1 The BestFull Day Tours

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AquaticPark

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Pier 45Municipal Pier Pier 43 1/2

Pier 43 Pier 41PIER 39

Ghirardelli Square

Yerba BuenaGardens

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Union Square

Ride the Powell-Hyde Cable Car

Lombard Street

Fisherman’s Wharf

1 Coit Tower

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Mario’s BohemianCigar Store

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This full-day tour introduces you to San Francisco’s best-knownneighborhoods—Union Square to scenic Fisherman’s Wharf, historic

North Beach, and vibrant Chinatown. Once you arrive at Fisherman’sWharf, the rest can be done on foot, but public transportation optionsare listed just in case. START: BART/Muni: Powell or Montgomery. Bus: 2,

3, 4, or 38 to Powell St.; 30 or 45 to Geary St. Cable Car: Powell lines.

1 Union Square. Start your tourat the shopping and commercial hubof San Francisco. The square itself(named for a series of violent pro-union mass demonstrations stagedhere on the eve of the Civil War)reopened in 2002 after a $25-millionrestoration that replaced stretches oflawn with a 245-foot-long (76m) floorof granite and scattered greenery—turning it from a resting spot for thehomeless into a welcoming plaza andexhibition space. All that remainsfrom the old square is the 90-foot(27m) Victory tower, dedicated byTheodore Roosevelt after the Span-ish-American War. @ 30 min.; bestbefore 9am. Union Sq. is betweenPost, Geary, Stockton & Powell sts.BART: Powell or Montgomery. Bus: 2,3, 4, or 38 to Powell St.; 30 or 45 toGeary St. Cable car: Powell lines.

2 ★★= Ride the Powell-Hyde Cable Car. Head to thecable-car turnaround at Powell and Market streets and await thePowell-Hyde line. The first of these

engineless cars made its maiden voy-age in 1873. The cable car will takeyou over Russian Hill. Pay attentionas you crest Hyde Street at Green-wich Street—you’ll catch your firstbreathtaking glimpse of the San Fran-cisco Bay and Alcatraz Island. Fordetails on how these cars work, seep 12. @ 30 min.; best before 9:30am.Powell & Market sts. $3 per ride.

3 ★ Lombard Street. “Thecrookedest street in the world” is infact not even the crookedest streetin San Francisco (Vermont St.between 20th and 22nd sts. inPotrero Hill is more crooked!). Thezigzags were added in the 1920s, asthe street’s 27-degree pitch was toosteep for cars. Cars are only permit-ted to descend, but pedestrians cantake the stairs up or down on eitherside. The street is loveliest in spring,when the hydrangeas are in bloom.

@ 30 min.; best: weekday mornings.Lombard St. (between Hyde & Leav-enworth sts.). Cable Car: Powell-Hyde line.

Riding a cable car is one of San Francisco’s most entertaining activities.

RUSSIANHILL

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4 ★★ Fisherman’s Wharf. SanFrancisco’s most visited destinationis filled with history and a multitudeof activities. Although most of thewharf is rife with tacky souvenirshops and overpriced restaurants,this is still a must-see for any tour ofSan Francisco. Consider the followingminitour—it points you to the wharf’s

most scenic aspects and keeps timenear the throngs to a minimum. Hyde& Beach sts . www.fishermanswharf.org. Cable Car: Powell-Hyde line toFisherman’s Wharf, Powell-Mason lineto Taylor & Bay sts; F streetcar toJones & Beach sts. Bus 10, 30, or 47to Van Ness Ave. & N. Point St.; 19 toPolk & Beach sts.

