Ferry Building

What you need to know

The Ferry Building has stood at the foot of Market Street since 1898. The 245-foot clock tower marks the eastern edge of downtown. The building survived the 1906 earthquake and was eclipsed for decades by the elevated Embarcadero Freeway, which was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and demolished in 1991. A 2003 renovation reopened the building as a marketplace.

Before the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge opened in the 1930s, ferries carried about 50 million passengers a year through this terminal.

The Marketplace

The renovated nave runs the length of the building and houses food vendors and shops. Acme Bread sells loaves baked across the bay in Berkeley. Cowgirl Creamery sells cheeses from Marin and beyond. Blue Bottle Coffee opened one of its first locations as a kiosk here. Other tenants include Recchiuti Confections, Far West Fungi, and Humphry Slocombe.

The Farmers Market

The CUESA-run Ferry Plaza Farmers Market operates outside along the Embarcadero. The Saturday market runs 8am to 2pm and is the largest of the week. Smaller markets run Tuesday 10am to 2pm and Thursday 10am to 2pm. Restaurant cooks shop alongside the public.

Restaurants

Hog Island Oyster Company has a raw bar inside the building with bay views. Boulettes Larder serves seasonal plates. The Slanted Door, the longtime Vietnamese restaurant from chef Charles Phan, closed its Ferry Building location in 2020 and remains closed. A range of more casual options covers a quick coffee or pastry.

Ferries

The back of the building is still an active ferry terminal. Golden Gate Ferry runs to Sausalito and Larkspur. San Francisco Bay Ferry runs to Tiburon, Oakland, Alameda, Vallejo, and other destinations. The schedules are aimed at commuters but the routes work for visitors too.

Getting There

The Embarcadero BART and Muni Metro station is across the street. The historic F-Market streetcar line runs along the waterfront to Fisherman’s Wharf and inland to Castro.