Pier 39 in San Francisco: Family Fun in San-Fran!

Pier 39 is located on the Embarcadero in San Francisco. Pier 39 is easily reached by car, bus, trolley car, ferry or the bay area transit, known in the area as BART. The entire family will be entertained as they stroll the pier. From shopping to restaurants to state of the art game room, the Pier is a full day of fun.

Pier 39 features close to 111 stores. There are numerous specialty stores such as a store devoted to unique niches like magic, puppetry, and an entire store about socks. You will also find a hat store and a fabulous shop dedicated to the pampered pet. Browsing through all of the unique stores is adventure . Of course, after a few hours of shopping, the hunger pains start and you are in for another treat. Pier 39 has a vast selection of restaurants and street vendors with treats. Try San Francisco favorites like sour dough bread, chocolate, hot pretzels,waffle ice cream cones or mini doughnuts. Make sure to grab a cup of coffee from the San Francisco Roasting Company. If a sit down meal is what you crave, the choice and variety are a few steps away. The hungry tourist will find restaurants with offerings like Sushi, Pizza, clam chowder & fresh fish dishes, Italian pastas to die for or just a plain old ever popular hamburger & fries. The decision of where to dine is made more difficult as you walk the Pier as the smells tempt you wherever you are.

Pier 39 offers other attractions besides food and shopping. The Aquarium of the Bay is located at the front of Pier 39. Open daily from 9 am to 8pm, Aquarium of the Bay is an adventure all its own. Sharks, octopi, jelly fish & numerous other aquatic animals are featured for your viewing pleasure. In the Giant Pacific Octopus exhibit at the Aquarium of the Bay, visitors can learn of the traits and habits of this interesting aquatic animal. Families can spend the day marveling and learning about all of the sea world.

Pier 39 is also the home to a large Sea Lion population. The Sea lions started arriving in 1990 and have become a popular attraction. Anywhere from 10 to 300 Sea Lions can be seen sunning themselves on the piers behind the shops. The plentiful herring supply available in the area is the main reason for this sea lion population. The sea lions presence delights spectators. Whether they are just sunning, swimming in the waters or speaking their special language among themselves, they have a crowd watching their antics. An added educational attraction is that the Marine Center is located on Level 2 of Pier 39. Some weekends, the Center has volunteer docents at the dock to explain sea lion behaviors and answer any questions the audience may have.

Pier 39 also has changing entertainment venues happening throughout the day at the Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Stage. You may see a magician, clown or perhaps a musical act entertaining the crowd.

Kids of all ages delight on the giant San Francisco Carousel located towards the back of the pier or the Turbo Ride Simulation Theatre across the way.

End your day at the Wines of California Wine Bar, relaxing and enjoying the many offerings of tasty California wines and then venturing to the back of the pier to watch the sunset over the bay.

Pier 39 has a large parking garage nearby and security is ever present with 24 hour a day professionals on duty to ensure safety.