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B Victorian Park is where you’llalight from the cable car. You’ll seearts and crafts for sale as you walktowards C Ghirardelli Square,built in 1893 as Domingo Ghirardelli’schocolate factory. When the factorymoved in the 1960s, the buildingbecame a National Historic Landmarkand now houses a mall. D TheMaritime Museum (p 23, bullet7), a three-story Art Deco structureshaped like an ocean liner, offers afree look at the city’s seafaring past. A walk along the E MunicipalPier affords views of the Golden Gate

Bridge. The F Hyde Street Pier(p 22, bullet 4) holds refurbishedantique ships, including a 19th-century square-rigger. G The Can-nery, once a fruit-canning facility,now houses shops, restaurants, andthe National Maritime Visitors Center.

HOrder a crepe from the cart inthe Cannery courtyard. Now fortified,you can brave the crowds at I PIER39. Look for the infamous sea lionsthat have lived by the pier since 1989.

@ 2–3 hr.; go in the morning to beatthe crowds and bring a jacket—it canbe chilly year-round.

The Embarcadero

Jefferson St.

North Point St.

Mason St.

Bay St.

Francisco St.

Lombard St.Lombard St.

Stockton St.

Powell St.

Taylor St.

Jones St.

Leavenworth St.

Columbus Ave.

Hyde St.

Larkin St.

Polk St.

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ess Ave.

Beach St.

North Point St.

Bay St.

Francisco St.

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Angel Island &Tiburon Ferries

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Coit Tower crowns Telegraph Hill.

7 Mario’s Bohemian CigarStore. Pick up sandwiches andenjoy them in Washington SquarePark (p 54, bullet 5) across thestreet. 566 Columbus Ave. (at UnionSt.). y 415/362-0536. $

Pier 39’s sea lions bathe, bark, and splash about—all around heart-melting fun.

5 ★ Coit Tower. The 210-foot(64m) landmark atop Telegraph Hillwas erected in 1933 with $125,000bequeathed by local character LillieHitchcock Coit, who wished to addbeauty to the city. Inside the tower’sbase are murals by several artists,many of whom studied under DiegoRivera. Commissioned as part of theNew Deal’s WPA, the murals have apro-worker motif that caused a stirin their day. The fee to climb thetower is worth it: a 360-degree cityview awaits you.

While on Telegraph Hill, look out for the flock of wild green parrots,descendents of escapee pets. @ 45min. From Fisherman’s wharf walk ortake bus 39 to Coit Tower. y 415/362-0808. Admission to the top$3.75, $2.50 seniors, $1.50 kids6–12. Daily 10am–6pm.

6 ★★ North Beach. The immi-grants from Genoa and Sicily whofounded the Bay Area’s fishing indus-try settled into North Beach in the1870s—establishing a plethora of Ital-ian restaurants, cafes, and bakeries.In the 1950s, the area’s cafes andbars became a haven for writers andartists from the Beat Generation(p 30). Today the neighborhood isa combination of Mediterraneanwarmth and bohemian spirit. Formore on this area, see p 52. @ 1–2hr. From Coit Tower walk; or take bus39 to Washington Sq. Best Mon-Satfrom 11am-4pm. Sundays and earlymornings shops are closed.

8 Chinatown. The most denselypopulated neighborhood in SanFrancisco, Chinatown is home toover 14,000 residents. Take a walkdown Grant Street to find shopsfilled with creative, eclectic knick-knacks. Chinatown locals shop onStockton Street, which is teemingwith grocery stores, herb shops,and vendors of ceremonialitems. (See p 58 for acomplete tour of thiscolorful neighborhood.)

@ 1–2 hr.

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Take a tour of Alcatraz, a former prison located on an island in the San Francisco Bay.

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If you have two days, plan your first day as detailed on p 6. For yoursecond day, I recommend you start by going to jail! For many, a

visit to Alcatraz is a major highlight—however, pre-reserved ticketsare required. If you are unable to get tickets ahead of time, I’ve listedan alternative bay cruise. Following Alcatraz (or the cruise), you’llvisit Lincoln Park, a less-visited but striking corner of San Francisco,and get a taste of 19th-century San Francisco on Nob Hill. START: Pier

41, Fisherman’s Wharf. Cable Car: Powell-Mason. Bus: 30. Streetcar: F.

