The Super Bowl is all set and San Francisco 49ers are not playing in the big game at Levi's Stadium…read morein 2026. There is a place which has documented contribution of the history of San Francisco from this year Super Bowl teams cities and regions. The city of Seattle ( Rainier Beer) and Boston ( Ship Bank) via New England are represented inside . Although I am not fans of either teams, I do appreciate any contribution of other cities to San Francisco . This museum is the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Visitor Center and even has a sign posted which refers to the city of San Francisco as Frisco. Some locals call it Frisco and some cringe over it and some debate over it ( the endless online debate). This place has embraced the city reference as Frisco at a historical and federal level. On a Winter January stroll at Fisherman's Wharf by the sea boats and ships on Jefferson street in San Francisco you will find a museum with free admission. Inside you will see the history of San Francisco water front before it became a tourist trap. You will see inside items like historical hats and props of seafood in SF. There are displays of even historic bottles of beer and whiskey. They also have statues and a ship inside . The Maritime National Historic Museum Visitor Center is a good place to learn and appreciate how the water front transformed Fisherman's Wharf and San Francisco also known as Frisco by some. When you "enter " the "Maritime National Historic Museum Visitor Center " you will be transported in a time when ships were the main source of transportation when trade was legal "tender" to buy goods over a century ago from merchants or a "vendor" This museum has history of San Francisco when it started with "Spain " before it became USA " terrain" and then ended with the 1898" Spanish American Campaign"and some historical artifacts of the past inside the Maritime National Historic Museum Visitor Center still "remain"

Free museum to look at. Lots to read and no hurry to move. Clean and nice workers they are there to…read moreanswer questions. Nice place to bring students or walk through with kids. Clean bathrooms ADA accessible, etc...nice place to slow down and take a break from the outdoor sun or crowds of tourists.

Great views of the Golden Gate Bridge!…read more Great information, lots of places of sit, bus stops, rideshare pick up, bike racks and like I said, great views.

Wonderful area to visit. It's a small building, but you don't need much room for a welcome center…read more Very clean. Lots of parking available and easy Uber/Lyft drop-off/pick-up. If you want to be on a hidden beach, follow the trail to the right, go through the tunnel, and walk down until you reach the cove. There's a grassy area and picnic tables there as well.

Nice new visitor center with a desk person and panda stuffed animals for sale...tourist brochures…read morefor the bay area standards...for kids or newer tourists...some of the activities are from the 1990s...over 30 years ago...eventually...u can keep walking around by yourself on planet earth...maybe we missed the point....go to workplace and meet in the community...maybe we missed the boat..boat back to china haha

My sister and I were in SF Chinatown last Saturday in the afternoon. After purchasing a box of…read moremooncakes and jeen dur (sesame ball aka Chinese donut), we were walking on our way to the Montgomery BART Station by way of Kearny Street. I stopped in at this information center. I asked the lady at the counter for their holiday gift guide. The gift guide was advertised on another website (FB). She said she could not help me. Well, I turned and looked to the counter to my right. Lo and behold! I found the gift guide. I can't say for sure if she misunderstood me; however, I will give her the benefit of the doubt. I waved the gift guide at her and told her thank you. Of course, I am curious as to what types of discounts are being offered to not only tourists but also local people in the area. I'm from across the bay (the town/Oakland/Alameda), and I don't mind stopping in several businesses to support the community of SF Chinatown. The guide lists discounts for bakery & cafe, dried seafood/Chinese herbal products, gift shops, jewelry, restaurant, tea shops. Other attractions are landmarks and murals. Not interested in massages, as I have Dr. Feelgood at home. (Sing it Aretha!) LOL.

