The San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park is located in San Francisco, California, USA. The park includes a fleet of historic vessels, a visitor center, a maritime museum, and a library/research facility. The park is often referred to as the San Francisco Maritime Museum, although strictly speaking that is only one part of the park. The park is supported by the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association.

Historic vessel fleet

The historic fleet of the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park is moored at the park's Hyde Street Pier. The fleet consists of the following major vessels:

• Balclutha, an 1886 built square rigged sailing ship.
• C.A. Thayer, an 1895 built schooner.
• Eureka, an 1890 built steam ferryboat.
• Alma, an 1891 built scow schooner.
• Hercules, a 1907 built steam tug.
• Eppleton Hall, a 1914 built paddlewheel tug.

The fleet also includes over one hundred small craft.

Visitor Center

The Visitor Center is housed in the historic Haslett Warehouse, built in 1907 at the corner of Hyde and Jefferson Streets. Exhibits tell the story of San Francisco’s colorful and diverse maritime heritage, with information panels and exhibits. The center also contains an information desk.

Maritime museum

The maritime museum is housed in a landmark art deco building in Aquatic Park at the foot of Polk Street and a minutes walk from the visitor center and foot of Hyde Street Pier. The building was originally built by the WPA as a bathhouse, and is decorated with murals typical of its era.

The Steamship Room illustrates the technological evolution of maritime power from wind to steam, whilst the second floor displays include three photomurals of the early San Francisco waterfront, lithographic stones, scrimshaw and whaling guns. The third floor gallery is used for visiting exhibitions.

Research library

The research library focuses on sail and steam on the West Coast of the United States and the Pacific Basin from 1520 to the present, including the archived records of many ship builders and ship owners. It includes 1,500 linear feet of documents, including 120,000 vessel and shipyard architectural drawings, and about 5,000 charts and maps.

Location and access

The Visitors Center, Hyde Street Pier and Maritime Museum are all situated adjacent to the foot of Hyde Street and at the western end of the Fisherman's Wharf district. The park headquarters and research library are located in Fort Mason , some 10 minutes walk to the west of the other sites. The Beach and Hyde Street terminal of the San Francisco cable car system adjoins the main site, whilst the Jones Street terminal of the F Market historic streetcar line is some 5 minutes walk to the east.

Opening times and fees for the various sites can be found on the park's website, see 'External links' below.

National Park Association

The San Francisco Maritime National Park Association was founded in 1950 as the San Francisco Maritime Museum Association to operate then independent Maritime Museum. Today it supports the National Historical Park. It also operates, independently of the National Historic Park, the World War II submarine USS Pampanito, which is moored at Pier 45 in San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf area.

External links

• San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park website
• San Francisco Maritime National Park Association website