San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park Tours

At San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park you will experience the sights, sounds and textures of the city's seafaring past, and get to know what life was like for the people who made their living at sea. Book a reservation to sail San Francisco Bay on Alma, an 1891 historic 60-foot (18m) scow schooner. With few bridges and connecting roads, scow schooners delivered goods all over the Bay and Delta much as trucks do today. Rangers also lead a variety of daily, first-come, first-served programs, even high aloft in Balclutha's rigging. From the wooden decks of Balclutha, a square-rigger that rounded Cape Horn 17 times, duck into the cramped cabins where sailors sheltered during months at sea. In the hold of the coastal schooner C.A. Thayer, walk along the curving sides where freshly cleaned fish, layered with salt, were stacked to the ceiling. Along Hyde Street Pier, park staff and volunteers mend lines, varnish brightwork and tend puffing steam engines, and at the small-boat shop craftspeople shape and bend on steam-softened planks to repair historic boats and build replicas. The San Francisco National Park Association also offers educational programs such as "Age of Sail environmental living," which offers school children the opportunity to stay overnight on historic vessels. The Hyde Street Pier and Visitor Center are open daily from 9:30 to 5:00, with the last entrance to the pier at 4:30 p.m.