The historic Ferry Building of San Francisco

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San Francisco, one of the most famous cities in the US, has a lot of tourist attractions, including the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz island. There is another travel destination in San Francisco, which may not be very popular among international travelers today, but still remains a vital picnic spot/shopping place for the locals and an important travel destination for American travelers. The ferry building is the destination I am talking about, which was once described as "a famous city's most famous landmark".

The Ferry building was opened in 1898, and it became the transportation focal point for those arriving from the East by train and Marin residents who worked in San Francisco. Til the 1930s, the only way to reach the city was by ferryboat. In those days, up to 50,000 passengers off the boat traveled through the ferry building every day. After the opening of the Bay Bridge in 1936 and the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937, the usage of the Ferry building became very limited. Around ten years back, the place was converted into a marketplace. Today, the Ferry Building Market Place is located in this historic Ferry building.


There are a lot of locals in and around San Francisco who visit the Ferry building marketplace during the weekends. It has now become more like a picnic spot and shopping complex. You can find all kinds of materials in the two-storeyed market - fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, the freshest local fish, wine, bread, cheese, meat, ice creams, cookware, flowers, etc. There are various options for shopping and dining in the Ferry building.

Another highlight of the building is the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market which operates on specific days in the Ferry building. It is widely acclaimed for both the quality and diversity of its fresh farm products. You can find some of the best knowns chefs and famous farmers of San Francisco here.

The 245 feet long clock tower at the entrance of the building is another highlight of the Ferry building. It was modeled after the famous 12th-century bell tower at the Seville Cathedral of Spain.

The back side of Market Place is the open space facing the sea where you can find boats even today. You can get a splendid view of the Bay Bridge from this site. Also, many colorful birds are seen, which adds to the attraction of the Ferry building.

Transportation is never a problem in San Francisco. You can get a lot of buses and cable cars from the Ferry Building to Pier 39. Traveling by cable car is a unique experience. When you go to San Francisco, apart from Pier 39, Fisherman Wharf, and Golden Gate Bridge, plan to visit the Ferry Building.

Happy travelling.

Visit my site, krishnakumartk.com, to know more about the travel guides and other books that I have written.


Coorg Travel Guide



Location: San Francisco, CA, USA

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