The city of San Francisco is the fourth most populated city in California and the 14th most populated city in the US. In 2007 the estimated population was 764,976. Among the most densely populated cities in the country, San Francisco is part of the San Francisco Bay metropolitan area, which is home to more than 7.2 million people. The city is located at the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, with the Pacific Ocean to the west, San Francisco Bay to the east, and the Golden Gate to the north.

Continent: North America

In 1776, the Spanish settled the tip of the peninsula, establishing a fort at the Golden Gate and a mission named for Francis of Assisi. The California Gold Rush in 1848 propelled the city into a period of rapid growth, transforming into the largest city on the West Coast of the United States at the time. After being devastated by the 1906 earthquake and fire, San Francisco was quickly rebuilt, hosting the Panama-Pacific International Exposition nine years later. During World War II, San Francisco was the send-off point for many soldiers to the Pacific Theater. After the war, the confluence of returning servicemen, massive immigration, liberalizing attitudes, and other factors gave rise to the Summer of Love and the gay rights movement, cementing San Francisco as a liberal bastion in the U.S.

San Francisco is a popular international tourist destination famous for its landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, the cable cars, Coit Tower, and Chinatown, its steep rolling hills, and its eclectic mix of Victorian and modern architecture. The city is also known for its diverse, cosmopolitan population, including large and long-established Asian American and LGBT communities.

Alcatraz means pelican in Spanish. The rocky pelican's island was a military fort before it became a prison. Today's resident deer mice, banana slugs and California slender salamanders aren't nearly as famous as former prisoners Al Capone, George "Machine Gun" Kelly and Robert "Birdman" Stroud.

San Francisco cable cars are the only moving National Historic Landmark, and 9.7 million people take a nine mile per hour ride on them each year. At the Cable Car Barn Museum, 500-horsepower electric motors turn the endless cable loops.

San Francisco has 215 historic landmark buildings, ten historical districts and 14,000 Victorian homes. From Alamo Square, the city skyline is a modern contrast to Victorian "postcard row."

John C. Fremont named the San Francisco Bay's entrance "Chrysopylae" (Golden Gate) because it resembled Istanbul's Golden Horn. The Golden Gate Bridge, with 23 miles of ladders and 300,000 rivets in each tower, was the world's longest span when it opened in 1937. Seventeen ironworkers and 38 painters constantly fight rust and renew the international orange paint on its 1.7-mile span.

Union Square is among the top four shopping areas in the nation. Boutiques, spas, galleries and San Francisco's only Frank Lloyd Wright building fill nearby Maiden Lane, but it wasn't always so respectable. Once home to the lowest houses of prostitution, the former Morton Street was so depraved that even policemen hesitated to enter.

Mission Dolores is the oldest building in San Francisco, built in 1791. Two major earthquakes couldn't topple it, but tiny powderpost beetles almost did in 2000, chewing their way to international fame before they were stopped.

Free travel guide of San Francisco with a map. "Every man should be allowed to love two cities- his own and San Francisco," stated author Gene Fowler. San Francisco, also known as the City by the Bay, is a diverse, colourful, and intriguing destination luring visitors from all corners of the world with its beauty, culture, history and dynamic ambience.

San Francisco Travel Guides

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On this tour you will experience

Aquarium of the Bay

Presidio of San Francisco

The Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) houses 20th century and contemporary works of art. It moved to its iconic building in the South of Market neighborhood in 1995 and now attracts more than 600,000 visitors annually. The Palace of the Legion of Honor holds primarily classic European works of art, while the city's De Young Museum and Asian Art Museum have significant anthropological and non-European holdings.

Museum - Type - Information

Alcatraz Island - Prison - Operated by the National Park Service, former federal prison, access by private ferry

Asian Art Museum of San Francisco - Art - Arts of India, China, western Asia (including Persia), South-East Asia, Korea & Japan

Beat Museum - Literary

Cable Car Museum - Transportation

California Academy of Sciences - Natural history

California Historical Society - Local - history

California Palace of the Legion of Honor - Art Mostly

French & European art

Cartoon Art Museum - Art - Art of comics & cartoons, including original animation cels, comic book pages & early newspaper comic strips

Chinese Historical Society of America Museum and Learning Center Ethnic History of Chinese in U.S.

Chinese Culture Center Art Exhibitions of traditional & contemporary Chinese & Chinese-American art

Contemporary Jewish Museum - Jewish - Contemporary perspectives on Jewish culture, history, art and ideas

de Young Museum - Art - American painting, sculpture & decorative art, African, Oceanic, Meso-American, Central & South

American art, textiles, contemporary craft, graphics art

Exploratorium Science Hands-on science exhibits

Fort Point National Historic Site Military Part of The

Presidio

GLBT Historical Society Museum History - history and culture of the gay, lesbian, and bisexual transgender peoples and movements

Haas-Lilienthal House - Historic house - 1886 Victorian house with period rooms

International Museum of Women - Women's

The LAB Art Interdisciplinary - arts - organization with public gallery

Mexican Museum Ethnic

Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts Art website, cultural arts center and gallery

Musée Mécanique Amusements Penny arcade games, mechanically operated musical instruments, video arcade games

Museo ItaloAmericano Ethnic website, Italian and Italian-American art and culture

Museum of Craft and Folk Art - Art

Museum of Performance & Design Art - Performing Arts

Museum of Russian Culture Ethnic website, part of the Russian Center of San Francisco

Museum of the African Diaspora Cultural Diasporan histories of people of African origin & their influence & adaptation throughout the world

New Langton Arts Art Experimental and innovative contemporary art

North Beach Museum - Local - history information

Pacific Heritage Museum Science, artistic, cultural and economic achievements of the peoples of the Pacific Rim

The Presidio Multiple Park with several visitor centers with a fort, marine, military and historical exhibits

Randall Museum Multiple Art, science, natural history, live animals

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Entertainment Near Fishermen's Wharf

San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery Art Contemporary art, three locations in San Francisco

San Francisco Fire Department Museum - Firefighting

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Maritime Includes a fleet of historic vessels, a visitor center, a maritime museum and a library/research facility

San Francisco Museum and Historical Society Local history Planned museum in the Old Mint

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art - Art

San Francisco Museum of Craft & Design - Art

San Francisco Railway Museum Railway Antique streetcars, cable cars, earthquake of 1906

San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center Performing arts - Tours of the various performance spaces

Society of California Pioneers Local history California art, history, and culture

Walt Disney Family Museum Biographical Planned museum about Walt Disney's life, awards & memorabilia

USS Pampanito Museum ship Submarine located at Fishermen's Wharf

Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts - Art - Part of California College of the Arts

Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf Wax

Wells Fargo History Museum History website, first location of the Wells Fargo company, history of the company and the California gold rush

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Art Contemporary arts center with several galleries

Zeum Children's