries. The museum library contains ancient documents - drawings, archives and maps.

city ​​hall

The building of the city hall in 1915, built in the elegant architectural style of the Beauzar, designed by A. Brown, Jr. The structure is crowned with a monumental dome, the interior is dominated by marble decoration, statues of the mayors of San Francisco are installed in the corridors. Excursions around the City Hall are organized for tourists, or you can go inside on your own - admission is free on weekdays.

ferry building

The largest market in San Francisco, which is very popular among tourists. Retail space is located in the building of the ferry station, which is located in the central part of San Francisco. In addition to shops with a large selection of drinks and quality products, the market has cafes, counters with ready-made food and outlets with products from local farms.

transamerica

Pyramid skyscraper, the tallest building in San Francisco. The building was completed in the 1970s. The tower reaches a height of 260 meters, 48 ​​floors are placed in it, where offices and various commercial premises are located. Every day, 1.5 thousand people come to work here. Tourists cannot climb to the top of the tower, as only the first floor is open for free access.

Coit Tower

The building is located on top of Telegraph Hill. The tower is an architectural monument of a difficult period in US history - the Great Depression (1930s). Inside, the walls of the buildings are painted with frescoes showing the current topics of those years: economic difficulties, unemployment, social protest. There are even drawings showing sympathy for communist ideas.

Westfield San Francisco Center

Shopping center and entertainment complex located in the central part of San Francisco. The interior of the building is made in a somewhat pompous style for such a place, many of the structures are decorated with gilding and finished with marble. More than 170 shops of the highest price category and several expensive restaurants are located inside the mall. Westfield opened in 1988.

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Baseball stadium, which is located in one of the suburbs of San Francisco. It is an important sports facility and a popular tourist attraction. The arena is home to the San Francisco Giants (a member of the US Major League Baseball). AT

Japanese tea garden

A traditional Japanese-style garden located within the Golden Gate City Park. In 1894, it was a temporary exhibit at the World Exhibition, but then turned into a permanent garden. M. Hagiwara, an emigrant gardener from Japan, took care of the park for a long time. Thanks to his work, visitors can admire picturesque alleys, pagodas, streams, cherry blossoms, arched bridges and stone statues.

Twin Peaks

A hill with an observation deck offering a breathtaking panoramic view of the city. There is a natural park on the slopes. It is best to come to the site before sunset. At this time, the sun's rays flood San Francisco with golden light and bright reflections play in the waters of the bay. According to many tourists, no skyscraper observation deck can compare with Twin Peaks.

Lands End Trail

A footpath at the "end of the earth" - this is the name of the tip of San Francisco from the northwest. The trail is laid through thickets of cypress and eucalyptus along the winding cliffs of the ocean. It offers a picturesque view of the main attractions of the area - the Pacific Ocean, the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. The trail is laid far from civilized places, so it is not recommended to leave it. Wildlife can be dangerous.

Ocean Beach

A beach on the Pacific Ocean, located in the western extreme part of the Golden Gate Park. The Great Highway stretches along the beach. The water in this place is quite cool, and in summer there can be fogs at a temperature of only 9 ° C. It is better to visit the beach in late autumn or early spring. Ocean Beach is the most attractive for surfing, but there are often dangerous currents here.

Baker Beach

A small beach 800 meters long, located in the northwestern part of San Francisco. It's great for hiking, barbecuing or sunbathing, but the water is too cold for swimming. From the beach, the Golden Gate Bridge is perfectly visible, framed by picturesque coastal hills. Baker Beach is quite popular among nudists; the north side of the beach is specially reserved for them.