Attractions - San Francisco/North Bay 
http://www.nps.gov/alcatraz/  
Golden Gate NRA , San Francisco (415) 705-5555
San Francisco Bay. SF's #1 tourist attraction. Visit what was once state of the art in one of the USA's most notable institutions 
Blue & Gold Fleet gets you there 
Alcatraz Island  birdman@alcatraz.san-francisco.ca.us  
- links, history, mailing list, and a photo gallery.
Alcatraz Island by citysearch

sf50.com  
Find much history here as well as a special focus on Alcatraz  historical descriptions, news archive, and photo gallery.  

Angel Island Immigration Station Museum
Angel Island, Tiburon, State Park (415) 897-0715
The Ellis Island of the West Coast operated from 1910 to 1941for mainly Oriental immigration 

Musee Mecanique at the Cliff House
Musee 1090 Point Lobos Road , San Francisco (415) 386-1170 
Entertainment before electricity

UFO, Bigfoot, and the Loch Ness Monster Museum
709 Union Street , San Francisco (415) 974- 4339
        

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum || Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum 175 Jefferson Street , San Francisco (415) 771-6188 The TV Show  OPEN EVERY DAY Sunday-Thursday 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. until midnight

Aquarium of the Bay  at Pier 39 San Francisco (415) 623-5300
Surround yourself with the Bay as a 300-foot-long viewing tunnel that extends into the Bay. See sunflower sea stars, purple sea urchins, sharks, starfish, and leopard sharks

www.waxmuseum.com  145 Jefferson Street (Between Taylor & Mason) Phone: (415) 885-4975
Step back in time and enjoy the ancient art of Wax Sculpting. You'll visit with Hollywood Celebrities, US Presidents, Scientist, World Leaders and of course our Chamber of Horrors
Master Sculpter Kahn hired away from London's Madame Tussauds for the expanded  San Francisco Wax Museum. San Francisco, Chronicle, 12/9/99

San Francisco Zoo || "virtual tour"
Over 1000 animals on a 65 acre site located next the Pacific Ocean. 

Museums - San Francisco

American Indian Contemporary Arts by Citysearch7  
23 Grant Avenue, San Francisco (415) 989-7003 Supporting the creative expressions of contemporary Native American artists. 

 party/event/performance showcasing artists in diverse media.

Friends of Photography/Ansel Adams Center|| Ansel Adams Center for Photography || 250 4th Street, San Francisco (415) 495-7000 Lens-based media w/ 1 of 5 galleries showing the work of celebrated namesake nature photographer

AsianArt.org Museum || Asian Art Museum by citysearch7 by citysearch7
Golden Gate Park. (415) 379-8800 The largest museum of its kind in the Western World spanning 6,000 years of history...  The Book of Changes or I Ching was the world's first book and it is used to guide you on the path of life intuitively.
Cable Car Museum || San Francisco Cable Car Museum 1201 Mason Street (at Mason and Washington). 
A peek at the glorious past of cable cars.
California Academy of Sciences || CAS by Citysearch7 ||  Steinhart Aquarium Golden Gate Park. (415) 750-7145 Oldest municipal aquarium in the U.S. containing one of the most diverse collections of aquatic animals worldwide. Natural history museum including the Morrison Planetarium and lots of things for the kids

California Indian Museum and Cultural Center
History, culture, and contemporary life of California Indians, as well as information about the staff and events. 
California Historical Society calhist.org
678 Mission Street SF (between New Montgomery and Third). 
The state's official historical society is popular with researchers for its extensive materials about California's rich history.
Cartoon Art Museum
655 Mission Street, San Francisco (415) CAR-TOON
Home to a permanent collection of comic-book art, animated movies, magazines, advertisements, and newspapers that date from the 1730s to the present.
Chinese Culture Center
750 Kearny Street, San Francisco (415) 986-1822 The center was born in response to San Francisco's importance as a gateway to the Pacific Rim and is dedicated to influencing the course of Chinese and Chinese-American Culture.
525 Second Street (near Bryant). Encourages experimentation of new work by emerging and established artists. Focuses on site-related and installation art.

