Fisherman’s Wharf

What you need to know

Fisherman’s Wharf runs along the northern waterfront from Pier 39 west to Aquatic Park and Ghirardelli Square. Italian and Sicilian fishermen settled this stretch starting in the late 1800s, and a working commercial fishing fleet still docks at Pier 45. Dungeness crab season runs roughly November through June, when traps and gear fill the docks.

Seafood Stands

The walk-up stands along Jefferson Street sell whole and cracked Dungeness crab, shrimp cocktails, and clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls. Several of the operators have been in the same spots for decades. Quality varies; lines of locals tend to be a useful signal.

Pier 39

Pier 39 is a shopping and restaurant complex that opened in 1978. Sea lions began hauling out on the K-Dock in January 1990, a few months after the Loma Prieta earthquake. Their numbers shift through the year but they’re typically present year-round. Watching them is free. The pier also looks across to Alcatraz and the Golden Gate.

Ghirardelli Square

Ghirardelli Square at the western end of the wharf is the former Ghirardelli chocolate factory, converted to a shopping and dining complex in 1964. Manufacturing moved to San Leandro years ago. The original ice cream shop and chocolate store remain on site.

Hyde Street Pier

The Hyde Street Pier is part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. Boardable historic ships include the Balclutha (an 1886 square-rigged ship), the Eureka (an 1890 ferryboat), and the C.A. Thayer (a 1895 lumber schooner). The Maritime Museum is in the Aquatic Park Bathhouse, an Art Deco building from 1939.

Musée Mécanique

Musée Mécanique on Pier 45 is a free-admission collection of antique mechanical arcade games. Most machines take quarters. Many of the games date back over a century.

Getting There

The Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason cable car lines both terminate near the wharf. The historic F-Market streetcar runs along the Embarcadero from the Ferry Building. The 30 Stockton and 47 Van Ness buses serve the area. Driving and parking are difficult, especially on weekends.