These three hidden gem museums/visitor centers will orient you to San Francisco’s beginnings in a fascinating way:

FREE San Francisco Maritime Historical Park Visitor Center across from the Hyde Street pier in the Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood near Ghirardelli Square.

499 Jefferson St. (at the corner of Hyde)

San Francisco 94109

Even if you don’t tour the stately wooden ships of the pier, take in the free National Park Service visitor center across Jefferson Street to see a terrific series of interactive waterfront history exhibits that detail the neighborhoods and people who shaped San Francisco across the centuries. The center is adjacent to the good bar and restaurant in the Argonaut Hotel (nice lunch!), and next to Ghirardelli Square and Fisherman’s Wharf. Open Friday - Sunday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.



FREE Presidio Officers Club at the top of the Main Parade Ground:

50 Moraga Ave.

San Francisco 94123

Not to be confused with the cool Visitor Center at the bottom, *north end* of the grassy rectangle known as the Main Parade ground (which has an excellent gift shop), the old Officer’s Club is now a small curated museum run by the National Park Service. The building boasts a number of mid-18th century adobe walls -- the oldest in San Francisco -- and includes interactive exhibits that highlight hundreds of years of history in this place, from its time as an Ohlone village through several chapters as a military outpost of Spain, Mexico and the U.S. Note: This center has quite limited hours (Saturday only, 11 a.m. to 4 pm) so hurry here after the wedding reception if you’re a history lover.

FREE: The Cable Car Museum

Housed inside a former cable-car barn and powerhouse at the corner of Washington and Mason streets, the Cable Car Museum is a hidden part of beloved and vintage San Francisco. By the way, If you want to ride the cable car, avoid long lines and get a seat, we advise taking the California line between Van Ness Street and the Embarcadero (The California line ends on Drumm Street, just a couple of blocks from the San Francisco Ferry Building.

Here are a few other, better known museums that are always worth a visit and worth the admission price: DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park and the smaller Legion of Honor Museum in Lincoln park/ Lands End (check this excellent exhibits calendar). Both fine arts museums are situated in expansive parks that are great for strolling, exploring and people-watching. Lovers of animation in film or all things Disney will enjoy the Disney Family Museum in the Presidio.Or head to the newly refurbished Exploratorium (now located at Pier 15) for cool science experiments. It’s within easy walking distance of the San Francisco food temple/emporium aka The Ferry Building.

Speaking of ferries … If you get to San Francisco a day or two before the wedding, we hope you’ll get out on our beloved bay, and the best way to do that is by taking the Golden Gate Ferry from the Ferry building – maybe to the little villages of Tiburon or Sausalito. Or, best of all, we think, take the ferry via Tiburon to Angel Island, and spend a day picnicking, hiking and visiting the former immigration station there. The station once served as the “Ellis Island of the West” (from 1910 to 1940), housed German and Japanese prisoners of war during WW2 and now houses an excellent interactive exhibit about all that history. (There’s a tram to the museum from the island’s ferry landing for those who don’t want to walk).

Don’t miss the redwoods There are lovely stands of California’s giant trees in the Presidio and in Golden Gate Park, but to see the really big, really old ones, you’ll want to get out of the city. Muir Woods National Monument boasts the most famous remnant forest of ancient redwoods close to San Francisco. It’s majestic, but gets busy, even in the fall – you’ll likely need to make reservations in advance if you want to drive and park at the entrance. (We prefer to walk into Muir Woods from higher on Mt. Tamalpais, via a trail across from Mountain Home. It’s several miles down and back up, but pretty, and takes you through spreading oaks, bays and madrones as well as redwood treetops. Go early in the day to find parking at the free Mountain Home lot. You can also catch a bus from Sausalito to Mountain Home, but the schedule is irregular and you may have to wait a long time. Bring water, lunch, a hat and a book. (We can loan you a book or walking stick).

How about a ballgame? Any seat at any game at the San Francisco Giants’ downtown, waterfront stadium is a good time, and in mid September this year you’re sure to catch a lively game against the Rockies or the Diamondbacks. Try stubhub or gametime for legit discount seats. There are easy, inexpensive bus and light rail connections directly to the stadium from all over town, and the Bay area.

Ride BART anywhere!