1 ★★★ Alcatraz Island. Spanishfor “pelican,” Alcatraz was so namedin 1775 by Juan Manuel Ayala for thebirds that nested on its rocky shores.From the 1850s to 1933, the U.S. mili-tary used Alcatraz as a fort, protect-ing the bay’s shoreline. In 1934, thegovernment converted it into a max-imum-security prison to house thecountry’s most hardened criminals,including Al Capone, “Machine Gun”Kelly, and Robert Stroud (the Bird-man). Given its sheer cliffs, frigidwaters, and treacherous currents,Alcatraz was considered inescapable.However, the prison’s upkeep cost afortune; all supplies had to come byboat. After a 1963 prison escape, theprison was shut down. The islandremained unoccupied until 1969,when Native Americans seized it topublicize American Indian rights’issues. They were expelled in 1971.Today, the National Park Service man-ages Alcatraz. Once inside, you’llreceive a headset which plays anaudio tour, including stories fromformer guards and inmates, and rivet-ing tales of escape attempts. FromOctober to mid-February, you can

tour the island itself on a walkingpath. Evenings, the more expensive“Alcatraz After Hours” tour is espe-cially eerie. @ 2–3 hr., including ferryride. Take the 1st ferry of the day, ifpossible. Wear a jacket & walkingshoes; it’s an uphill walk from theferry landing to the cellblock (motor-ized carts carry visitors with disabili-ties). The ferry sells snacks, butthere’s no food on the island. Pier 41,Fisherman’s Wharf. y 415/773-1188for information, or 415/705-5555 toreserve tickets. www.nps.gov/alcatraz. Note: I highly recommendpurchasing the ticket that includesthe informative audio tour. Admis-sion (ferry & audio tour): $16, $14seniors 62+, $11 kids 5–11. Withoutaudio tour: $12, $9.75 seniors, $8.25 kids 5–11. Winter daily 9:30am–2:15pm; summer daily 9:30am–4:15pm. Ferries run every half hour.Arrive 30 min. before departure insummer (45 min. in winter). After-hours tours depart at 6:15 & 7pm insummer & 4:20 & 5:10pm in winter.Bus: 30. Cable Car: Powell-Masonline. Streetcar: F.

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3 For a light lunch, the Fisher-man’s Wharf seafood counters sellfresh Dungeness crab from Novem-ber to May. $ (Note: If you don’t seecrates of live crabs, the crab isfrozen and precooked.) For a sit-down meal with a view, try theFranciscan (p 105) at Pier 431⁄2.

y 415/362-7733. $$$

2 ★ Red & White Fleet BayCruise. If you were unable to pre-reserve Alcatraz tickets, take a 1-hour bay cruise with audio narra-tion. You’ll travel under the GoldenGate Bridge and around Alcatraz.

@ 1 hr. Pier 431⁄2. y 415/673-2900.www.redandwhite.com. Ferry ride& audio tour: $20, $16 seniors 62+& kids 12–18, $12 kids 5–11, kidsunder 5 free. Check the websitefor discount fares. Transport: seebullet 1.

Rembrandt, among others, and international tapestries, prints, anddrawings. It boasts one of the world’sbest collections of Rodin’s sculptures,including an original cast of TheThinker. @ 1 hr. Clement St. & 34thAve. y 415/863-3330. www.thinker.org. Admission $15, $13 seniors 65+,$12 youths 12–17, $3 kids 5–11;free to all every Tues. Tues–Sun9:30am–5pm. Transport: see bullet 4.

