Alcatraz
No visit to San Francisco would be complete without a visit to America's most famous prison. No one has ever escaped from ""the Rock"" to tell the tale. This prison housed some of America's most feared criminals in the middle of San Francisco bay. Closed for over several decades, Alcatraz is one of San Francisco's most visited attractions. Visitors tour the island and get a taste of life ""on the inside.""

Palace Of Fine Arts
3601 Lyon Street (Adjacent to the Exploratorium)
415-567-6642
San Francisco's rococo Palace of Fine Arts is at the western end of the Marina. The palace is the sole survivor of the many tinted plaster, lath and chicken wire buildings built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, the world's fair that celebrated San Francisco's recovery from the 1906 earthquake and fire. The Palace of Fine Arts was recast in concrete and reopened in 1967.

Exploratorium
Inside the Palace of Fine Arts is the city's science museum.
Baker and Beach Sts.
The Exploratorium has a camera on top of their roof that brings live images from the Marina, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Palace of Fine Arts and many more attractions.
For information on upcoming exhibits, call 415 EXP-LORE.

Golden Gate Park Windmills
The Campaign to Save the Golden Gate Park Windmills is a public and private fundraising campaign spearheaded by a group of concerned citizens to restore the two windmills located at the western end of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park and develop the area into a new San Francisco destination for education and recreation.

Chinese Historical Society of America
644 Broadway, Suite 401
415-391-1188
Documents the role of the Chinese in the settlement of San Francisco and the West through a series of exhibits.

Cable Car Barn & Museum
Visitors come here to learn about one of San Francisco's most enduring icons, the cable car. Displays on the history of San Francisco's cable cars include information on how they work, how they developed, and how they are built.
1201 Mason/Washington (M,5)
(415) 474-1887

San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art
151 3rd St.
415-357-4000.
Admission charged, but free 1st Tues. of each month and 1/2-price entry Thurs. 6-9. Memorial Day-Labor Day, Fri.-Tues. 10-6, Thurs. 10-9; Labor Day-Memorial Day, Fri.-Tues. 11-6, Thurs. 11-9
The architect Mario Botta designed the striking facility, completed in early 1995, which consists of a sienna brick facade and a central tower of alternating bands of black and white stone.

Yerba Buena Gardens
Between 3rd, 4th, Mission, and Folsom Sts
Sunrise-10 PM.
The two block heart of the South of Market Street redevelopment area includes the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the Sony Metreon entertainment complex, and the Moscone Center convention facilities.

California Palace Of The Legion Of Honor
34th Ave. at Clement St. 
415-863-3330 for 24-hr information.
Spectacularly situated on cliffs overlooking the ocean and the Marin Headlands, this landmark building is a fine repository of European art. The lower-level galleries exhibit prints and drawings, English and European porcelain, and ancient Assyrian, Greek, Roman, and Egyptian art. The 20-plus galleries on the upper level are devoted to European art from the 14th century to the present. Two galleries are devoted to the  Rodin collection, and a third with works by him and other 19th-century sculptors. An original cast of Rodin's The Thinker welcomes the visitor in  the courtyard.

Chinatown
Some of San Francisco's first immigrants were from China, and they're influence on the city is notable. Chinatown has grown over the years, and is now a Mecca for Asian culture and cuisine. Visitors will enjoy the atmosphere, the history, and the contribution of this important group of San Francisco residents. From the original Chinese laundries, to the best Chinese food in the West, Chinatown has lots to offer everyone.

Asian Art Museum
415-668-8921 or 415-379-8801.
The museum's collection includes more than 12,000 sculptures, paintings, and ceramics from 40 countries, illustrating major periods of Asian art. On the first floor are special exhibitions as well as galleries dedicated to works from Korea and China. On the second floor are treasures from Iran, Turkey, Syria, India, Tibet, Nepal, Pakistan, India, Japan, Afghanistan, and Southeast Asia.

The Metreon
415-369-6000
SONY entertainment center at Fourth and Mission Streets in Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. The center features an interactive play space called: “Where the Wild Things Are”; an Adventure zone called Airtight Garage; and “The Way things Work in Mammoth 3-D”.

Ghirardelli Square
415-775-5500
Between Beach, Polk, Northpoint and Larkin Streets within walking distance of the Cannery and Fisherman's Wharf, this 2.5 acre site houses the former Ghiardelli Chocolate factory, a woolen mill, apartments, and other buildings that have been refurbished to house specialty shops, bakeries and international restaurants.  Many mimes and “human statues” perform next to the square.

