Fun Things To Do In San Francisco
87Welcome to the City by the Bay!
I lived in San Francisco for a dozen years. I enjoyed going to street fairs and seeking out those quirky and unique events that you find only in San Francisco! I have never owned a car, so there will be lots of things reviewed that are perfect to get to on public transit or by bike or foot. Check out some recommended historic landmarks and unusual sights, and learn about the City by the Bay.
I suggest some good foot wear, a jacket, a backpack, a bottle of water and a camera if you like to take pictures of interesting sights. San Francisco is a great city to explore on foot if you have the time. If your visit is limited, just try to get out and explore a small area wherever you are staying.
Whether you are a resident or just visiting, there should be something on this Hub that you will find fun to do in San Francisco!
SF Travel Guides
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The History of San Francisco
- Barbary Coast, San Francisco, California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Barbary Coast was a neighborhood in San Francisco, California. The neighborhood began as a popular hangout for the rich during the California Gold Rush (1848 - 1858). It was known for gambling, prostitution and crime. - Emperor Norton
At the pre-emptory request of a large majority of the citizens of these United States, I Joshua Norton, formerly of Algoa Bay, Cape of Good Hope, and now for the last nine years and ten months past of San Fransisco, California... - Welcome To Cruisin The Castro
Take a walking tour through this colorful SF neighborhood and see where history was made! - The Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake
The California earthquake of April 18, 1906 ranks as one of the most significant earthquakes of all time. Today, its importance comes more from the wealth of scientific knowledge derived from it than from its sheer size.
- SUMI Restaurant - Castro
Fine Dining in the Castro, California Cuisine made fresh daily. Zagat winner: Best Cuisine in the Castro. - Magnolia - Haight St
This neighborhood pub brews its own beers and sodas, has a delicious menu and tastefully-trippy murals on the walls. - Firefly Restaurant - Noe Valley
Great homey recipes from a restaurant, excellent vegetarian and vegan options, nice atmosphere. - Park Chow - Inner Sunset
Great place to take family or friends, seasonal menu as well as constant favorites, delicious fresh pressed juices and wonderful fresh fish entrees. - Ton Kiang - Richmond District
Rocking dim sum, with lots of veggie options.
San Francisco Cuisine
If there's one thing that's just great about San Francisco, it's that there's tons of different places to eat all over the city and a lot of great food can be had easily. Someone once asked Wolfgang Puck if he liked his LA or SF restaurants better and he immediately said San Francisco because people there want to actually eat and not talk business and they don't ask for tons of changes to the dishes either.
Downtown at the Ferry Building, you'll find a thriving Farmer's Market with tons of fresh produce. Did you know that the Locavore movement where people are encouraged to eat food produced within 100 miles of where they live was born in the Bay Area?
If you head to the Mission District, you can find great Mexican food especially the infamous Mission-style burrito.
Down at Fisherman's Wharf, you can get two foods that are faves with locals and visitors alike: fresh crab and sourdough bread. Walking along the Embarcadero, you can enjoy fresh seafood that came out of the water just that morning, or maybe you'll pick something that's still alive and have it cooked up on the spot!
Ride a Cable Car With Rae!
San Francisco Fun For Kids!
- California Academy of Sciences
The Academy is the world's only institution to combine a museum, aquarium, planetarium, and world-class research and education programs in one facility. - Family Fun Around San Francisco
Kids Page - SFPL.org - San Francisco Children's Art Center
The San Francisco Children's Art Center is a non-profit organization that seeks to empower children and foster their sense of self through exploration of the artistic process. We offer Art Classes, Art Birthday Parties and Workshops for kids ages 1 t - Education Spotlight from the San Francisco Zoo
With their educational classes and programs, Zoo Camp, special overnights, Scout programs and school services, the SF Zoo has plenty to offer both family with children or school groups. - San Francisco Int'l Children's Film Festival
Showcasing short films made for children from around the world.
San Francisco Sock Exchange - part of the St Stupid's Day Parade
Culture and Variety
One of my favorite things abut San Francisco was the amount of culture and variety that came packed in such a small area. Being the tip of a peninsula, San Francisco can't really expand outwards, so it just has to keep adding in the diversity right on top of what's already there.
Chinatown and Little Italy border each other, and are just a hop from the Financial District. Japantown is just a short ride down from the quintessential Haight St area. And just a hop beyond Haight Street will bring you to the colorful Castro District, Gay Mecca of the US. Museums seem to come in clusters, so you can max out a day with art and not have to re-park the car. Or you can take a bus, and not deal with a car at all.
