Cool museum I had never heard of till recently. Stopped by this past Saturday. Admission is free,…read morebut $10 donation is suggested. There are two floors, but the exhibits downstairs were minimal, just the Warren Hinckle Vault and a roped off new exhibit coming soon, City Lab for kids. Lovely colorful murals on the wall though, featuring SF landmarks like Alcatraz and the Palace of Fine Arts. The restrooms are located on the bottom level too. The main hall, on ground level, had lots to explore in its permanent collection. This included an SF cable cars display, a piece of wire rope from the Bay Bridge, old posters from the Fillmore Auditorium in the 1960's, a carousel horse from Woodward's Gardens (an amusement park that existed in the mission district from 1866-1891), a stage coach visitors can step inside, and the story and timeline of SF's four "rushes" (starting with the Gold Rush in 1849-1853, and the most recent being Silicon Valley). There was also a smaller attached room on the same floor with a documentary film showing activist James Baldwin's visit to SF in 1963, highlighting racial injustice of displaced residents, part of the museum's current special exhibit "We Were There: Views of SF's Urban Renewal". The museum has rotating exhibits and offers guided tours on Saturdays, though we preferred and enjoyed our self-paced visit. Worth checking out!

The Museum of San Francisco is a hidden gem in the Financial district. It has wonderful displays of…read moreinteresting artifacts and curated exhibits that cover the history of San Francisco from early Gold Rush days to the present. It also has an area called "The City Lab for Kids" that gives kids the opportunity to learn through interactive displays. There are free docent tours on Saturday that give excellent commentary and makes history come alive. A must see in San Francisco!

We went on a tour of the Palace Hotel by the SF Historical Society and it was great. Very informed…read moreand interesting. We knew a fair amount about the hotel but definitely learned more. A lot of SF history there. We also heard a lecture two weeks ago about the Ferry building that was excellent. I definitely recommend joining this group and visiting their museum and events. Informative and fun.

This is a great place to spend about an hour learning about the history of San Francisco. If you…read morehave friends or relatives visiting who like museums or learning about local history, this is the place to bring them. The museum was renovated about a year ago. Displays from the Wells Fargo museum, which is now closed, are now shown here. Many people don't know that during the Gold Rush, sailors left their ships so that they could prospect for gold. This left many abandoned vessels in the Bay, which became landfill for many areas of the city. There is a picture that shows the abandoned ships and a map of where many known ships are buried today. The docents are really nice, and do a great job of explaining this and other interesting historical information about the City and the Mint that was located at the building. Admission is free, and donations are encouraged. If you like learning about the City, this is a great place to visit.

This place is very cool! And worth a stop in when you're in the city and down by the wharf! The…read moreemployees were super friendly, and admission is free! It's on the last corner at the end of Fisherman's Wharf - easy to find. They have a giant glass from a lighthouse - so neat to see it in person. So much interesting information for anyone who loves the sea and maritime lore. Check it out for certain.

This area of Fisherman's Wharf has a bit of sandy beach, a good view of the Bridge (when not…read morefoggy), and good view of swimmers/triathletes practicing in the nearby waters. The iconic Ghirardelli sign is visible here as well, with plenty of green space to enjoy the views.

I have a lot of feelings about this museum, having stayed in the Tenderloin in 1986. The punk band…read moreI was traveling with went onward to Japan for the rest of their tour, so I stayed behind before going back to NY state after a month or so. Oh my. What I remember from the 80s: tents full of AIDS patients at the Civic Center, protesting lack of services. I met an AIDS patient, which in those days was scary because there was little information on it. He looked so ill, with a withered face and sunken eyes, since the first medicines were very hard on the body. I had heard nothing about the disease in high school and had a vague idea that it was spread through the air like TB. The man was so kind and he explained everything about the disease to me, and what they were doing there. It was my first introduction to that good old SF protest energy. Grassroots organizing at its best and very effective. Next, I observed those blessed old hippies in action. They held free needle exchanges in a park in the Tloin, to try to stop the spread of HIV and hepatitis. SFPD arrested them, and more filled their place. They kept getting arrested and reappearing, over and over and over, until the city made these places legal. NYC was years behind on this, and as a consequence, many got sick here. The Tloin was a frightening place to a middle class teen like me with no life experience. I met a few kindly elders, and a group of kids called the Powell Street Punks, who were skins (only on the outside afaik, not racist skins). They would skateboard around the BART station entrance and regularly get rousted by the cops. One thing that still p***es me off was the fact that SFPD would regularly take our beer and pour it out or drink one. I used to vacation in SF every year until 2001, and remember passing through this area and seeing how it changed and how it stayed the same. Now that I'm back to regularly visiting, I can see the city evolving and de-evolving in front of my eyes, perhaps better than those who live here year round. I see a lot of ugliness here in the Tloin, but I also see kindness, which I chose to put at the forefront. I see that same quintessentially San Francisco helper energy, and that same grassroots organizing, protesting, and innovation. That will never change, even when the city changes. Goodness never dies out.

