The Wave Organ is a system of PVC pipes and cemetery stones that rely on the power of the ocean to create music. Exploratorium artists in residence George Gonzales and Peter Richards created the system in 1986. It's best around 5:30AM. Walk to the end of a spit of land and enjoy the sounds and some excellent views.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Wave+Organ/@37.8086207,-122.4401935,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x50d83c0a55fbcd2a, 83 Marina Green Dr
Free
(415) 528-4444
Something to See
Experience to Have
0-15 min
All Day
Nearly 40 feet of cement slides. Bring your own cardboard, or hope that there's some hanging around. Throw some sand down the top of the slide to gain extra speed.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Seward+Mini+Park/@37.7578734,-122.4397167,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xaa87bf747ceac740 30 Seward St
Free
(415) 831-2700
Experience to Have
0-15 min
6am-10pm, daily
A collection of over 200 privately owned coin-operated mechanical musical instruments and antique arcade machines in their original working condition, including artifacts from the Zelinsky family who had previously displayed their games at Playland at the Beach in the 1920s.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/musee+mecanique/@37.8097112,-122.4167234,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xed9aa8b90062eab8?sa=X&ved=0CJABEPwSMA5qFQoTCPGh57ir5sgCFRDLYwodEW0P7w Pier 45 at the foot of Taylor Street
Free
$ (5-15)
(415) 346-2000
Experience to Have
15-30 min
10am-8pm, daily
A hidden stretch of beach to the south of Treasure Island’s yacht harbor, shielded from the wind with great views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge. Good for kayaking, picnicking, or a quick stop on the way to or from Oakland.
The only theatre of its kind, Audium pioneers the exploration of space in music. The theatre's 176 speakers surround listeners in sounds that move past, over, and under them. "Sound sculptures" are performed in darkness in the 49-seat theatre. No children under 12; $20 tickets.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Audium/@37.7883599,-122.4239985,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x2b9de0818d048df9?sa=X&ved=0CHkQ_BIwCmoVChMIu9nYz6vmyAIVENtjCh1azwRV 1616 Bush Street
$$ (15-25)
(415) 771-1616
Experience to Have
Performance to Attend
60-90 min
Fri & Sat 8:30pm
What began as a silk screening print shop has now also become an impressive vintage arcade, housing 20 pinball machines, skeeball, and scores of other classic games at ’80s arcade prices. Check the website for times and tournaments.
https://instagram.com/freegoldwatch/?hl=en
http://freegoldwatch.com
Haight
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Free+Gold+Watch/@37.7681782,-122.4527041,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xc5438abd8814e010?sa=X&ved=0CIwBEPwSMA1qFQoTCMKB396r5sgCFUjeYwodl74P7w, 1767 Waller St.
$ (5-15)
(415) 876-4444
Experience to Have
30-60 min
Mon-Tue, Fri 10am-7pm, Wed-Thr 10am-8pm, Sat 1pm-7pm, Sun 1pm-6pm
Surrounded by a white picket fence, the pet cemetery is the final resting place for hundreds of loyal animals owned by families stationed at the Presidio. Grave markers resemble those found in military cemeteries and sometimes reflect the pets' military lives and service.
One of three community mural centers in the US, Precita is a community-based arts organization that sponsors and implements ongoing mural projects throughout the Bay Area and internationally.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Precita+Eyes+Muralists/@37.7525053,-122.4159515,16z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x808f7e488da64dd1:0xca37e30a9ce03726, 2984 24th St
Free
(415) 285-2287
Something to See
30-60 min
Mon-Fri 10am-5pm; Sat. 10-4pm; Sun. 12-4pm
This factory has been supplying fortune cookies to Chinatown and around the world since 1962. From just outside the entrance you can watch fortune cookies being made right in front of you. Take a free tour. Buy them by the bag or the handful.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Golden+Gate+Fortune+Cookie+Factory/@37.7969413,-122.4101603,17z/data=!4m5!1m2!2m1!1sfortune+cookie+factory!3m1!1s0x808580f35d997251:0xeaf42e49647fd390 56 Ross Alley
Free
(415) 781-3956
Something to See
Experience to Have
Place to Eat
60-90 min
8am-6pm
A giant, climbable sundial, this oddity was erected in 1913 to lure prospective buyers to newly built homes in a little-known neighborhood that's worth a quick visit.
