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Although now largely tourist-oriented, there are still authentic sights to see, aromas to savor, and salt air to breathe among these piers.

Formerly a military base established during the Civil War, some of the army buildings have been devoted to cultural programs of all kinds since 1976. Some 50 organizations now call it home, including museums, art galleries, theaters, shops, festivals, fairs, and performance spaces, as well as libraries and various institutes. Some of the most prominent are the Museum of Craft and Folk Art and the Museo ItaloAmericano, the San Francisco African-American Historical and Cultural Society, the Children’s Art Theater, the Magic Theater, and Herbst Pavilion. The city’s finest vegetarian restaurant, Greens, is also located here, enjoying unique views of the Bay and Golden Gate.

This world-famous engineering masterpiece sets off the entrance to San Francisco Bay in the most spectacular way, and never fails to elicit gasps of awe from first-time visitors and old-timers alike.

This is a pleasant, upmarket zone, featuring bars and trendy boutiques along Chestnut Street. Marina Green is a vast lawn where locals love to jog, skate, fly kites, picnic, or walk their dogs. At the tip of the breakwater that protects the Marina, you can tune in to the bizarre sounds of the Wave Organ, an instrumental structure of underwater pipes through which the tides slosh in a vaguely musical fashion.

The Embarcadero starts at Aquatic Park and curves all the way around to Hunters Point at the southeastern edge of the city. Now that the Port of Oakland handles the Bay’s shipping needs, the old piers are used for any number of purposes these days, and the parallel road has recently become a park promenade (see Embarcadero Park). Pier 39 is the most famous since it was turned into an amusement attraction in the 1980s, while other piers house concerts, festivals, antiques fairs, and restaurants. When looking for a particular pier, note that those to the north of the Ferry Building have odd numbers and those to the south, even.

Hyde Street Pier, The Embarcadero

This beautiful wooded corner of the city has stunning views over the Golden Gate, but from 1776 until 1994 it was owned and occupied by first the Spanish, then the Mexican, and finally, the US armies, and almost entirely off-limits to anyone else. It has now been dubbed a major part of the Golden Gate National Recreational Area, and plans are still coalescing as to its ultimate future. At the very least, it is a spectacular park, full of nature trails, streams, forests, drives, and historic structures. Some of the buildings are being turned into cultural centers, but many of them are still residences. Parts of it may eventually be developed for commercial use.