Top 5 Attractions in Fisherman’s Wharf
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One of San Francisco's most popular tourist attractions, Fisherman's Wharf draws millions of visitors each year. It's no surprise as the waterside neighbourhood offers a wide array of enticements: historic ships, sunbathing sea lions, nostalgic arcade games, and stunning Golden Gate Bridge views, not to mention various quintessentially San Franciscan cuisine.
With the deluge of souvenir shops and kitschy museums, it's easy to fall into a tourist trap so stick to these top five attractions to ensure a great experience.
1. Historic Ships
Historic ships docked at the Hyde Street Pier and Pier 45 include a steam-driven ferryboat that once carried passengers between San Francisco and Tiburon, a steel-hulled Scottish square-rigger that made 17 journeys around Cape Horn, and the S.S. Jeremiah O’Brien, which participated in the D-Day Normandy Invasion. You’ll also see two schooners, a steam tug, a paddlewheel tug, and the USS Pampanito submarine.
2. Musée Mécanique
Pier 45's Shed A houses this nostalgic collection of some 300 vintage penny-arcade games and mechanical devices. Think slot machines, hand-cranked music boxes, coin-operated pianos, and fortune-tellers so bring a handful of quarters and explore.
3. Pier 39
Pier 39 is great for travellers with kids in tow. Skip the stores on the wood-plank plazas, and head straight to the colourful, hand-painted vintage carousel. Then swing to the pier’s northwest side to try and catch sight of sunbathing sea lions. The creatures, who have long called this spot home, mysteriously disappeared in late 2009 and seem to have popped up in Oregon, so cross your fingers they come back! You can also spy on sharks, fish, and other sea creatures at the Aquarium of the Bay’s underwater glass tunnel.
4. Seafood, Sourdough, and Something Sweet
Fisherman’s Wharf offers a prime opportunity to sample San Francisco specialties. Fresh local seafood is in high supply, as local fishermen sell their morning’s catch on nearby Fish Alley. For tangy sourdough bread, pop into Boudin Cafe, a company that has been in the business of baking sourdough bread since 1849 (don’t miss the specially shaped loaves-- crocodiles, turtles, bears, and more!). For decadent sundaes, truffles, and other chocolatey concoctions, Ghirardelli Square’s is the place to go. Or cap off your explorations with a drink at Buena Vista Café, which claims to have invented the Irish coffee in 1952.
5. Powell-Hyde Cable Car
Across the street from the Buena Vista Café, the city’s legendary cable cars can be seen in Victorian Park, at Larkin and Beach Streets. There the Powell-Hyde line picks up passengers every 15 minutes or so, taking them to Union Square, via Russian Hill, Nob Hill, and Chinatown. One ticket costs $6.
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