The 16th Avenue Tiled Steps project has been a neighborhood effort to create a colorful mosaic running up the risers of the 163 steps located at 16th and Moraga in San Francisco. Designed by local artists, it was put together by more than 300 people from the neighborhood, and took two years to complete.
http://www.tiledsteps.org/
http://www.tiledsteps.org
Sunset
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tile+steps/@37.7561862,-122.4779935,16z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x80858761c278b065:0x3d5b0419554cd6ed
16th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
Free
N/A
Something to See
0-15 min
All Day
The handy work of Andy Goldsworthy, this sculpture of trees was constructed in 2008 in a grove near the Arguello Gate. Located along the Presidio's Bay Area Ridge Trail, it is comprised of 38 large cypress trunks, fastened together. Spire is over 90 feet at it's highest point. Also worth checking out are Wood Line and Tree Fall, Goldsworthy's other Presidio installations.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/''/Bay+Area+Ridge+Trail,+San+Francisco,+CA+94129/@37.7929092,-122.4423575,14z/data=!4m8!4m7!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x80858725c65bf031:0xc71859f5fcfe1ae2!2m2!1d-122.4600358!2d37.7919126
San Francisco Bicycle Route 65, San Francisco, CA 94129
Free
(415) 561-5300
Something to See
30-60 min
All Day
Part of the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club, these shallow casting pools were created to perfect your fishing game. Located along the Equestrian Trail in Golden Gate Park, the pools are fascinating. Free Casting Lessons at the GGACC Angler’s Ponds accommodate all levels of casters and are usually held between 9:30am and 12pm. You must RSVP on the club website to make sure enough instructors are present.
Located 27 miles west of San Francisco, in the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, these islands support a wide array of wildlife including seabirds, seals and sea lions, and porpoises and dolphins. The islands also serve as migratory destinations for the great white shark, and orca, gray, humpback, and blue whales. A day-long adventure leaves from SF's Pier 39.
Filipino emigrant Demetrio Braceros transformed what was once an abandoned and sketchy park into a whimsical experience filled with imaginary wooden creatures and totem poles.
This labyrinth (off of the Coastal Trail) was made (and has been re-made at least 3 times since 2008) with grapefruit-sized stones and inspired by traditional walking labyrinths from monasteries, where the goal is contemplation and meditation.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Eagle+Point+Labyrinth/@37.7880047,-122.505852,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x9536fe6d1540ff8a?sa=X&ved=0CJIBEPwSMA9qFQoTCMfRhPei5sgCFVTOYwodqpYIjQ, Lands End Trail
Free
N/A
Something to See
15-30 min
All Day
The camera obscura is based on a 15th century design by Leonardo da Vinci. It produces 360 degrees of live images of the Seal Rock Area using a series of mirrors and sunlight that reflect on a concave disk. The last remaining structure of the world famous Playland, it was built by Floyd Jennings and Gene Turtle in 1946 on the observation deck behind the Cliff House.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/1096+Point+Lobos+Ave,+San+Francisco,+CA+94121/@37.7787764,-122.505876,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x808587b5819977d5:0x3c810824bf4fed99,
1096 Point Lobos Ave.
Free
(415) 750-0415
Something to See
15-30 min
11am-5pm, daily
English inventor William Augustus Merralls originally built this gathering space on his estate in 1898. The Conservatory has passed from private to public hands and is now owned by the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department. The hundred-year old palm grove and the dramatic foliage of the surrounding gardens are open everyday dawn to dusk. The conservatory building is open for permitted private and community events.
Tucked in a tiny canyon between residential neighborhoods, Glen Canyon Park is a small open space preserve that boasts redtail hawks, owls, raccoons, skunks, and possums. Islais Creek runs through the canyon, which provides unique views of the city. The main Bosworth entrance is preferred, and easiest to find.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/glen+canyon+park/@37.7415588,-122.4431851,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x8f353da71333a1f3?sa=X&ved=0CIsBEPwSMA9qFQoTCLuciP635sgCFcU2iAodpYgNQA
Elk St
Free
(415) 831-2700
Something to See
Something to do
30-60 min
Tue-Sat, 9am-9pm
San Francisco was once covered with sand dunes, the largest of which can can be found at Fort Funston. Rough trails depart from Fort Funston and travel south along the ocean into San Mateo County. By early summer, the dunes along the ocean are dotted with vivid bouquets of flowers.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Fort+Funston+National+Park/@37.7163014,-122.5112901,14z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x2c5b494bcda94ecc
Fort Funston Rd
Free
(415) 561-4700
Something to See
Something to do
60-90 min
All Day
One of two sets of stairs leading up to (or down from) historic Coit Tower (the others are the Filbert Steps), the Greenwich Steps begin with panoramic views of the city and then descend into lush gardens at the foot of Telegraph Hill.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Greenwich+Steps/@37.8030381,-122.4038063,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x3071c879fcbe2567
231 Greenwich St
Free
N/A
Something to do
30-60 min
All day
Tucked away on the 6th floor of the San Francisco Public Library, the Daniel E. Koshland San Francisco History Center contains a research collection of books, newspapers and magazines, photographs, maps, posters, archives and manuscript collections, and ephemera, documenting all aspects of San Francisco life and history.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/San+Francisco+Public+Library/@37.7792824,-122.4158576,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xebdea9b084af4b86
100 Larkin St
Free
(415) 557-4400
Something to do
60-90 min
Tue/Thr 1-5pm, Sat 10am-12pm, 1-4pm
This hilltop park with its modest 0.2 miles of steep switchbacks, has amazing views of the city and bay, and a mix of urban forest and grassland plant communities. The park can be accessed from 30th street or Beacon Street.