San Francisco's outdoor history museum is a walking tour of gold rush era historical monuments, areas and points of interest.
Golden Gate Railroad Museum, 415-363-3472
Newer group now assembling a mega-ton collection of full size models. Open by appointment on weekends at Hunter's Point Naval Shipyards

International Children's Art Museum
         
Italian Cultural Institute
425 Bush Street, San Francisco (415) 788-7142
Ongoing series of programs and occasional exhibits

www.jewishmuseumsf.org  ||
JewishMuseums.com of San Francisco  ||

Jewish Museum by artcom 
121 Steuart Street, (between Mission and Howard). San Francisco (415) 543-8880
With the help of a prominent site near Mission & 3rd courtesy of SF Redevelopment and the Mexican Museum the museum will expand to rival New York's East Coast perspective on contemporary Jewish identity and the ongoing contributions of the American Jewish community the 3rd largest Jewish Museum in the USA

Laserium has left San Francisco  ||

Levi Strauss Museum
250 Valencia Street , San Francisco (510) 210-0110

Mexican Museum
204 Bay Street, Fort Mason Center, (415)202-9700
Established in 1975, it moved from the Mission District to Fort Mason in 1982 and currently mounts exhibits in a 2,900-square foot gallery. Since 1991 the museum has endeavored to build a historic building commemorating the intrinsic Mexican contribution to San Francisco at a prominent Yerba Buena Garden Museum site.
 

Museum at Mission Dolores
3321 16th Street, San Francisco (415) 621-8203
Walk along 16th St. from the BART station the Bay Area's oldest till when you reach Dolores Street and then look up the hill you'll have observed over a dozen churches at this energy power spot. Don't miss the beautiful Basilica where the Pope said mass in 1986. The native Olone story  is a fascinating one and this is their monument too.
  Museo ItaloAmericano
Fort Mason Center, Building C Buchanan Street and Marina Boulevard, (415) 673-2200
Small ambitious museum which has famous Venice Carnavale Balls

San Francisco Art Commission Gallery 
important venue for emerging to mid-career artists.
SFMuseum.org of the City of San Francisco
2801 Leavenworth, 928-0289
Lots of official data from the great quakes of 1906 and 1989. Now at The Cannery at Fisherman's Wharf and run by Gladys Cox Hansen.
Museum of Russian Culture
2450 Sutter Street, San Francisco (415) 921-4082 Between Divisadero and Broderick Streets.
In a historic building with huge research library
National Maritime Museum ||
National Maritime Museum by citysearch 900 Beach Street, San Francisco (415) 556-3002
Association operates several old ships on Pier 45 at Fisherman's Wharf including a W.W.II Submarine and the square rigger Balcutha.

Precita Eyes || pem@precitaeyes.org ||
Visitors Center at 2981 24th Street  415-285-2287 (also 348 Precita 285-2311)        

 
An eclectic collection of items from the history of the Presidio and San Francisco major events like the World's Fairs and 1906 Earthquake.  
Herbst International Exhibition Hall at the Presidio
Museum of the former military fort at the site of original 1776 structure, eclectic collection of local artifacts.
Presidio Museum, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco (415) 561-4331 The brand new exhibition hall promises shows in the environmental/social/cultural vein. 

The Randall Museum of San Francisco || 1991 Museum Way, 554-9600
Many groups use this excellent City Park & Rec. facility with an emphasis in Natural Science and animals located above the Castro district
Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum || Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum
175 Jefferson Street, San Francisco (415) 771-6188  explore a world of improbabilities located at Fisherman's Wharf.

