7 irresistible tourist traps that even a San Franciscan has to love
Alcatraz: Of all the San Francisco tourist destinations, this is the one that I’ve heard multiple natives tell me is worth the money; the one can’t-miss trip for locals. (Coincidentally, it’s also pretty much the only S.F. tourist destination I’ve never visited.)
Camera Obscura: This walk-in camera next to the Cliff House produces giant images of the coast. It’s about the 47th item on most visiting tourists’ lists, but high on mine. Visit the ruins of Sutro Baths, then take a walk farther down the coast, and imagine what it would be like if Playland-at-the-Beach were still around.
The carousels: San Francisco has three wonderful and unique historic carousels — at the San Francisco Zoo, in Golden Gate Park near the Children’s Playground and at Yerba Buena Gardens near the Children’s Creativity Museum. The Yerba Buena carousel was rescued after the 1906 earthquake and resided in Playland-at-the-Beach for decades.
Ghirardelli Square: Since I started diving into The Chronicle archives, I’ve become more impressed with Ghirardelli’s 160-plus year history in San Francisco — it was embedded in Fisherman’s Wharf for a century before it became a tourist magnet. The company was back in business just four days after the 1906 earthquake. (Chocolate was flowing in the city again before the lights came back on.)
Golden Gate Bridge: It lives up to the hype. I’ve driven across it at least once a month for the last 15 years, and still get awestruck by its Art Deco magnificence.
Market Street Railway streetcars: After so much growth, including the 1970s installation of BART, Market Street looks a little like an aging athlete’s leg after his six or seventh knee operation. The historic streetcars on the F-line do a lot to restore the charm of the avenue. And while the cable car lines can be Space Mountain-length, getting on the streetcars is like hopping onto a Muni bus.
Musee Mecanique: As we explained in our video game-theme Our San Francisco, this historic arcade’s move to Fisherman’s Wharf was a necessity, at a time when video game arcades in neighborhoods were banned. Now in tourism central, the Musee retains its street credibility with the locals.