I'm very sorry to say that I was very underwhelmed by this museum. One room with some pictures and…read morea few interpretive notes. I really was expecting more given what I'd heard. I totally understand that it is hard to run a small museum like this, rent is high (it is SF!), and without much space to work with I realize it's hard to do much. I guess I was expecting something akin to the Tenement Museum in New York with perhaps that would take one back in time and show how people really lived. I also understand that the Tenderloin Museum is not JUST a history museum and has a greater mission and advocacy to share the stories that are still unfolding there. Nonetheless, having last year visited an amazing historically living history museum at the Black Country in Birmingham, UK, well...I only wish there were more support for places like these via non-profits and government grants or subsidies. And frankly, to get there was heartbreaking as well as scary as F. I had to wade through blocks of people doing drugs (I assume fentynal) obliterated out of their minds. And that is what is insane about the Tenderloin. It never seems to get better. It is worse now than I have ever seen! (Thanks, Breed and co.) I'd say Good Luck Tenderloin, but what you really need is good policy. Maybe someday when people go to the Tenderloin Museum, they will go to a history museum that will give an account of what it was like with the horrors of addiction and poverty and violence but they will walk through a healthy city-scape of loved, creative, and vibrant (if slightly offbeat) residents. That being said, it is still a place of immigrants and artists, and glorious misfits . But they get lost among the addicts and (yes) criminals, at first look. Peace.

I recognize fnnch's work from the pandemic. Those cute honey bears he painted onto utility boxes in…read morethe Richmond as well as other places around the city were so cute! Thanks to my friend who got us tickets to see this very cool exhibit of all the different honey bears. Very cool and generous that it's free, but must have reservation tickets. Also this fnnch museum is located in one of Painted Ladies--the Pink Painted Lady. Perfect venue. Located on Steiner between Hayes and Grove.

Signature Honey Bears [San Francisco CA]…read more The "Painted Ladies" is a popular tourist attraction in San Francisco and the view of these homes from the park is truly iconic. It was also featured in the intro to "Full House" (aired from 1987 to 1995) but once you get your photo from the hill, what else is there to do... I found out about the Fnnch Pop-Up Museum by accident and the exhibit is temporarily hosted in one of the Painted Ladies house. Fnnch is a local street artist and the exhibit featured his Honey Bear paintings over the last 10 years. You know, those classic plastic squeezable honey container with a spout cap lid you can find in any grocery store. There are 116 paintings in all including ones he has created since his very first in January 2015. The exhibit includes a timeline with photos and descriptions of the origins of most bears. Some were designed for murals, some for current events and some for commissions and at one point San Francisco became so oversaturated with fnnch's honey bears. Honestly, I didn't really pay much attention to the honey bears during my trips to San Francisco but now that I know the background and history of it I actually try to spot them while driving in the City now. Found 3 honey bears at Duboce Park Cafe on Duboce Avenue. I also wanted to experience a unique opportunity to see inside one of the Painted Ladies which was a treat. This was a fun, cheap, something to do in San Francisco. The event is Free! Instagram: @fnnch Review #3867

Black Point Historic Gardens is a beautiful hidden gem near Fort Mason and Fisherman's Wharf…read more The garden has peaceful winding paths, colorful flowers, and one of the best surprise views of the Bay, Alcatraz, and the waterfront. It feels much quieter than the busy tourist areas nearby, which makes it a perfect short escape after walking around Pier 39 or Aquatic Park. I loved the mix of history, greenery, and ocean views. The hillside layout gives it a slightly secret-garden feeling, and every turn has a different angle of the water, boats, and skyline. Great spot for a quick walk, photos, a peaceful break, or a scenic detour. Very underrated San Francisco stop.

I've spent a lot of time this way. It was already a cool physical landscape but this remodel has…read moretotally changed the landscape. It is hard to convey how the space has been transformed with the removal of major trees. Earth has been moved. That is some expensive and regulated work. It looks great now. Total transformation. They took out a lot of trees. It's wide open compared to how it used to be. I love this part of town. Great for active people to have the best views possible.

I finally got the chance to visit the Chinese Railroad Workers History Center in Chinatown…read moreyesterday. I am really interested in the history of the building of the United States Transcontinental Railroad (1863 to 1869) and also because I love trains. The exhibit at this history center mainly focuses on the Chinese railroad workers who emigrated here from China in the 1860's to help build the railroad. This exhibit reveals and explains how these Chinese immigrants played a very important role in the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad and how their contributions were not widely acknowledged and how they faced and experienced racism. I would highly recommend you visit this museum to learn more about how these Chinese immigrants helped to connect the people of the United States together. Admission is free and you can make a donation if you wish.

I went late and was unable to read everything but it's packed with lots of info to read. Talks…read moreabout what I expected. Where, when, how and why the Chinese came to America and how they worked hard despite the discrimination, low pay, and poor conditions they had to live through. They had to live in tents during harsh weather and had to pay for it; where as their other counterparts had free room, board and shelter. I will go back to read what I missed!

A beautiful inner city garden located in the heart of the tl with a huge red gateway and a small…read morewalkway around the garden. It's a small, refreshing sanctuary for a very urban area of town.

The above reviewer just wrote a review about her fearful feelings walking in the Tenderloin…read more Apparently, she got so carried away in her lurid description that she forgot that she was actually reviewing Cohen Alley... Let's hope she doesn't set out to visit any of the neighborhood's other gems, lest fear cloud her judgement & sully another hard earned reputation. This place is great. It's beautiful, it's interactive, and it provides solace to a community that really needs and appreciates a beautiful and relaxing place to visit. Eat pizza! Hear poetry! Enjoy plants! Get your pants fixed! ...Sure, keep your basic street-smarts walking in the TL, but by all means visit Tenderloin National Park! Perhaps re-directing here will help, too: http://m.yelp.com/biz/tenderloin-national-forest-san-francisco