6 Cable Car Museum andPowerhouse. When British-bornengineer Andrew Hallidie saw ahorse and its heavy carriage fallbackward down a steep San Fran-cisco hill, he vowed to create amechanical transportation devicefor the city. By 1873 the first cablecar traversed Clay Street. Cable carshave no engines; instead, they areattached to an electrically poweredcable that runs at a constant 91⁄2-mph(15kph) rate through an under-ground rail. When it’s time to stop,the car’s conductor, or “gripper,”pulls a lever to release the car’s gripon the cable. Inside this free, fasci-nating museum, you’ll see thecables that carry the cars. Once run-ning over 600 cars, the systemtoday operates only three lines.

@ 20 minutes. 1201 Mason St. (atWashington St.) y 415/474-1887.

4 ★ Lincoln Park. This lovely parkin the northwest corner of San Fran-cisco boasts expansive lawns, euca-lyptus trees, an 18-hole golf course,and breathtaking views. Walk north tothe Land’s End trailhead for a closerlook at the Marin Headlands and west-ern profile of the Golden Gate Bridge.

@ 30 min.; best in the afternoon,when fog has burned off & the sunturns the Marin hills a golden color.Clement Ave. & 33rd Ave. Powell-HydeCable Car to Geary St., transfer tobus 38 to Geary Blvd. & 33rd Ave.;then walk or take bus 18 to Legion ofHonor.

5 ★★★ California Palace ofthe Legion of Honor. Adding to Lincoln Park’s splendor is this neo-classical memorial to California’s soldiers lost in World War I, whichopened on Armistice Day in 1924. An exact replica of the Legion ofHonor Palace in Paris, it houses a finecollection of 4,000 years of art, withEuropean paintings by Monet and

Grab a bite of fresh dungeness crab atthe Fisherman’s Wharf.

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www.cablecarmuseum.com. Freeadmission. Daily 10am–5pm; until6pm Apr–Oct. Closed major holi-days. Cable car: Powell lines.

7 ★ Grace Cathedral. Followingthe destruction of the Crocker man-sion, Crocker’s family donated theland to the Episcopal Church tobuild Grace Cathedral. Completed in1964, Grace Cathedral is built fromreinforced concrete beaten toachieve a stonelike effect. Some fea-tures to look for include the maindoors (stunning replicas of Ghiberti’sbronze Doors of Paradise in theBaptistry of Florence) and theSinging Tower to the right of themain entrance, which has a 44-bellcarillon. Inside, note the organ dat-ing from 1840 and the impressivestained-glass windows, some ofwhich depict such modern figuresas Justice Thurgood Marshall, SanFrancisco native poet Robert Frost,

and Albert Einstein. @ 25 min. 1100California St. (at Taylor St.) www.gracecathedral.org. y 415/749-6300. Free admission. Mon-Fri 7am–6pm, Sat 8am-6pm, Sun 7am-7pm.Bus: 1. Cable car: All lines.

8= Huntington Park. DavidColton, who also participated inbuilding the Southern Pacific Rail-road, had his mansion here until hesold it to Collis Huntington in 1892.The mansion burned following the1906 quake, and the lot lay emptyfor 9 years until Huntington donatedit to the city. Framed by the granitewalls that were once part of theColton estate, the park is a lovelyoasis in a very urban section oftown. @ 15 min. Taylor & Californiasts. Bus: 1. Cable car: All lines.

9 Nob Hill. This famous hillcrestneighborhood is named for its oncewealthy residents, or “nabobs” asthe elite of San Francisco wereknown. The “Big Four” railroadbarons of the Southern Pacific Railroad—Leland Stanford, MarkHopkins, Charles Crocker, and CollisHuntington—built their ostenta-tious mansions here in the late1870s. They were all destroyed inthe fire following the 1906 quake.Today some of the city’s most prestigious hotels occupy Nob Hill.

@ 20 min. Taylor & Sacramento sts.Bus: 1 from Clement St. & 33rd Ave.to Taylor & Sacramento sts. Visit anyday during daylight hours, althoughthe view from the Top of the Mark(see p 124), a fancy penthouse-levellounge, can also be appreciated atnight.

A view of the Transamerica building fromthe top of Nob Hill.

