California Official Visitor's Guide 2021 - 103

WHERE SAN FRANCISCO
MEETS THE BAY to Play
PIER 39 cares about the health and safety of our guests and employees.
Visit pier39.com for current safety guidelines.

THE EMBARCADERO @ BEACH STREET * 415.981.PIER * PIER39.COM

PIER 39. The Embarcadero @ Beach St. Two levels
of dining, entertainment, shopping & attractions,
surrounded by unbeatable views of the city and the Bay.
Take it from our world-famous sea lions: a visit to San
Francisco starts at The PIER. 800/325-7437; pier39.com
See ad, p. 103

Valley, you know San Jose for innovation. What may
surprise you are the diverse neighborhoods and natural
beauty. Three hundred days of sunshine make dining al
fresco a year-round event. 800/SAN-JOSE;
sanjose.org See ad, p. 97

Coit Tower. Take a ticketed elevator ride to the observation deck of this tower, an emblem of San Francisco's
skyline since 1933, and enjoy 360-degree views of the
city. 415/831-2700; sfrecpark.org

The Presidio. This 1,500-acre former U.S. Army base
is now home to not only over 790 examples of military
architecture, but beaches, hiking trails, golf courses,
luxury dining and lodging, the Walt Disney Family
Museum, and more. 415/561-5300; presidio.gov

Exploratorium. With 650+ hands-on exhibits and
zero " Don't Touch " signs, visitors of all ages will always
find fun at the Exploratorium-TripAdvisor's #1 rated
museum in San Francisco. Pier 15 on the Embarcadero.
exploratorium.edu/visit See ad, p. 45

San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park.
Explore a fleet of historic vessels and get up-close
insight into Pacific Coast maritime history via the onsite
museum and an afternoon spent wandering the Aquatic
Park Historic District. 415/561-7000; nps.gov

History Park. An open-air history museum in Kelley
Park containing historic buildings, including a Chinese
temple, the Pacific Hotel, a trolley restoration barn, and
the 230-foot-high Electric Light Tower, an 1881 attempt
at illuminating San Jose's streets. 408/287-2290;
historysanjose.org

Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. This cluster
of islands, 30 miles offshore, is home to sea lions, seals,
and more than 400 species of seabirds. The islands are
closed to the public, but can be viewed by boat tours.
510/792-0222; fws.gov

SAN GREGORIO

a large collection of vibrant murals. 916/322-6584;
caculturaldistricts.org/calle-24
Chinatown. Discover shops filled with food, herbs,
porcelains, furniture, fabrics, and curios from China,
Hong Kong, and Taiwan in this historic area, one of the
country's oldest and most established Chinatowns.
sanfranciscochinatown.com

Fort Point National Historical Site. Take a guided tour
of this fort that defended the San Francisco Bay from
the Gold Rush through WWII. Enjoy sweeping views of
the Golden Gate Bridge. 415/504-2334; nps.gov/fopo
Japanese Tea Garden. Experience the beauty, tranquility, and harmony of the oldest public Japanese-style
garden in the U.S., located in the heart of Golden Gate
Park. See the arched drum bridge, steppingstone paths,
and koi ponds. japaneseteagardensf.com
Mission San Francisco de Asís. Also known as Mission
Dolores, this active chapel is the oldest intact building
in San Francisco (1776); its well-tended gardens and
cemetery are a popular escape from the surrounding
bustle. 415/621-8203; missiondolores.org

Pomponio State Beach. Wide, sweeping beaches and
roaring surf makes this beach a popular destination.
With on-site picnic tables and barbecues and plentiful
parking, this day-use beach is open from 8 a.m. to
sunset. 650/726-8819; parks.ca.gov
San Gregorio State Beach. The area includes a
protected, driftwood-strewn estuary at the back of a
wide, sandy beach and is home to many birds and small
animals. 650/726-8819; parks.ca.gov

SAN JOSE
Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose. Kids
get to learn about science in real-life ways-from
fossil-digging to bubble blowing and gardening-at
this hands-on museum, with around 150 exhibits.
408/298-5437; cdm.org
Visit San Jose-San Jose Convention and Visitors
Bureau. 408 Almaden Boulevard. In the heart of Silicon

Winchester Mystery House. Sarah Winchester of
the Winchester rifle fortune worked on this house, a
massive warren of 160 rooms, including 40 bedrooms,
47 fireplaces, and stairs that lead to nowhere, for 38
years. 408/247-2000; winchestermysteryhouse.com

SAN RAFAEL
Downtown San Rafael Arts District. Enjoy galleries,
open studios, art exhibits, and more within this district,
founded with the goal of promoting socioeconomic
and ethnic diversity through local arts and culture.
415/451-8119; artsanrafael.org
Marin Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Home to
brown and white pelicans, diving ducks, grebes, and
terns, this 339-acre refuge is also the largest heron
and egret rookery of the San Francisco Bay Area.
510/792-0222; fws.gov
Mission San Rafael Arcángel. This mission is home to
an active parish and holds daily services. A self-guided
tour of the small chapel (a 1919 replica of the original)
and gift shop/museum takes about an hour. 415/4548141; saintraphael.com

http://www.pier39.com http://www.PIER39.COM http://www.caculturaldistricts.org/calle-24 http://www.pier39.com http://www.sanjose.org http://www.sanfranciscochinatown.com http://www.presidio.gov http://www.sfrecpark.org http://www.historysanjose.org http://www.nps.gov http://www.exploratorium.edu/visit http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com http://www.fws.gov http://parks.ca.gov http://www.artsanrafael.org http://www.nps.gov/fopo http://parks.ca.gov http://www.fws.gov http://www.japaneseteagardensf.com http://www.cdm.org http://www.missiondolores.org http://www.saintraphael.com

California Official Visitor's Guide 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of California Official Visitor's Guide 2021