San Francisco African-American Historical and Cultural Society MuseumFort Mason Center, San Francisco (415) 292-6172

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art || Events | |SFMOMA by citysearch7 ||  Images of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, by Mario Botta. 
151 3rd Street, 415-357-4000  Also affectionately referred to as MOMA. Opened in 1995, the beautiful building by Italian Swiss architect Mario Botta gave the foreground of San Francisco's famous skyline a striking feminine feature. Inside, dramatic space stars at this most visited museum. Devoted exclusively to 20th-century art, their extensive archival collection raises questions about whether the intellectually defined art of the late 20th century will hold up as its novelty declines.

San Francisco Craft & Folk Art Museum ||   Craft & Folk Art Museum by citysearch 51 Yerba Buena Lane (At MIssion between Third & Fourth), San Francisco (415) 227-4888 The mission is to foster an appreciation of the artistic qualities of contemporary craft and the recognition of the vigor and richness of folk art from diverse cultures through exhibitions, educational programs and research publications.

www.sfpalm.org   ||  Performing Arts Library and Museum by citysearch 401 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. 415-255-4800.
PALM preserves materials about the performing arts, with a local emphasis  

Strybing.org Arboretum & Botanical Gardens
In Golden Gate Park off 9th Ave.661-1716 Includes a major horticultural library. Learn about all the educational and volunteer opportunities sponsored by the large, active Arboretum Society.

Tattoo Art Museum - San Francisco 841 Columbus Avenue
at: the corner of Lombard Street. tel: (415) 775-4991
Treasure Island Museum
410 Palm Avenue, San Francisco (415) 395-5067
Wells Fargo Museum

Women's Heritage Museum
870 Market Street, Suite 547, Between Stockton and Powell Streets San Francisco 94102 (415) 433-3026 Get in on the ground floor of a Museum dedicated to chronicling the great waning of the last 4,000 years of the two patriarchal ages humanity has just passed through. Hoping to expand from an office to something grander at the Presidio
Center for the Arts, Yerba Buena Gardens 
701 Mission Street, 978-2700
Grandly opened in October of '93 the Center has become the popular location for many Civic events as well as convention special events. The Yerba Buena Gardens have become a much loved oasis amongst above the Moscone Convention Center. Be sure to stroll the view corridor to MOMA. Natives and visitors alike enjoy walking through the Martin Luther King Waterfall and up to the Sister City Gardens with its foreground view of St. Patrick and the "jukebox" Marriott hotel.

Zeum at Yerba Buena Gardens
new art and technology center for young people 

Bay Area Discovery Museum || BAD Museum by Citysearch   badm.org/ 557 MacReynolds Road, Sausalito (415) 487-4398
The family-oriented museum Featuring at the foot of the North tower of the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the best places to bring the kid's. Many special programs. 

Petaluma Historical Library And Museum
20 Fourth St., Petaluma. 707-778-4398 or (877) 273-8258.
Exhibits on local history and culture, from Coast Miwok items to a tribute to General Vallejo and his family

Napa Valley Museum
55 Presidents Circle, Yountville. 707-944-0500.
An inter-disciplinary museum which concentrates on preservation of the culture, art and history of the Napa Valley and its people.
Silverado Museum
1490 Library Lane, St. Helena. 707-963-3757.
devoted to the life and works of author Robert Louis Stevenson.
Sonoma County Museum
425 Seventh St., Santa Rosa. 707-579-1500
Sonoma Museum Of Visual Art
Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Rd., Santa Rosa. 707-527-0297.
Vacaville Museum
213 Buck Ave., Vacaville. 707-447-4513.
Vallejo Naval And Historical Museum
734 Marin St., Vallejo. 707-643-0077.
explores the history of the city of Vallejo, the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard, and the U.S. Navy in the San Francisco Bay Area

Peninsula Museums

Burlingame Museum Of Pez Memorabilia
214 California Dr., Burlingame. 650-347-2301
nearly 300 Pez candy dispensers on display. 
Coyote Point Museum www.coyoteptmuseum.org
1651 Coyote Point Dr., San Mateo. 650-342-7755
meet the museum's animals up close and to learn about them and their habitats
Hiller.org  Aviation Museum 
San Carlos Airport, 601 Skyway Road, San Carlos. 650-654-0200
the history of airplanes in Northern California, from an 1869 unmanned plane to today's jets,
The Museum Of American Heritage www.moah.org
evolution of American invention, exhibiting electrical and mechanical devices developed over the last two centuries.