Coit Tower
Telegraph Hill Blvd., at Greenwich St. or Lombard St.,
415-362-0808.
Among San Francisco's most distinctive skyline sights, the 210-ft-tall Coit Tower stands as a monument to the city's volunteer firefighters. From the Tower there is a spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge, the East Bay, and surrounding areas.

Golden Gate Bridge
This landmark is a symbol of San Francisco and the Bay Area. The Bridge is an architectural marvel, and is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. The two towers are purposely out of alignment in order to compensate for the curvature of the earth. It's orange shape is beautiful to behold, whether it is on a clear day, or peaking above the rolling fog of the bay.

California Academy of Sciences
in Golden Gate Park
415-750-7145
Daily 9-6 (Memorial Day weekend - Labor Day) 10-5 rest of the year.
Admission charged. Free to all first Wed. of the month.

Embarcadero Center
between Clay & Sacramento Sts. on Drum Street
800-733-6318
The Embarcadero Center is one of the most vital urban centers in San Francisco. It is a city in itself with five high rise towers and the Old Federal Reserve Bank building connected by elevated walks, escalators and stairways. More than 140 shops and restaurants are available to residents and office workers and to the numerous visitors. A five screen movie theater, luxury hotels, and the observation SkyDeck complete the picture. Live music and festivals are frequently found at the Center. In late November, 17,000 white lights are turned on to outline the towers.

Japan's Center
Boundaries are:  Post, Fillmore, Geary and Laguna Streets
415-922-6776
Underground parking is available.
A five acre complex containing Miyako Hotel; the offices of the Japanese consulate; and the Peace Pagoda which stands in the central plaza.  Music, dance, tea ceremonies, and martial arts presentations are given on many weekends.  Call for schedule of events and times.  The area has restaurants, shops, art galleries, movie theaters, and Japanese baths.

Hershey Factory & Visitor Center
Visitors enjoy free tours showing the process of making Hershey chocolate from cocoa beans to candy bars. The world of Hershey is vast, and guests get to see it all. Free samples of the end product are available.
120 South Sierra Ave., Oakdale.
(209) 848-8126

Nob Hill
between Clay, California, Jones and Powell Streets
415-391-2000
A century ago the railroad erected mansions, and today the wealthy live there in penthouses. Among the famous landmarks are the Fairmont and Mark Hopkins Hotels and the newer Renaissance Stanford Court: three of the most luxurious hotels in the world. Nearby Grace Cathedral is modeled after Notre Dame in Paris and Huntington Park contains a replica of the Tartarughe Fountain in Rome. Classical and art nouveau apartment buildings line the downtown side of the steep hill.

Japanese Tea Garden
8 th Avenue and Kennedy Drive
415-752-1171
Daily 9-6:30   (Mar-Sept)  9-5 (rest of the year).
Landscaped with bridges, walks, ponds, miniature waterfalls, statues, and pagodas.  The garden is spectacular when the cherry blossoms bloom in the Spring.

PIER 39
San Francisco's version of the old-fashioned boardwalk, this site features over 100 specialty shops, 10 restaurants and family attractions including Turbo Ride, the Venetian Carousel and the famous California sea lions.
Beach/Embarcadero (M, 2)
(415) 981-PIER

San Francisco Zoo
Sloat-Great Hwy.
415 753-7080
This world-renowned zoo is home to over 1,000 exotic, wild and domestic animals housed on dozens of acres. Be sure to visit the primate center, penguin island and the children's petting zoo.

Golden Gate Railroad Museum
Hunters Point Shipyard
822-8728
has one of the most extensive collections of historic, operating, railroad equipment in the west. Famous trains such as the Daylights, Overland Limited, Cascade, Sunset, Lark, Del Monte, California Zephyr and City of San Francisco are on display, as well as the museum's "star," steam engine SP 2472. The GGRM now offers Rent-A-Locomotive and special events programs allowing guests to actually operate a full sized locomotive.

Strybing Arboretum
9 th Avenue and Lincoln Way
415-661-1316
Mon-Fri. 8:30-4:30 Sat, Sun 10-5  Free guided tours daily at 1:30  Sat, Sun. 10:30. 
More than 7,000 species of plants from around the world are displayed.   Within the 70 acres are demonstration gardens, a Mediterranean collection, a New World cloud forest collection, the Garden of Fragrance for the visually impaired, and the Moonviewing Pavilion and waterfall.