SomArts, one of four city-funded community cultural centers, offers a wide variety of artistic opportunities, from Brunch with the Playwright to the annual Drag King Contest and a concert by Sila and the Afrofunk Experience. The 26,190 sq ft cultural center has two large performance/exhibition spaces, a flexible theater, a media lab, photography, ceramics and printmaking studios used on a weekly basis by professional artists, and four administrative offices.
http://www.somarts.org/about/mission-history/
http://www.somarts.org
SOMA
https://www.google.com/maps/place/SOMArts+Cultural+Center/@37.7710875,-122.4065717,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x988846cefd303058?sa=X&ved=0CH4Q_BIwDmoVChMIzf6KpujmyAIVCNFjCh0Eswmq
934 Brannan St
Varies
(415) 863-1414
Something to do
60-90 min
Tue-Fri 12-7pm, Sat 12-5pm
This 55-acre delight in Golden Gate Park houses thousands of plants from all around the world. Free for Members, SF Residents and School Groups.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/San+Francisco+Botanical+Garden/@37.7674734,-122.4703355,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xe894109bfda58342
1199 9th Avenue in Golden Gate Park
$ (5-15)
(415) 661-1316
Something to do
60-90 min
7:30am daily, closing time varies by season
Built in 1861, this historic structure was saved from destruction in the 1950s. It is now a Colonial and Federal Periods Decorative Arts Museum, open to the public a few days a month. A visit includes a guided tour of both the house and the pieces on display on the first and second floors.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/octagon+house+sf/@37.7978066,-122.427455,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x340d4a5ad6f3557a?sa=X&ved=0CIEBEPwSMA9qFQoTCJOlr_js5sgCFYOliAod5esM6w
2645 Gough Street
Free
(415) 441-7512
Something to See
30-60 min
2nd Sun, 2nd & 4th Thursdays of the month 12-3pm
One of only three cemeteries within the city limits, The Neptune Society Columbarium is the final resting place for the ashes of an estimated 30,000 people. The building features baroque and neoclassical elements and houses memorials and the remains of thousands of SF residents, including Harvey Milk, Jerry Juhl, and Chet Helms. While you are free to walk around on your own, you can also make an appointment for a free, guided tour by caretaker Emmitt.
A radical group of artists, writers, thinkers, and musicians who opted for an alternative lifestyle in the 1950s, the Beat Generation lives on in this North Beach museum. Inside, you will find rare items on display as well as a detailed history on this generation.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Beat+Museum/@37.7980793,-122.4062209,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x11bf7d4bc5d6ec13
540 Broadway Street
$ (5-15)
(415) 399-9626
Something to See
Something to do
60-90 min
10am-7pm, daily
Sitting along the Waterfront, just under the Bay Bridge, this non-collective gallery attracts photography exhibits from around the world. It's free to visit, but you must make a reservation in advance.
http://pier24.org/visit/
http://pier24.org
South Beach
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pier+24+Photography/@37.7891323,-122.3877268,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xcab55c030d95964f
Pier 24 The Embarcadero
Free
(415) 512-7424
Something to See
60-90 min
9am-5pm, Mon-Fri by appointment
Nested in the heart of Golden Gate Park, this Japanese teahouse features narrow paths winding past koi ponds, pagodas and a bridge. Originally created as a “Japanese Village” exhibit for the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition, it is the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States.
What began as a silk screening print shop has now also become an impressive vintage arcade, housing 20 pinball machines, skeeball, and scores of other classic games at ’80s arcade prices. Check the website for times and tournaments.