San Francisco Points of Interest
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Robert Ferguson Observatory is located in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in Kenwood, north of Sonoma. The observatory is available for public use. Docents from the Valley of the Moon Observatory Association are on hand to assist with the use of several large telescopes. See the rings around Saturn, the dark spot on Jupiter, a distant colorful nebula and much more.
Robert Ferguson Observatory
2605 Adobe Canyon Road
Kenwood, CA 95452
(707) 833-6979
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Alcatraz Prison is located on Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco bay. Once the home of notorious criminals like Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly, Alcatraz is now closed except to tourists. Ferry trips can be caught from Fisherman's Wharf several times per day. The tour is self-guided with headsets. Also known as 'The Rock', there were no successful escape attempts during its 30 years of service between 1934 to 1963. Advance reservation is recommended through Blue & Gold Fleet.
TIP: Consider the night tours for a creepier experience.
Alcatraz Prison via Fisherman's Wharf
Pier 41
San Francisco, California 94133
(415) 705-5555
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Lombard Street Starts at the intersections of Hyde and Lombard at the top of the hill. This one block stretch is proclaimed as the crookedest street in San Francisco. Lombard is one-way only. Traffic can sometimes back up a block or two with tourists waiting to go down. Try entering Lombard a block or two west of Hyde at Polk or even Larkin Streets. It's worth the wait to go down this street and it's guaranteed to bring a smile to all your passengers. Watching from below is also entertaining as you see so many tourists having fun with such a simple attraction.
Lombard Street
corner of Hyde and Lombard Streets
San Francisco, California 94109
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Coit Tower is located in Pioneer Park near Columbus Avenue and Lombard Street. Standing 210 feet high atop Telegraph Hill on San Francisco's east side, Coit Tower offers visitors a chance to view the city in a full 360-degree unobstructed view. The tower was built in 1933 as a tribute to San Francisco firefighters. Construction was funded by Lillie Hitchcock Coit, a wealthy San Francisco resident with an affinity for her city and the S.F. Fire Department. Today it is a major tourist attraction with visitors often backing up traffic in search of parking. Within the tower is a gift shop and murals that were painted on the interior walls during the depression-era. An elevator carries visitors to the top for a small fee. Parking is available at the top of the hill but the wait can sometimes hover around an hour. Consider parking at Washington Square Park and taking the #39 bus to the top of Telegraph Hill. Even though there is an elevator, wheelchair access is limited.
Coit Tower
1 Telegraph Hill Boulevard
San Francisco, California 94133
(415) 362-0808
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Chinatown consists of several blocks south of Fisherman's Wharf off of Columbus Avenue. This is the largest chinese community on the west coast. The Chinese originally settled here after escaping oppression in their own country during the mid-1800's. They became an integral part of the gold rush era where they worked hard and for low wages. Visit Chinatown for souvenirs and authentic chinese food.
Chinatown
Grant Avenue & Stockton Street
San Francisco, California 94133
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Anchor Steam Brewery is located between the 80 and 280 Highways on Mariposa Street. The brewery was named for the steam effect that occurs after fermentation caused by their unique brewing method. Call ahead for a tour of this award winning brewery and then stop by the tasting room for some great handcrafted beer.
Anchor Brewing Company
1705 Mariposa Street
San Francisco, California 94107
(415) 863-8350
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Golden Gate Park begins on the western edge of the city and stretches over 1000 acres through the city. This historic park is the Central Park of the west coast. A plethora of sites and activities are available within the park's boundaries including museums, lakes, recreational areas, a historic lodge & carousel, horseback riding, a microbrewery restaurant and too much more to list.
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California 94121
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Pacific Heights by tour or on your own. This area of San Francisco offers the most beautiful collection of Victorian homes in the entire city. Turrets, gables and gingerbread adorn these colorful mansions that are owned by San Francisco's elite and offer outstanding views of the San Francisco Bay. These 'Painted Ladies' were originally built and owned by bankers, mine owners and others that reaped the rewards of the 1849 Gold Rush.
Pacific Heights
Iris and Euclid Avenues
San Francisco, California 94121
(415) 252-9485
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Twin Peaks is an area of higher elevation on the south side of San Francisco that offers panoramic views of the entire Bay Area. A short windy road leads to the top where you'll find parking, quarter telescopes and plenty of ocean breezes. This is considered a 'must see' by many Bay Area tour operators.
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks Boulevard
San Francisco, California 94114
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Tiled Steps is a long, 163-step staircase that is covered in a colorful display of mosaic tiles. Completed in 2004, this is one of the newest points-of-interest in San Francisco and was conceived when locals sought to beautify an unsightly stretch of concrete stairs in their neighborhood. Local artists designed the pattern and from there, over 300 residents and businesses worked for over two years to create this work of art for public use. The staircase leads from the community below to Grand View Park where spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Pacific Ocean can be found.
Tiled Steps
Moraga Street & 16th Avenue
San Francisco, California 94114
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Haight Ashbury is located southwest of Fisherman's Wharf at the intersections of Haight and Ashbury Streets. Refered to locally as 'The Haight', this was the heart of the 1960's hippy movement. Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and many more famous people and musicians all spent time here during the 60's. Now it is an eclectic assortment of head shops, drag boutiques, aroma therapy salons and free spirited people. This would be the place to get an authentic tie-dye shirt.
WARNING: This can be a seedy area after dark due to the still prevalent drug influence. We don't recommend being here after dark.
The Haight
Haight & Ashbury Streets
San Francisco, California 94117
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Nike Missile Sites are decommissioned antiaircraft missile command centers from the Cold War Era that are located throughout the Bay Area. For two decades following WWII, the Nike missiles protected our nation's borders from enemy aircraft until finally taken out of service in 1979. Site SF-88L at Fort Barry has been restored and offers tours to the public of a museum, launch pads and command center. Some disabled Nike missiles remain and can be viewed on the tour.
SF-88L Nike Missile Site
Fort Barry
Sausalito, California 94965
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Winchester Mystery House is a Victorian home constructed by the heiress of the notorious Winchester Rifle founder. Sarah Winchester believed she was haunted by the people that Winchester rifles had killed over the years and she needed to continue building on the home in order to avoid being harmed by these ghosts. Thirty-eight years later, the result is a 160 room Victorian mansion displaying Tiffany windows, gold and silver chandeliers and exquisite carpentry. The carpentry also borders on bizarre with doors in the floor, staircases that lead to dead ends, and unfinished room additions throughout the property. Guided tours are held daily and events include Friday the 13th flashlight tours.
Winchester Mystery House
525 South Winchester Boulevard
San Jose, California 95128
(408) 247-2101
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