San Francisco guide
Things to do in San Francisco
Things to do in San Francisco: start with Alcatraz Island, Asian Art Museum, and California Academy of Sciences. Use the 246 places below to build a plan around this theme; each place has source-backed details behind its description.
246 places
Places to start with
Source-backed place · Parks and outdoors
Salesforce Park
A stunning 5.4-acre living roof atop the Salesforce Transit Center, featuring botanical gardens, a redwood forest, and dancing fo…
Source-backed place · Parks and outdoors
San Francisco Botanical Garden
A lush 55-acre sanctuary in Golden Gate Park featuring nearly 9,000 plant species, specialized collections of magnolias and cloud…
Source-backed place · Museums
San Francisco Cable Car Museum
A free museum located in the historic Washington-Mason powerhouse, showcasing the machinery and history of San Francisco's iconic…
Source-backed place · Landmarks
San Francisco Cable Car turnaround at Taylor and Bay
The northern terminus of the historic Powell-Mason cable car line, featuring manually powered turntables used to reverse the cars…
Source-backed place · Landmarks
San Francisco City Hall
Known as the People's Palace, this National Historic Landmark serves as San Francisco's seat of government and features one of No…
Source-backed place · Parks and outdoors
Telegraph Hill / Pioneer Park
A historic 4.89-acre public park crowning Telegraph Hill, home to the iconic Coit Tower and the Pioneer Monument, offering panora…
Source-backed place · Landmarks
The Embarcadero
A scenic waterfront boulevard stretching from the Ferry Building to Pier 39, featuring historic piers, the Vaillancourt Fountain,…
Source-backed place · History
The Grateful Dead House
A purple Victorian home at 710 Ashbury Street that served as the communal residence for the Grateful Dead during the peak of the…
Source-backed place · Parks and outdoors
Tunnel Tops Outpost / Field Station
A vibrant 14-acre elevated park serving as the 'front door' to the Presidio, featuring the interactive Field Station curiosity la…
Source-backed place · Museums
Walt Disney Family Museum
Located in the historic Presidio, this nonprofit museum explores the life and legacy of Walt Disney through personal artifacts an…
Source-backed place · Theaters and music
War Memorial Opera House
A Beaux-Arts landmark built in 1932, this grand venue serves as the prestigious home for the San Francisco Opera and the San Fran…
Source-backed place · Parks and outdoors
Yerba Buena Gardens
A three-block urban oasis in the cultural heart of San Francisco, featuring landscaped lawns, public art, and free community perf…
Source-backed place · History
24th Street historic commercial corridor
The vibrant heart of San Francisco's Latino community, this historic corridor features the city's largest mural collection, over…
Source-backed place · Museums
826 Valencia
A creative nonprofit hub in the Mission District, 826 Valencia supports youth writing through free tutoring and its whimsical, fu…
Source-backed place · Museums
African-American Art & Culture Complex
A premier Black arts institution in the historic Fillmore District, featuring galleries, a theater, and community programming ded…
Source-backed place · Viewpoints
Alamo Square viewpoint to City Hall
A hilltop viewpoint in the Western Addition offering a iconic juxtaposition of pastel Victorian homes and the modern downtown San…
Source-backed place · Theaters and music
American Conservatory Theater
A Tony Award-winning nonprofit theater company in San Francisco, ACT presents a mix of classical and contemporary productions whi…
Source-backed place · Public art
Andy Goldsworthy's Earth Wall
A striking 2014 installation by Andy Goldsworthy, blending natural eucalyptus branches and rammed earth to explore archaeology an…
Source-backed place · Public art
Andy Goldsworthy's Tree Fall
A striking indoor art installation by Andy Goldsworthy, featuring a clay-covered eucalyptus branch suspended within the historic…
Source-backed place · Museums
Aquarium of the Bay
A Smithsonian-affiliated public aquarium at Pier 39 focusing on the diverse aquatic life of the San Francisco Bay and its watersh…
Bookable Eventbrite
Source-backed place · Landmarks
Aquatic Park
A unique recreational waterfront park where the city meets the bay, featuring a semi-protected cove for swimming, kayaking, and s…
Source-backed place · Viewpoints
Aquatic Park Cove
A historic urban harbor and National Historic Landmark, this protected cove serves as a tranquil gateway for swimming, kayaking,…
Source-backed place · History
Aquatic Park Historic District
A National Historic Landmark on the San Francisco waterfront, this unique district features a protected cove, a historic bathhous…
Source-backed place · Museums
Balclutha
A majestic 1886 three-masted square-rigged cargo vessel and National Historic Landmark, serving as a floating museum of the era w…
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