And of course, you can't overlook the fact that HubPages makes its home in SF too!
The Sights of San Francisco
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Ten Landmarks Worth Seeing!
- Yerba Buena Gardens
The Esplanade could be considered the front yard of downtown San Francisco. The five and one-half acres of meadows, trees, flowers, falling water, public art, and small cafes are all arranged in an open-arms gesture of welcome. - San Francisco Chinatown - The largest chinatown outside of Asia
The largest Chinatown outside of Asia, information to locals and tourists about points of interest, culture, history, and events in Chinatown. - Lillie Hitchcock-Coit
The novel appearance of the 180-foot cylindrical tower which stands atop Telegraph Hill is surely significant symbol to the memory of one whose individuality made her as outstanding an example of the contrast to her days as is this unusual form of me - San Francisco Cable Car Museum
Presenting cable car history, technology, information, and gift shop. Located in San Francisco's Washington-Mason powerhouse and carbarn, the museum provides a historical perspective and insight into today's system. - Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco
No visit to San Francisco would be complete without a visit to Fisherman's Wharf. This waterfront area offers San Francisco history, fresh seafood, sea lions, Alcatraz tours and fun for the whole family. - Fort Mason Center - San Francisco
This former military base offers the opportunity to experience diversity in a unique environment, focusing on the visual and performing arts, humanities, education, ecology, and recreation. - de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park
The de Young museum, a favorite of San Francisco residents and visitors since 1895, is located at 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive in the heart of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. - San Francisco Neighborhoods: Golden Gate Park
What's larger than New York's Central Park, once consisted of sand dunes, is now covered with more than one million trees and is bison-friendly? - Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is acclaimed as one of the world's most beautiful bridges and with its tremendous towers, sweeping main cables and great span, it is a sensory beauty featuring color, sound, and light. - San Francisco Beaches
Running the entire west side of San Francisco, Ocean beach is the city's largest beach. One can walk unimpeded all the way to San Mateo County. Fort Funston is located along the same beach at the south end of the city.
What do you have to say about San Francisco?Loading...
There are so many great things to do when you are a tourist anywhere in California.
Great article. I am looking forward to visiting San Francisco in the near future. So many fun things to see and do. I found this information very helpful and i appreciate it. Thanks.
Thanks- very helpful as I'm visiting San Francisco this summer.
I've always wanted to go to San Francisco and you just make me want to be there even more! Great job, very thorough!
Great article about San Francisco! I'm a new hubber from the city (just one hub so far) and I can see that you love the city by the bay as much as I do!!
Nicely done; this is the just the kind of information I was looking for.
Most interesting! There are so many options.
I'm looking forward to go to San Fran, this for this great hub.
I lived in the Bay for about 3 years. We would go to San Fran everychance we got LOVE THIS CITY! Great Hub! God Bless.
You sound like a fun person. I am glad I got to read your hub. It bought back such fond memories of both my trips out to SF. The first one was just for 4 days but the 2nd was for 2 weeks. My sister opened up a hub in SF for Continental Airlines and was living there. So I decided to vistit wih my daughter. Well, it was great especially having a guide to all the sights that I didn't do the first time. Like going to Alcatraz, to Salsalito, and down to south of SF to Santa Cruz. I must tell you that you have to go south of SF to enjoy beaches because most of the shore area that I was at in SF had pebbles for sand.
Looking forward to a trip to SF next year. I cannot wait! Thanks for the tips.
My son and I joined his 4th grade class for a weekend field trip to San Francisco. We had a wonderful time. We walked on the Golden Gate Bridge, visited Alcatrez and ate at the Fisherman's Wharf.
We're thinking of visiting SF. This is such a great guide! Now it wants to make me go even more!
I absolutely love San Francisco:) Next time I go I'll make sure to take some of your advice, as I still have yet to see it all.
I have been to the fisherman's wharf with a friend to have a dinner there, the seafood is awesome and there are gift shops closeby if you need to buy gifts for your family.
daoine, I lived just six blocks up the street from the exterior location filmed for where Christian Slater "interviews" Brad Pitt in the movie INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE. When I saw the movie, my friend sitting next to me was cracking up and poking me.
I would love to visit SF one day. It's one of those places where you get to know the landmarks through watching movies, and I always love seeing that in real life too.
I highly recommend the Fish Round at Steinhart! It's gorgeous!
This *is* a good resource for residents, too. I only end up seeing some of this stuff when friends are in town and I'm playing the tour guide. Not sure how, but didn't know about the Steinhart Aquarium and its exotic denizens. :)
villasandhomes 4 months ago
great hub... thanks for sharing this informative hub