Stopped in for my favorite post hike treat today at the Lookout- Bar Gelato by Naia. Don't…read moreunderestimate this popsicle style gelato! Creamy and delicious, I got the chocolate marzipan. Besides drinks and snacks this cute little visitors center offers maps, books, and other fun gift ideas like cutting boards and playing cards. What's even cooler is the history inside. There are display cases with historic artifacts, historical depictions of the area and even a sculpture from the original Sutro Gardens. The staff is all very knowledgeable and friendly. One of the stand out sections is these little cubes where they feature post cards that visitors can make art on or write their memories and submit for the display. With clear views of Sutro baths from both inside and outside this mini museum is a great place to take a break whether I'm hiking up the lands end trail or walking the beach. The bathrooms are always clean and there is a water fill up station outside.

Great place to stop and use the well-appointed restrooms with a view. A decent sized parking lot…read morewill fill u quickly but you should be able to snag a spot with not too much of a wait.

Update: Still 5 stars! Since I've now been there numerous…read moretimes, I skip the tour and cafe, but I always always go to the store, especially the room of discounted items, like new flavors they're trying out that aren't in the branding bags yet or seasonal products. It's sooo worth it to get a bag of my favorite jelly beans for $2.00 or sometimes a specialty item for even $0.50! So fun. I've discovered some new favorites this way. FYI: They are currently remodeling the discount room, which is located on the side where the cafe is, but it is temporarily behind the stairs on the side of the store. Look out for it because it is worth it! There are also little "train rides" in the parking lot, but the schedule is sporadic. The jelly bean art work is still really cool to look at each time I'm there. They sometimes rotate what they display, which is cool. Currently they have Harry Potter jelly beans artwork displayed in the entryway. They've also gotten rid of the free taste tests, which used to be right when you enter. Bummer. That was really fun to taste the bamboozle flavors, like stinky feet or vomit. Haha

I went there because I thought that my son might enjoy, but it really exceeded my expectations. (In…read morea good way, of course) This is a fantastic place that adults also can enjoy just as much as kids! We could learn how Jelly Belly Beans are made, and about the history of them. The factory workers kindly waved at us, which made my son very happy. At the gift shop, I ended up buying a ton of jelly beans lol My favorite flavor is butter popcorn.

A very interesting exhibition. I enjoy watching the videos. The basement model was huge and even…read morehas a clean bathroom. The volunteers are very nice and friendly. It's probably a bit boring for children but if you're interested in how water is processed from the bay and the history of the bay area's water development, this is educational. I really enjoyed my trip here. It's about an hour long. Definitely recommend an afternoon here and a walk in the neighborhood plus a nice lunch afterwards.

Interested in hydraulic models? Here's your chance to walk around a model of the San Francisco Bay…read moreDelta which simulates a 24-hour cycle of tides. What blew me away was how expansive the model was! Exhibits of the area's hydrology are also found throughout the facility. Guided tours are available on Saturdays at 11AM. It's limited to 40 visitors on a first come basis. Tours are 45 minutes long. If there is more staff available, they offer tours on the hour or half hour. Tours can also be tailored to groups at various technical levels (see their website for contact information). Hours are: Tuesday - Friday: 9AM - 3PMSaturday: 9AM - 4PM They are closed on Sunday, Monday, and Federal Holidays. If a Federal holiday falls on a Monday, then they will be closed on the previous Saturday. There's a free parking lot next to the facility. Admission is free!

This was probably one of our favorite gift shops in Napa…read more While the items were slightly on the touristy side, the vibe was welcoming and the gift areas were clean and well maintained. Most of the selection was about mid to high level quality with reasonable pricing, and they had quite a few fun maps and other large-scale decorations as part of the welcome center which were fun to see. All in all, the service was friendly and it was nice to walk around in, so if you're visiting the area I'd definitely drop in.

My niece, my brother and myself went to Napa Valley in June. We were just walking around and my…read moreniece said we should gp check out the Welcome Center. Maggie was super helpful, and gave us very good recommendations and also explained where we could visit in Napa Valley. She suggested a few good wineries as all.

I've been here several times to pick up products, and most of the time I just grab and go and don't…read morereally linger any longer than I need to. The staff is always warm and friendly which is quite nice especially given it gets quite busy. I've always wanted to try the coffee bar and stopped by here during my last visit. I ordered the white chocolate mocha, which came with the signature apple logo. The mocha was great. And if you are visiting here for the first time, do check out the rooftop patio and the AR experience.