San Mateo County Historical Museum
777 Hamilton St., Redwood City. 650-299-0104. 
In the Old Courthouse with its historic dome. The museum's collections include horse-drawn carriages, models, railroads  relics from San Mateo's past, and lithographic art dating from 1875. 

Museum Event  Guides   Citysearch.com

Links

Tours   

Experiencing the city on foot is by far the best way

|| RealVideo
Over 150 have been made & two classics
Eco-tour Directory by sfbg.com
Thanks to the city's extensive seashore you can still catch fleeting glimpses of the natural ecosystem we've so radically altered

Tour Marketplace
Adventure Bicycle Company  
Bicycle rentals and tour packages for SF 
www.webcastro.com/castrotour.
|
Explorer's Club 
 tours for children and/or their families 
Grayline San Francisco
guided tours of the city and surrounding areas.
San Francisco Gay Tours
Offers custom, individualized, discreet tours of the city.
San Francisco Tour Guide
Tour guide service in English, Japanese, and Indonesian/Malay.
Victorianwalk.com

Water Tours Marketplace 
Red and White Fleet
Ferry, cruise and tour operator on the SF Bay.
Blue and Gold Fleet 
One of the SF Bay big 3 operators, commuting and tour ferries.
Riptide rtfishing & Whale Watching
Half Moon Bay fishing for salmon, rock fish and tuna. Also offering whale watching and burials at sea.

South Bay Attractions   

The Mystery Spot  
1953 Branciforte Drive Box 2817, Santa Cruz, CA, 95063 
(831) 423-8897 
Even the trees here do not stand perpendicular. The sensational Mystery Spot is a series of surprises that are unique, different, inexplainable

South Bay Museums 

South Bay Museums by 2zip (34)
Includes Gilroy, Holister, Salinas & Monterey

Art Tech   
Silicon Valley's premier site for ONLINE ART Art-Tech is moving to Sky Ranch..in the beautiful East Hills.
Forbes Mill Museum Of Regional History
75 Church St., Los Gatos. 408-395-7375.
historical artifacts relating to the history of the town of Los Gatos

Los Gatos Museum Of Art And Natural History 
4 Tait Avenue, Los Gatos. 408-395-7375.
natural history collection pertaining to the geology and ecology of the Los Gatos area and features monthly art exhibition

Moffett Field Museum
Hangar One, Moffett Field, Moffett Boulevard, off State Highway 101, Mountain View. 650-603-9827.
dedicated to planes and other memorabilia of the military housed in Hangar One, a huge building the size of seven football fields, built to house the airship Macon.

Woodside Store
  Kings Mountain and Tripp Roads, Woodside. 650-574-6441
Lumber Industry and Woodside Store History Exhibit

Palo Alto/Stanford Museums 

Stanford University Museum & Art Gallery
Ancient to contemporary art: Asian, African, Oceanic, Native American, pre-Columbian, post-Renaissance European paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, photographs. Stanford family memorabilia.

& Linus Pauling and the Twentieth Century
Visit on the web or catch the touring exhibition tracing Pauling's life and influence on the 20th century, featuring photos, diaries and even molecular models, and historic artifacts.

