The Embarcadero
About The Embarcadero
The Embarcadero is the waterfront promenade along the eastern edge of San Francisco, running from Fisherman’s Wharf to Oracle Park. The Embarcadero Freeway, a double-decker structure that had blocked the waterfront since the 1950s, was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Demolition started in February 1991 and ran through January 1992. The current promenade was developed in the years that followed.
What to See & Do
The Ferry Building anchors the central section at the foot of Market Street. The clock tower had been hidden behind the freeway and is now visible from across the bay. The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market sets up Saturday mornings (with smaller markets on Tuesdays and Thursdays) along the plaza and the back of the building.
The F Market historic streetcars run the length of the Embarcadero. The cars are vintage trolleys from cities including Milan, Newark, and Philadelphia, painted in their original liveries. The line runs from the Castro down Market Street and continues along the Embarcadero to Fisherman’s Wharf.
The Exploratorium at Pier 15 is a hands-on science museum created by Frank Oppenheimer. The bay bridge lights up at night, perfect for a late night walk along the water. Oracle Park is at the southern end of the Embarcadero at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, home of the San Francisco Giants from April through October. Kayakers paddle in McCovey Cove during games for home run balls that clear the right field wall.
Where to Eat & Drink
Inside the Ferry Building marketplace: Hog Island Oyster Co. has a counter and full bar serving oysters and an early-evening happy hour. Acme Bread is the wholesale bakery that supplies many San Francisco restaurants; loaves are sold from a counter inside the building, typically until mid-afternoon when they sell out. Parachute Bakery is a viennoiserie inside the marketplace that opened in late 2025. Humphry Slocombe scoops ice cream from a counter inside. El Porteño Empanadas sells Argentinian empanadas. Boccalone sells salumi by the slice and packaged.
Getting There
The Embarcadero BART/Muni station is one block from the Ferry Building. Several Muni bus lines, including the 2 Sutter and 14 Mission, terminate at the Ferry Building. Ferries from Marin, the East Bay, and Vallejo dock at the Ferry Building terminal. Parking along the Embarcadero is metered and limited.
When to Visit
Saturday mornings for the farmers market. Weekday mornings for an emptier Ferry Building. Evening for the light on the bay. If you’re on a cruise ship it’s a nice walk.
Where to Eat
All restaurants →
Things to Do
All activities →
Exploratorium
Hands-on science museum founded in 1969 by physicist Frank Oppenheimer, relocated to Pier 15 on the Embarcadero in April 2013. About 600 exhibits at a time, drawn from over 1,000 the museum has built. After Dark Thursdays are 18+ with cocktails. The Tactile Dome needs a separate reservation.
Alcatraz Island
A federal maximum-security penitentiary from 1934 to 1963 on a 22-acre island 1.25 miles offshore. The 1962 Frank Morris and Anglin brothers escape is still officially unsolved. Book through Alcatraz City Cruises 90 days out (2026 day tour $47.95, night tour from $59.65), ferry from Pier 33, allow 2 to 3 hours on the island. Bring layers.
Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
CUESA's year-round market outside the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero, started in 1992. Saturday 8am to 2pm is the largest day, with Tuesday and Thursday 10am to 2pm aimed at the downtown lunch crowd. Restaurant cooks shop alongside the public. EBT and Market Match doubled up to $10.
Ferry Building
The 1898 ferry terminal at the foot of Market with a 245-foot clock tower, sidelined for decades behind the elevated Embarcadero Freeway until the 1989 quake damaged it and the 2003 renovation reopened the building as a marketplace. Acme, Cowgirl Creamery, Blue Bottle, and Hog Island inside; CUESA's Saturday farmers market 8am to 2pm out back. Embarcadero BART across the street.
