San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
Historic ships docked at Hyde Street Pier, San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Location in San Francisco Show map of San Francisco San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Location in California Show map of California San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	San Francisco, California, United States
Area	50 acres (20 ha)
Established	June 27, 1988 (1988-06-27)
Visitors	4,224,897 (in 2011)
Governing body	National Park Service
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Official name: Aquatic Park Historic District
Designated:	January 26, 1984
Reference #:	84001183
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Official name: San Francisco Maritime National Historic Site
Designated:	June 27, 1988
Reference #:	01000281

The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is a special place in San Francisco, California. It's like a living museum that celebrates the city's rich history with the sea. This park has many cool things to explore.

You can see a fleet of old ships, visit a fun visitor center, and learn at a maritime museum. There's also a huge library and research center. The National Park Service took over these amazing collections in 1978. The park officially became a National Historical Park in 1988. It also includes the Aquatic Park Historic District.

Discovering the Park's History

The idea for the San Francisco Maritime Museum came from a kind person named Alma de Bretteville Spreckels. She worked hard to make it happen. When the museum opened in 1951, its main display was her collection of model ships. These models had been shown at the 1939–40 Golden Gate International Exposition.

Exploring the Historic Ship Fleet

The park has a fantastic collection of old ships. They are docked at the Hyde Street Pier. These ships let you step back in time and imagine life at sea.

Here are some of the main ships you can see:

• Balclutha: This is a large sailing ship built in 1886. It has square sails.
• C.A. Thayer: An old schooner from 1895. Schooners have sails that run along the length of the ship.
• Eureka: A steam-powered ferryboat built in 1890. It used to carry people and cars.
• Alma: This is a unique scow schooner from 1891. Scows are flat-bottomed boats.
• Hercules: A powerful steam tugboat built in 1907. Tugboats pull other ships.
• Eppleton Hall: A paddlewheel tug from 1914. It uses large wheels to move through the water.

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  Scow schooner Alma
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  Steam tug Hercules
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  Square rig sailing ship Balclutha
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  Paddlewheel tug Eppleton Hall
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  Steam ferryboat Eureka
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  Lumber schooner C.A. Thayer

Besides these big ships, the park also has over one hundred smaller boats.

Visiting the Park's Center

The visitor center is in an old waterfront warehouse from 1909. You can find it at Hyde and Jefferson streets. This brick building is a historic landmark.

Inside, you'll find cool exhibits. There's even a huge Fresnel lighthouse lens and parts of a shipwrecked boat. These exhibits tell amazing stories about San Francisco's maritime past. The center also has a theater and an information desk.

The Maritime Museum Building

Aquatic Park Bathhouse

The maritime museum used to be in a beautiful building. It has a cool, modern design called Streamline Moderne. This building is a main part of the Aquatic Park Historic District. It's a very important historic landmark.

The building was first built in 1936 by the WPA. It was a public bathhouse. Inside, you can see amazing and colorful murals. An artist named Hilaire Hiler created most of them. Today, this building is used as the San Francisco Senior Center.

Learning at the Maritime Research Center

The Maritime Research Center is a top place to learn about San Francisco's sea history. It started in 1939. Now, it has the biggest collection of maritime items on the West Coast. It's also the largest collection in the entire National Park Service.

The center holds more than:

• 74,000 books and other published items
• 500,000 photographs
• 7,000 collections of old papers and documents
• 150,000 drawings of ship designs
• 3,000 maps and charts
• 150,000 feet of old movies and videos
• 6,000 artifacts from underwater archaeology
• 2,500 pieces of art
• 40,000 historical objects
• 100 small boats
• 50,000 pieces of small, temporary printed items
• 600 recorded interviews and audio recordings

Park Supporters

The San Francisco Maritime National Park Association is a group that helps the park. They are the main non-profit partner.

Finding Your Way Around

The visitor center, Hyde Street Pier, and the old Maritime Museum are all close together. They are at the end of Hyde Street, near the Fisherman's Wharf area. The park's main office and the Maritime Research Center are in Fort Mason. This is about a 10-minute walk west of the other sites.

You can easily get to the main park area. The San Francisco cable car system has a stop at Beach and Hyde Street. The F Market historic streetcar line also has a stop nearby on Jones Street.

Swimming in Aquatic Park

Aquatic Park is a popular spot for open water swimming. People swim there for fun and to train. The South End Rowing Club and Dolphin Club are both located in Aquatic Park. Sometimes, sea lions have been seen interacting with swimmers in the water.

From left to right: San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Telegraph Hill and Coit Tower, Fisherman's Wharf, Downtown San Francisco, Russian Hill and Aquatic Park Historic District

More to See

• 49-Mile Scenic Drive
• List of maritime museums in the United States
• List of museum ships