Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Beach St. and The Embar cadero.
&
415/705-5500.
www.pier39.com. Hours var y b y season; 10am-
10pm for shops and attractions, closing as early at 7pm in mid-winter; 11:30am-11pm for restaurants.
Ripley's Believe It or Not
Ages 8 and up.
What this has to do with F isherman's
Wharf I'll never know, but if it's raining and you're desperate to fill an hour with the kids
and y ou just happen to be out fr ont, what the heck. I f y ou're not familiar with the
Ripley's franchise, it 's all about w eird people and things that ar e supposed to be too
strange to be believ ed unless you “see” them with y our own eyes. Exhibits cover stories
such as the World's Tallest Man, the World's Shortest Man (featuring a wax model of
Tom Thumb), a giant hairball, and many more esoteric oddities. (
Note:
Be sure to check
the Ripley's website for discounts up to $3 off for adults, $1.50 for kids.)
175 Jefferson St.
&
415/202-9850.
www.ripleysf.com. Admission $15 ages 13 and up , $9 k ids 5-12,
children under 5 fr ee. Discounts for seniors and AAA members . Sun-Thurs 10am-10pm; Fri-Sat 10am-
midnight; summer Sun-Thurs 9am-11pm; Fri-Sat 9am-midnight.
SS Jeremiah O'Brien
Ages 5 and up.
During World War II, the U.S. ramped up
production of warships, revolutionizing building methods by prefabricating several parts
at a time in various shipyards. The new technique allowed the U.S. to make ships faster
than the G ermans could sink them. O ne such “Liber ty Ship” was the
O'Brien,
which
participated in both the 1944 D-Day invasion and the anniversary celebrations 50 years
later. It's worth checking out.
Pier 45.
&
415/544-0100.
www.ssjeremiahobrien.org. Admission $8 adults , $5 seniors , $4 k ids 6-14,
free military w/ID and children under 6, $20 for family w/2 adults and up t o 4 kids under 18. Daily 9am-
4pm.
USS Pampanito
Ages 5 and up.
History buffs and children get a thrill from tour-
ing this submarine, which saw activ e duty during World War II and helped sav e 73
British and A ustralian prisoners-of-war. Quarters are cramped, of course, but that 's the
point, right? A 20-minute self-guided audio tour , narrated b y former cr ewmembers, is
included in the admission price. O ur older two kids found it fascinating, as did w
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6
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adults.
Pier 45.
&
415/775-1943.
www.maritime.org. Admission $9 adults , $5 seniors 62 and up , $3 childr en
6-12, active military w/ID $4, free children under 6. The $20 family pass for 2 adults and up to 4 children
under 18 includes admission t o the ships at the H yde St. P ier (reviewed above). Sun-Thurs 9am-6pm,
Fri-Sat 9am-8pm; summer (late May-mid-Oct) Thurs-Tues 9am-8pm, Wed 9am-6pm.
Wax Museum
Ages 8 and up.
This recently renovated complex is a pale imitation of
Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in London, and that goes for the figures, too. You'll see
tackily dressed, wan celebrities and historical figur es grouped by type (U.S. pr esidents,
for instance) or b y business (athletes). The Chamber of H orrors is horribly uninspir ed.
Discount coupons are available from hotel concierges, inside the free Bay City Guides in
street racks on Jefferson Street, and online at the museum's website.
145 Jefferson St.
&
800/439-4305.
www.waxmuseum.com. Admission $13 adults, $9.95 seniors 55 and
up and y outh 12-17, $6.95 childr en 6-11, fr ee children 5 and under . Winter daily 9am-9pm; summer
daily 9am-11pm.
GOLDEN GATE PARK
In the 1860s, San Francisco set aside 1,017 acres of windswept sand dunes to create what
is now one of the countr y's greatest city par ks. The honors for that achiev ement go to
John McLaren, park superintendent from 1890 to 1943, who developed a new strain of
grass to hold the sandy soil, built windmills to pump water for irrigation, and spent 40
