Guide to Pier 39 in San Francisco

Pier 39 is one of San Francisco's favorite places for tourists to visit. The locals of Northern California frequent Pier 39 as well. It is home to more than 110 stores, 13 restaurants which all have a view of the San Francisco Bay, tons of attractions including street performers and other live entertainment, and the world famous sea lions.

Pier 39 is located on the San Francisco peninsula and offers visitors a chance to catch a glimpse of many of the city's other fine landmarks. From the end of Pier 39, any visitor can see Alcatraz, the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, and a stretch of the San Francisco Bay that runs directly into the city's skyline. Visitors can walk down the pier at anytime, but the shops, restaurants, and other attractions are typically open between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. These hours change with the seasons as more visitors tend to flock the area during certain months.

Pier 39 is home to a plethora of shops which cover a vast array of interests. While prices can be high in some shops, other shops offer very reasonable prices for things in a tourist location. The stores run along both sides all the way down the pier. Since it is a popular tourist location, there are naturally a lot of gift shops. Some of the best gift shops are The Cable Car Store, Hollywood USA, Field of Dreams, Only in San Francisco, and Making History.

The Cable Car Store is filled with every product you can think of that they can put cable cars on. It also has a lot of collectable cable car figurines. For tourists who see cable cars for the first time during their visit to San Francisco, this store can be fairly amusing. Hollywood USA is a store filled with everything from the movies including shirts and posters. Field of Dreams is a sports memorabilia store that is home to some amazing pieces from some of the top athletes in history. Although neither Hollywood USA nor Field of Dreams is specific to San Francisco, they are both favorite stores on the pier among tourists. Only in San Francisco is the typical tourist gift shop that makes a great place for visitors trying to remember their trip. It has a lot of fun items that can be great gifts for friends and family back home as well. Making History is store that deals with gifts and food items that relate to the history of San Francisco making it an interesting stop for tourists.

Pier 39 also offers a wide array of places to eat including fast food and restaurants. It is home to some popular favorites anywhere such as Hard Rock Café and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. The nicest restaurant at Pier 39 is Neptune's Palace. It is a seafood restaurant that overlooks the San Francisco Bay from the end of the pier. Neptune's Palace is also a fairly expensive restaurant for the visitors who want to enjoy a first class meal. Wipeout Bar & Grill may be the best overall restaurant because it mixes low prices with some great food. It is also a great place for kids.

Besides shopping and dining, Pier 39 is also home to several attractions that can be entertaining for kids or the whole family. Aquarium of the Bay is a terrific opportunity to see some of the wildlife that calls the Bay home. The Riptide Arcade and San Francisco Carousel are two of the favorite attractions for kids. The world famous sea lions at Pier 39 are the crowd favorite though. If you can get through the smell and the constant barking by the sea lions, then it is completely worth it to go watch them for a while. Hundreds of them lie out and swim around at the end of Pier 39 for much of the year.