Learn how a cable car actually works at the

Cable Car Museum.

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Fulton St.

Oct

avia

St.

Hayes St.Market S

t.

et St.

Haight St.

Waller St.

Hermann St

Page St.

9th St.8th St.

10th St.

11th St.

Howard St.

Howard St.

Brannan St.

Bryant St.

Townsend St.

Berry St.King St.

4th St.

5th St.6th St.7th St.

Folsom St.

Folsom St.

3rd St.

2nd St.

Harrison St.

Mission St.

Mission St.

1st St.

Steuart St.

Fremont St.

Beale St.M

ain St.Spear St.

JustinHermanPlaza

Grant A

ve.

Kearny St.

Battery St.

Front St.

Sansome St.

Montgom

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Drum

m St.

Pie

rce

St.

Pie

rce

St.

Stei

ner

St.

Fillm

ore

St.

Web

ster

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Buc

hana

n St

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Lagu

na S

t.

Gough St.

Franklin St.

Washington St.

mento St.

rnia St.

ne St.

Sacramento St.

Clay St.

Van N

ess Ave.

Tunnel

Taylor St.

Mason St.

Polk St.

Larkin St.

Hyd

e St.

Leavenworth St.

sh St.

Sutter St.

Post St.

California St.

Pine St.

Bush St.

Pow

ell St.

Stockton St.

Geary St.

O’Farrell St.

Eddy St.

Ellis St. Jones St.Turk St.

Grove St.

Golden Gate Ave.

Market St.

S.Van

Ness

Ave.

Embarcadero

S O M A

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JAPANTOWN

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NOB HILL

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San Francisco–Oakland

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Japan Center

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F-Market streetcar

Ferry Building

Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market

Frog Hollow Farm

Embarcadero Promenade

Garden Court

SoMa (South of Market)

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)

Caffe Museo

California Academy of Sciences

Civic Center

Zuni Café

Vicolo Pizzeria

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Take a ride on a vintage F-market line streetcar.

1 ★ F-Market streetcar. Severalstreetcars travel along Market Street,but the F line also heads along thescenic waterfront. Its streetcars areimported from around the world,including vintage cars from Europeand turn-of-the-20th-century trolleysfrom other U.S. cities. @ 15 min.From Union Sq., enter at the PowellSt. station; exit at the Ferry Terminalloop. Fare $1.25, 35¢ seniors & kids5–17. Avoid rush hour (M-F, before9:30am & 4:30–6:30pm).

2 ★★ Ferry Building. This 1898building reopened in 2003 after a 4-year, multimillion-dollar renovation.Outside, you’ll see a 240-foot (73m)clock tower. Inside is a collectionof restaurants and gourmet-foodstores offering artisan cheese, handcrafted chocolates, and otherspecialty foods. Make your way to theback of the building for a view of theBay Bridge. If you are lucky, you’ll visiton a day the Farmer’s Market isbeing held. @ 1 hr. 1 Ferry Building(at the Embarcadero & Market St.).

Mon–Fri 10am–6pm; Sat 9am–6pm;Sun 11am–5pm. www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com. F or any Market St.streetcar to the Ferry Bldg. or Embar-cadero; bus 2, 7, 14, 21, 66, or 71 toSteuart & Market sts.

3 ★★★ Ferry Plaza FarmersMarket. Four days a week (Tues,Thurs, Sat, and Sun), local farmersand food producers set up boothsaround the Ferry Building. Saturdaymornings are busiest, as San Fran-cisco residents make their regularmarket trek to stock up on organicfruits and vegetables, naturally raisedmeats, fresh-baked goods, and soon. Saturdays also feature trailor carsout back, from which city restaurantsserve gourmet breakfasts. Given thepenchant for using local, organic, andnaturally raised produce and meats atmany San Francisco restaurants—notto mention homes—this market is ahallmark of city life. @ 1 hr. 1 FerryBuilding (at the Embarcadero & Market St.). Tues, Thurs & Sun10am–2pm; Sat 8am–2pm.