Stanford U's Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts|| Cantor Arts Center by Citysearch7 by Citysearch7
Stanford University, Lomita Drive at Museum Way, Stanford (650) 723-4177 
Portrait of a Museum The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts (CCVA) stands just off Palm Drive on the Stanford campus, a concrete monstrosity that evokes a long-gone era of architectural grandeur, when buildings were intended to awe and inspire--and certainly to last

Santa Clara/a> Museums 
Intel Museum
2200 Mission College Blvd., Santa Clara. 408-765-0503.
dedicated to the technology of computer chips.
Santa Clara County Railroad Museum 
Santa Clara University - de Saisset Museum
500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara. 408-554-4528.
Triton Museum Of Art
11505 Warburton Ave., Santa Clara. 408-247-3754.
Many rotating exhibits

AArt Museum Of Santa Cruz County - Mc Pherson Center For Art & His
705 Front St Santa Cruz, CA Phone: 408 429 1964

San Jose Museums 

San Jose Museum of Art, Tech Museum of Innovation, Rosicrucian Museum

Children's Discovery Museum| Calendar
180 Woz Way San Jose CA/font> 95110 (408) 298-5437

Peralta Adobe And Fallon House Historic Site 
175 W. Saint John St., San Jose. 408-993-8182.
restored version of the last remaining structure of El Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe,  built in 1797.
Portuguese Historical Museum

RRosicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium
The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, architecturally inspired by the Temple of Amon at Karnak, houses the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts on exhibit in the western United States

TheTech.org Museum of Innovation 
The brand-new museum in striking 132,000-square-foot space has four galleries, an IMAX theater, a learning center, a changing exhibit hall and the permanent home of the National Medal of Technology

San Jose Historical Museum
Kelley Park, 1650 Senter Road, San Jose. 408-287-2290.
Many large scale models including a 115-foot replica of San Jose's historic Electric Light Tower which now straddles the intersection at Market and Santa Clara streets; /font>

San Jose Museum of Art www.sjmusart.org   ||info@sjmusart.org  110 South Market Street (at San Fernando) 408) 294-2787
San Jose Museum of Art is dedicated to fostering an awareness, appreciation and understanding of twentieth-and twenty-first-century art in the diverse audiences of the Bay Area
San Jose State University Art Museum

 San Jose Museum Of Quilts And Textiles www.sjquiltmuseum.org
110 Paseo de San Antonio on the Paseo Mall, between Third and Fourth Streets and San Fernando and San Carlos Streets, San Jose. 408-971-0323, ext. 10

Monterey/Salinas

Monterey Museum Of Art
720 Via Mirada, Monterey. 831-372-3689.
Many rotating exhibits

The National Steinbeck Center 
1 Main St., Salinas. 831-796-3833.
honor and preserve the life  of Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck who was born two blocks from the museum.
Steinbeck Library
110 W. San Luis St., Salinas. 831-758-7311. 
extensive collection of first editions, letters, photographs and personal effects 

Pacific Grove Museum Of Natural History
165 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove. 831-648-3116.
focuses on the native plants, geology and peoples of Monterey County

East Bay Attractions 

sixflags.com/marineworld  || MarineWorld@sftp.com  || Marine World (Valllejo)2001 Marine World Parkway Vallejo, CA 94589-4006Phone: (707) 643-ORCA (6722) 

 

Children's Fairyland
505 14th Street , Oakland(510) 238-6877
USS Hornet
Naval Air Station, Alameda (510) 521-8448
Jack London Square (Oakland) || Jack London Historic State Park and Museum || Jack London Historic State Park and Museum
2400 London Ranch Road , Glen Ellen (707) 938-5216

 

 

OaklandZoo.org  ||  www.oaklandca.com 
510-632-9525
9777 Golf Links Road, Oakland

East Bay Museums 

Berkeley Historical Society
1931 Center Street, Berkeley (510) 848-0181 Devoted to local Berkeley history

Berkeley Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Blackhawkauto.org Automotive Museum
free children age 6 and under. Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Danville. 925-736-2280 

Oliver Art Center - California College Of Arts & Crafts  5212 Broadway Oakland, 510 653 8118