City Page Type: Destination

The Presidio is a really interesting location for history buffs. The earliest visitors to the area date back to the arrival of the Spanish in 1776. Eventually, the area fell under Mexican rule for 24 years before the U.S. Army took control in 1846. For the next 148 years, the military transformed the Presidio of San Francisco from windswept dunes into the region’s preeminent military post. The park was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1962 and it has officially been part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area since 1994. Visitors to the Presidio can engage in a variety of activities. After getting oriented with the park at the Presidio Visitor Center, you have the option to hike to a scenic overlook of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay, learn more about the park’s history at the Presidio Officers’ Club, smell bouquets of native wildflowers at Crissy Marsh, or simply enjoy a family picnic and Frisbee toss on the Main Parade Ground.

Originally built in the late 1970s, Pier 39 has always served locals and tourists alike with a sprawling selection of shopping, places to eat and play, sightsee, and watch the sea lions laze about on the docks. Rarely a day goes by when there isn’t something going on here, especially when considering its seasonal events, performances, art installations, 7D theatre, and the Aquarium of the Bay. Pier 39 is also a hub for a huge amount of tours and activities both wet and dry. There are just as many boat rides, sailing activities and whale sighting tours that take you out over the water as there are guided bike rides. But why should you venture elsewhere when there’s more than enough to see immediately around the pier? Activities for the kids like its Mirror Maze or ornate Carousel will keep the kiddies busy while you enjoy some wine tastings and views of islands and the unforgettable Golden Gate Bridge.

In 1915, the city of San Francisco was still recovering from the devastation of the earthquake and subsequent fires less than a decade earlier. At a time of turmoil for the city and the world abroad, San Francisco’s city leaders developed a plan to encourage trade and demonstrate how a rebuilt San Francisco would play an active role in the international community for years to come. The Palace of Fine Arts Theatre was designed by Bernard R. Maybeck. He based the design for the Palace on his impression of a Roman ruin. With its soaring colonnade, grand rotunda, and carefully constructed pond, Maybeck’s design was meant to invoke quiet sadness and solemnity. True to his vision, the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre fell into ruin for a number of years after the Exposition, but it was rebuilt in 1965. The lagoon and walkways were renovated in 2009, at which time the whole site also received a modern seismic retrofit.

A 42,000-seat stadium situated right on the foggy shores of the San Francisco Bay, Oracle Park has quickly become a top location for baseball fans since it first opened in 2000. With an average attendance of 3.3 million spectators that places it in the top three stadiums for viewing America’s Favorite Pastime. Locals may remember this stadium as the original home to the San Francisco 49ers, when the space was originally home to a multi-use version of its former self. However, true Giants fans will know the place well: With features named after the baseball greats of yore like Willie Mays, Barry Bonds, and Willie McCovey, Oracle Park is a fresh structure that’s been built on hallowed grounds. For example, the China Basin located just beyond its right field has been renamed the McCovey Cove after the player of the same name knocked more than his fair shares of home runs into it.

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is home to an international array of artwork both modern and contemporary that first began in 1935 and was regarded as California’s flagship in art until similar institutions were opened in Los Angeles in the late 1980s. Housing works by great household names both national and international like Matisse, Duchamp, Warhol, and Pollock (the last of which held his first museum show here), the main museum has expanded three times since it first opened with the addition of a design by architect Mario Botta, a rooftop garden, and an expansion designed by Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta. That last expansion was the museum’s most ambitious, opening in 2016 and growing its space by 235,000 square feet. Over half a million visitors walk through its collections every year.

This famously steep street in San Francisco, with its eight hairpin turns, is claimed to be “the crookedest street in the world”. It’s a famous attraction in the city, seeing upwards of as many as 17,000 visitors per day in the peak summer season. Built in 1922, its notorious design was made to reduce the hill’s original steep quality of a natural 27% grade; way too steep for most vehicles. Despite that discouraging quality, Lombard Street has been host to many car chase scenes in film, like Bullitt starring Steve McQueen and Hitchcock’s Vertigo, in addition to being featured more sombrely in popular television shows, like Full House. Lombard Street stretches from The Presidio in the east—a former U.S. military fort and part of the sprawling San Francisco Recreational Area—and The Embarcadero in the west, a reclaimed three mile-long stretch of seawall. Standing on its and looking down to the east provides a beautiful view of Telegraph Hill and Coit Tower.

Looked to for football at both the premier college and national levels in the San Francisco Bay area, Levi’s Stadium’s maximum capacity of 75,000 fans was stacked when it hosted Super Bowl 50 in 2016. It’s not only used for football either; the stadium had hosted as many as 83,000 when it hosted The Grateful Dead’s Fare Thee Well Tour in 2015. Whatever your preference for events, the scope of Levi’s Stadium’s space has been home to all kinds of entertainments that range from pro wrestling to ice hockey and top tier soccer matches. A considerable achievement when taking into account that it only opened in 2014. There’s a lot to do see and do aside from main events as well. Fans of the 49ers will appreciate a visit to the in-house museum guided tours and field trips for grades K to 8. There’s a team store to supply fans with all of the appropriate hometown swag, as well as the Bourbon steakhouse for the quintessential American steakhouse experience.

The Legion of Honor is part of San Francisco’s series of Fine Arts Museums. This particular collection features art from more than 4,000 years of history. The building itself was designed in the French neoclassical tradition and is a sight to behold. The museum lies within the boundaries of Lincoln Park, which also contains several other memorials and multiple viewpoints from which you can see the Golden Gate bridge.    The California Palace of the Legion of Honor was actually a gift from Alma de Bretteville Spreckels. Having visited the city in 1915, Alma was inspired by the French pavilion built for the city’s Panama Pacific International Exposition. Her inspiration was enough to convince her husband, Adolph B. Spreckels to design a new art museum for the city in the image of the original pavilion.    Several events delayed both the design and construction phases, but the Legion of Honor was eventually completed in 1924. The museum contains a number of profound art exhibitions and consistently updates their collection to display some of the most impressive collections of the times. The museum also offers Free Saturdays, during which visitors can enjoy a variety of engaging art experiences. 

The International Art Museum of America is on a mission to “engage the local community with the greater world.” They do this by creating space for reflection and change and providing an art experience that creates dialogue around diverse cultures. It was founded in 2011 by H. H. Dorje Chang Buddha III who claims to be a reincarnation of the Buddha Vajradhara. At its inception, the International Art Museum of America only featured the works of this renowned Chinese artist but now includes art from around the globe. It has since become a place of peaceful reflection and international exhibits. The museum’s director, Dyana Curreri-Ermatinger, appeared in an interview with Huffington Post to deny speculations that the museum was part of a cult. Museum visitors are welcomed by a permanent garden installation with a pond, waterfall, imitation rock formations, a gazebo, and a tree house sculpture by artist Steve Blanchard.

The Hard Rock Cafe in San Francisco offers a one-of-a-kind rock n’ roll experience. They have more than 250 pieces of music memorabilia on display and also celebrate the latest music and videos throughout. The Hard Rock in SF hosts live music sessions every Thursday evening from 6-8pm. Local bands perform and a variety of local craft breweries are available on tap. A percentage of the sales from each Thursday is also donated to a local Bay Area music non-profit. Hard Rock Cafe in San Francisco is also open for breakfast if your group wants to get an early start exploring the piers and Fisherman’s Wharf. Whether you need to keep the fun going with endless mimosas or just want to enjoy a great selection of omelets, the Hard Rock can satisfy your morning cravings. Breakfast is served from 8-11am everyday and certain days feature Acoustic Breakfasts, with live performances by local artists.