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If you’ve already made your way through “The Best in TwoDays” you’ll find your third full-day tour gives you a taste of the city’s

epicurean underpinnings, as well as its rich artistic and cultural life. You’llwant the whole day for this tour. It can be done on foot, but the F-Marketstreetcar is an attraction in itself. Note: although the Civic Center is just a fewblocks from SoMa, the east-west blocks are quite long. START: From UnionSq., hop on the F-Market streetcar at the Powell St. station; exit at theFerry Terminal loop.

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The ceiling of the Garden Court is a glittering masterpiece of glass.

4 Frog Hollow Farm. Grab a coffee and a fruit-filled pastry here,before strolling along the scenicwaterfront. Ferry Building Market-place. y 415/445-0990. $.

owner, who allegedly committedsuicide a day before the grandopening in 1875. Three decadeslater the hotel was ravaged by oneof the many fires that sweptthrough San Francisco following the1906 earthquake. The hotel wasrestored and reopened in 1909,unveiling the magnificent GardenCourt with a domed ceiling madefrom 80,000 panes of glass. Regardthis impressive room (whichincludes the dining room of the Garden Court Restaurant) andabsorb its grandeur, then step intothe Pied Piper to glimpse the $2.5-million Maxfield Parrish painting ofthe same name. @ 20 min. 2 NewMontgomery St. (at Market St.).

y 415/546-5089. www.gardencourt-restaurant.com. Mon–Fri 6:30am–2pm; Sat 6:30–10am; Sun 10am–2pm; tea Sat 2–4pm. BART/Muni:Powell or Montgomery.

7 ★★★ SoMa (South of Mar-ket). This former industrial areasouth of Market Street has becomea major center for art and enter-tainment, museums, and galleries.

@ to stroll through the neighbor-hood: 2–4 hr. Visit any time duringdaylight hours. Note: SFMOMA (seebullet 9 ) is closed Wednesdays.

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5 ★★ Embarcadero Prome-nade. The 1989 earthquakedestroyed the ugly elevated freewaythat once obscured this lovely stretchof waterfront extending from SBCPark to Fisherman’s Wharf. The widesidewalk and scenic views make this afavored destination for pedestrians,bikers, and runners. Notice theEmbarcadero Ribbon, a 21⁄2-mile (4km)continuous line of glass encased inconcrete, as well as the 13-foot-(3.9m-) tall metal pylons and bronzeplaques embedded in the sidewalk,which are imprinted with photo-graphs, drawings, poetry, and histori-cal facts about the waterfront. @ 30min.–1 hr.; a walk in either direction ispleasant at any time of day, but avoidthe traffic on weekday afternoons4–6pm. Return to Market St. to catchthe F-Market streetcar to the Mont-gomery St. station, or walk.

6 Garden Court. The extrava-gant Palace Hotel astounded SanFranciscans and bankrupted its

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8 ★★★= Yerba Buena Cen-ter for the Arts is the culturalanchor of SoMa. It serves as a majorarts-and-entertainment center, withcultural programs for adults, educa-tional and recreational facilities forkids, and lovely gardens that serve

as an oasis in a very urban neighbor-hood. Best time: daylight hours.Weekdays you’ll see office workerstaking a lunch break in its lovelygrounds, while on weekends familieswith kids enjoy the slides and playareas.

