Sights of San Francisco in California, attract tourists from all over the world, fascinate and truly amaze the imagination. The city itself is colorful, vibrant and leaves an unforgettable experience. However, the main interest for visitors is precisely memorable places. And in this article we will talk about the main attractions of San Francisco with photos and descriptions of the most interesting for tourists.
Golden Gate Bridge
One of the most recognizable places on the planet is the Golden Gate Bridge, which stretches over the Strait of the same name. It is a genuine business card and the main attraction of San Francisco in the United States. Most tourists from all over the world come here to enjoy this unique attraction. Opened in 1937, The Golden Gate Bridge until 1964 remained the largest suspension bridge in the world. In 1987, in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the named facility, car traffic on it was blocked to give everyone the opportunity to walk along the Golden Gate.
Today, this bridge is one of the main attractions not only in San Francisco, but also in the USA. Originally designed to connect the city with the Marin County, an object with a length of 2737 meters became world famous and gained many incarnations in popular culture, especially films and video games.
Since the bridge is a real magnet for tourists, there are several observation points from which the best view opens up and which will become a real godsend for photography enthusiasts.
Alcatraz Island and Prison
Alcatraz Prison is one of the most notorious correctional facilities. It is located separately from the city, on the island of the same name in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, and plays the role of one of the main attractions of the state. Despite the terrible history, Alcatraz has not been fulfilling its original tasks for more than thirty years, and functions only as a museum.
As a prison, Alcatraz, formerly a lighthouse and a sea fort, began to be used from the 60s of the XIX century, and the natural isolation of the island, located in the middle of the bay with ice water and strong currents, greatly contributed to this. The prison was closed in 1963, and from 1973 to the present the island is open to visitors.
About a million tourists annually visit Alcatraz, a prison from which not a single successful escape has been officially committed during its entire existence. The tight solitary cells, branching corridors and the oppressive atmosphere of a place that hosted hundreds of dangerous criminals - such an “attraction” not only appeal to lovers to tickle their nerves, but also makes them appreciate freedom. A photo of the San Francisco landmark in California - Alcatraz Prison - is presented in our article.
This architectural and historical object resonated in popular culture - one of the most famous examples is the Michael Bay film, entitled "The Rock".
San Francisco Cable Car
Cable trams first appeared in 1873. They became a real help for residents of the city, built on a hilly area. Cable trams are a mixture of tram and funicular. Currently, they function mainly for tourists, being a kind of cultural monument.
The cable car system has become the only public transport on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The modern cable car route includes many of San Francisco's attractions - in particular, it provides access to the promenade, Fisherman's Wharf, Ferry Building Shopping Center, and Nob Hill Hill, which offers excellent views of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park is more than four hundred hectares of green space in the heart of San Francisco. It was founded in the 70s of the XIX century, but still remains an extremely attractive place for tourists and local residents.
Currently, the park includes a huge network of pedestrian and bicycle paths, more than five thousand different plants and species of trees grow in it, several lakes, a riding area and a buffalo paddock are located on the territory.
Major attractions in the park include the De Young Museum, the California Academy of Sciences Museum (includes the Steinhart Aquarium), the Japanese Tea Garden, and the San Francisco Botanical Garden.
In the Golden Gate Park, you can enjoy spending both several hours and several days (namely, it will take so much to get around it completely and visit all interesting places). Bicycle rental (a great way to explore the park) and a special tour including a guide are available for visitors.
But let's look at other sights of San Francisco with photos and with names.
Chinatown (China Town)
Similar Chinatowns exist in many cities around the world, but Chinatown San Francisco deserves special attention because it is the oldest on the whole North American continent and the largest located outside of Asia. It is located in the very center of the city, and more than one hundred thousand people live in it. Almost destroyed after the earthquake of 1906, Chinatown was rebuilt completely in the Chinese style, and after reconstruction it became even more attractive for tourists.
San Francisco's Chinatown includes many temples, theaters, tea houses, shops, souvenir and antique shops, workshops and centers of traditional medicine, so almost every guest in the city can find something interesting for himself.
Fisherman's Wharf
One of the most popular places and one of the main attractions of San Francisco is Fisherman's Wharf. This is a waterfront area in the north-eastern part of the city. Tourists who first visited the city are usually recommended to start their journey to interesting places from here. The oldest part of the area, formerly known as Little Italy, is famous for its restaurants, shops, seafood shops and excellent coastal scenery.
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Madame Tussauds Waxworks, and Girardelli Square are also located on Fisherman's Wharf.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Founded in 1935 and reopened after a lengthy renovation in 2016, the Museum of Modern Art includes more than 15,000 m² of exhibition space - about three times the original area. The exhibits are located on ten floors, and some exhibition halls can be visited for free.
The museum has a wide range of various exhibitions and collections of works created from the beginning of the 20th century. Until now. It was in this museum that one of the first departments of media art was opened.
Palace of Fine Arts
One of the most unusual and beautiful buildings in San Francisco - the Palace of Fine Arts - has a truly interesting history. In 1915, the city authorities allocated a large plot of land for the Panama-Pacific Exhibition. In the center of the "palace" ensemble was a large pavilion, called the Tower of the Gems. By the way, despite the fact that it was conceived as a temporary building, the pavilion fell in love with local residents. For his sake, the "League for the Preservation of the Palace" was created, and the authorities decided to leave the pavilion.
Currently, the Palace of Fine Arts is an architectural monument, which is a monumental structure in the form of an arch, surrounded by a beautiful park. He survived several renovations and is still considered one of the most beautiful buildings in San Francisco.
To make this brief overview more visual, we have provided some photos of the sights of San Francisco. They will help you make sure how interesting the described objects are.
Conclusion
San Francisco is a unique, but at the same time sometimes cold city. Those who come here for the scorching sun and palm trees are very mistaken. But this place is able to surprise with completely different things: its history, buildings, in particular, the grandiose and world famous bridge connecting the shores of the strait, and other no less important sights.