I don't understand how this is a visitors center. This place is a glorified Apple Store with a…read moremediocre cafe attached. There was an area under construction so maybe they will have something more interesting in the future. But my whole family (including my Apple obsessed hubby) only spent about 15 min here left completely disappointed. I felt it was a waste of my time driving here to see it unless you are an Apple super fan and need an overpriced Apple t-shirt, or need to buy some kind of Apple product and don't have an Apple Store near you.

I am surprised there isn't more reviews for the Google Visitor Experience on here. It is a great…read moreplace to take friends, family and visitors to see a slice of Silicon Valley. Technically, you cannot go into the offices but you can check out the Google store, gift shop, cafe, big art plaza, and workshops. There is free parking at the garage nearby which is a piece of art itself. You can either take the shuttle which arrives every 15 minutes or walk about 7-10 minutes to the Google canopy. Once you arrive, you'll see the different parts that you can explore. My favorite 2 things to do there is the cafe which has so many inexpensive food and drink options and also the big artwork along the plaza. Even on crowded days, the big artwork is easy to check out and take pictures. I love the big white orb which is a massive twisted, metal sculpture that looks futuristic and very cool inside and outside. The bear is cute also because it is made completely out of pennies! You won't be disappointed by the big, fun, whimsical and spectacular big art at Google. It's like a free outdoor museum. My other favorite part of the experience is the cafe. Ordering is simple and the menu changes often. The cafe uses ingredients from a lot of local farms and bakeries. It keeps the menu quite cheap as most items are under $15 and even under $10! That is unheard of nowadays. Try the potato soup and you'll thank me. It is creamy, addictive and do yourself a favor and get the big bowl. The sandwiches are top notch and they use Acme bread which is already an awesome treat. After the art, the store, the cafe; you can easily take a hike to Shoreline and check out the amazing views from the top of the hill as well. So check out the Google Visitor Experience and it has much more to offer than other Silicon Valley experiences.

Didn't know what to expect, but I'll say Google Visitor Experience by far the one of the best…read more They have two areas you can park at: Lot C which is the Shoreline Amphitheater parking lot and it's a 3 minute walk to the Visitor Center or there's Alta Garage which is about a 8 minute walk. At Alta Garage there's a shuttle that runs from 10am to 7pm 7 days a week that takes you to the Visitor Center every 15 minutes.The parking and shuttle are also free. There's podium with greeters in green that can give a run a down on the visitor experience and they also have QR codes that gives you all the information you need as well about the Visitor experience. The Google store is cool with branded swag to the right and all the devices to the left of the store. The Cafe has really great food and they are locally sourced from local farms. Then theres the pop up shop that sells products from local businesses inside of the Huddle which is one of coolest places. It's a mixture of a library slash Dave n busters with all the games, board games that's there. The patio area outside is spacious and has tons of umbrellas which you can relax and enjoy a meal. Last but not least all burning man art pieces they have on campus that are exclusive to Google are really cool. If you have family or friends visiting from out of town take them to the Visitor Experience and spend the whole day here.

My artist friend whisked me away to Chinatown in search of something she says will definitely be…read morefound there and this unassuming corner store was our first destination. Turns out when looking for tassels and chachkis, Grant Avenue is the street to stroll. At Jing Ying, she found these ornamental tassels with opaque beads that will be part of her art. There's calendars, Bruce Lee posters and all kinds of stuff here. We met a nice lady who helped us without pushing us to buy anything. Prices are fairly comparable with other shops in the area. We've kept looking everywhere afterwards, but this place turned out to be our best find!

Beautiful jade bangles best Authentic real Chinese Jade bangles. Family owned shop and factory in…read moreChinatown San Francisco and Hong Kong. DO NOT GO ANYWHERE ELSE this is the best place in San Francisco