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_ ★★★= Yerba Buena Center for the Arts containsthree galleries for high-tech and traditional exhibitions, plus a dancespace. The + Center for theArts Theater hosts dance, music,and theater performances. An architect, sculptor, and poet cametogether to design the { MartinLuther King Jr. Memorial and its50-foot waterfall. From May throughOctober, the Yerba Buena Festivalbrings world-class musicians to the} Esplanade for free concerts.The | Sony Metreon Enter-tainment Center is a massive com-plex with movie theaters, shopping,and attractions like Maurice Sendak’s

Where the Wild Things Are. @ 1 hr.101 4th St. y 800/638-7366. www.metreon.com. Free admission. Attrac-tions $6–$12. Daily 10am–10pm.: Zeum is a hands-on sciencemuseum for older kids. 701 MissionSt. y 415/777-2800. www.zeum.com.Admission $7, $5 kids 4–18. Wed–Sun11am–5pm. The " Children’sCenter has bowling, ice-skating,a carousel, and an outdoor play-ground. Ice-skating & bowling: 750Folsom St. y 415/777-3727. Skating$7, $5.50 kids under 13. BowlingSun–Thurs 10am–10pm, to midnightFri–Sat. $3.50/game or $20/hr. @ 1–3hr. Between 3rd, 4th, Mission & Folsom sts.

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# Zuni Café. Treat yourselves todinner at an SF institution, one of thefirst purveyors of innovative Califor-nia cuisine (1658 Market St. y 415/552-2522; $$$; see also p 116). For adelicious (and cheaper) alternative,head to $ Vicolo Pizzeria, analley-side gem serving memorablecornmeal crust pizzas (150 IvyAlley y 415/863-2382; $; see alsop 115).

SFMOMA’s skylight is just one of themuseum’s architectural highlights.

0 Caffe Museo. SFMOMA’s on-site cafe sells excellent soups,sandwiches, and salads (151 3rd St.;

y 415/357-4500; $).

9 ★★★ San FranciscoMuseum of Modern Art(SFMOMA). In 1995, SFMOMAmoved in to its $62-million home,designed by Swiss architect MarioBotta. The permanent collectionincludes over 15,000 works by thelikes of Henri Matisse, Jackson Pol-lock, and Georgia O’Keeffe. The firstmajor museum to recognize photog-raphy as art form, SFMOMA also hasnumerous excellent examples byAnsel Adams, Man Ray, and others.Not enough of the permanent col-lection is on display at any one time,but temporary exhibits are usuallyexcellent. @ 11⁄2 hr. 151 3rd St.(between Mission & Howard sts.).

y 415/357-4000. www.sfmoma.org. Admission $10, $7 seniors 62+,$6 students with ID, free for kidsunder 13. Half price Thurs 6–9pm.Free to all 1st Tues of the month.Thurs 11am–9pm; Fri–Tues11am–6pm. Closed Wed & major holi-days. Opens at 10am in summer. Bus:15, 30, 45. BART/Muni: MontgomerySt. Best time: weekdays.

Admission $7, $4.50 seniors & kids 12–17 & students, $2 kids4–11, free for kids under 3, free forall the 1st Wed of the month. Daily10am–5pm.

@ ★★ Civic Center. Less than adecade after the 1906 earthquakedestroyed City Hall, San Franciscocompleted an ambitious new administrative and cultural center ingrandiose, Beaux Arts style. It con-tains City Hall, with its 308-foot-(92m-) tall dome, the homes of theSan Francisco Symphony, Opera, andBallet, the main public library, theAsian Art Museum, and othernotable buildings. For more detailson the Civic Center, refer to theneighborhood tour on page 48.

@ 1 hr. Most Civic Center buildingsare bordered by Hayes, Franklin &Hyde sts. & Golden Gate Ave. Besttime: weekdays during daylighthours.

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! ★= California Academyof Sciences. The country’s fourth-largest natural-history museum willbe in SoMa until 2008, while a newfacility is built in Golden Gate Park.The temporary location is not asexpansive as its old home, but doesinclude terrific temporary exhibits,fascinating animal life in the Stein-hart Aquarium, and twice-daily, nar-rated penguin feedings. @ 1–2 hr.;weekday afternoons are best, asmornings are full with school tours.875 Howard St. (at 5th St.). y 415/321-8000. www.calacademy.org.

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