San Francisco Bay Area Attractions
The Bay Area is a hotbed for all manner of cultural activities.
Call or visit the website for hours, admission fees, exhibition information, etc.
On this page:
-
Book Related Attractions
-
-
Bookstores
-
-
Noteworthy Places
-
Some good sources for general information are:
Emeryville Chamber of Commerce Visitor Information
Oakland Chamber of Commerce Visitor Information
Visit Oakland.org
The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Visitor Information
Only in San Francisco Travel Guide
San Francisco Chronicle
More restaurant information will be provided later, but a good place to start
is the “Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants” published by the San Francisco Chronicle.
BOOK RELATED ATTRACTIONS
San Francisco
Arion Press / M & H Type
1802 Hays Street, The Presidio
San Francisco
415.668.2550
arionpress@arionpress.com
Book Club of California
312 Sutter Street, Suite 500
San Francisco
800.968.7656; 415.781.7532
lucyrcohen@bccbooks.org
Bookbinder’s Museum
1962 Harrison Street (near 16th Street), San Francisco
415.671.2233; 415.824.9754
San Francisco Center for the Book
300 De Haro Street, San Francisco
415.565.0545
info@sfcb.org
San Francisco Public Library
Book Arts and Special Collections
100 Larkin Street (at Grove), 6th floor
San Francisco
415.557.4560
A Handful of Bookstores in San Francisco:
Adobe Book Shop
3166 – 16th Street (Mission District)
415.864.3936
City Lights Booksellers & Publishers
261 Columbus Avenue (North Beach)
415.362.8193
Friends of the San Francisco Public Library Bookstore
At Fort Mason Center
Green Apple Bookstore
New and used books and music
506 Clement Street (at 6th Avenue)
415.387.2272
49 Geary
Home to about 20 art galleries and 2 rare book dealers:
John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller
The Brick Row Bookshop
East Bay
African American Museum and Library
659 – 14th Street, Oakland
510.637.0200
The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
510.642.6481 (Reference Desk)
bancroft@library.berkeley.edu
F.W Olin Library, Mills College
Special Collections
5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland
510.430.2047
jbraun@mills.edu
Kala Art Institute
Studio: 1060 Heinz Avenue, Berkeley, 510.549.2977
Gallery: 2990 San Pablo, Berkeley, 510.841.7000
kala@kala.org
A Handful of Bookstores in the East Bay:
Black Oak Books
Used books
2618 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley
510.486.0698
Diesel, A Book Store
New & used books
5433 College Avenue, Oakland (Rockridge)
510.653.9965
Moe’s Books
New, used, and rare books
2476 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley (near UC Berkeley)
510.849.2087
Mrs. Dalloway’s Literary & Garden Arts
Books, art, and garden inspired miscellanea
2904 College Avenue, Berkeley (Elmwood)
510.704.8222
Pegasus Books
New & used books
3 locations:
1855 Solano Avenue, Berkeley, 510.525.6888
2349 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley (downtown), 510.649.1320
5560 College Avenue, Oakland (Rockridge), 510.652.6259
MUSEUMS & OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST
San Francisco
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
200 Larkin Street
415.581.3500
Exhibitions:
Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Royal Courts
California Academy of Sciences
Natural History Museum – Aquarium - Planetarium
55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park
415.379.8000
California Historical Society
Of special interest is the Kemble Collection, an extensive collection pertaining to the history
of printing and publishing.t
678 Mission Street
415.357.1848
California Palace of the Legion of Honor
Of special interest is the Reva and David Logan Gallery of Illustrated Books, which is devoted to
the exhibition of books.
Lincoln Park (near 34th Avenue and Clement Street)
415.863.3330
Cartoon Art Museum of San Francisco
655 Mission Street
415.227.8666
The Contemporary Jewish Museum
736 Mission Street (between 3rd and 4th Streets)
415.655.7800
Exhibitions:
California Dreaming: From the Gold Rush to the Present (through June 2012)
Houdini: Art and Magic (through January 16, 2012)
de Young Museum
Golden Gate Park
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
415.750.3600
Exploratorium (the museum of science, art, and human perception)
Palace of Fine Arts, 3601 Lyon Street (at Baker)
415.561.0360
Check out the Tactile Dome, “an interactive experience through total darkness” (separate admission)
designed by Dr. August F. Coppola and which opened in 1971.
Fort Mason Center
Near the intersection of Laguna and Beach in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
415.345.7500
Resident organizations include:
The Mexican Museum
Museo Italo Americano
Friends of the San Francisco Public Library Bookstore
Greens Restaurant (Chef Annie Somerville’s vegetarian dining)
Musée Mécanique (“The Mechanical Museum of San Francisco”)
One of the world’s largest privately owned collections of mechanically operated musical
instruments and antique arcade machines.
Pier 45, Shed A at the end of Taylor Street (Fisherman’s Wharf)
415.346.2000
free admission (arcade machines are coin operated)
San Francisco Cable Car Museum
1201 Mason Street (at the Washington/Mason cable car barn)
415.474.1887
Free admission
San Francisco Fire Department Museum
655 Presidio Avenue (between Pine and Bush Streets)
415.563.4630
Free admission
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
151 - 3rd Street
415.357.4000
SF Camerawork
Non-profit photography gallery; 3,500+ volume reference library
657 Mission Street, 2nd floor
415.512.2020
The Society of California Pioneers
“…a not-for-profit museum, library, and cultural organization dedicated to advancing
the knowledge and appreciation of early California history…” (Mission statement).
300 Fourth Street (at Folsom)
415.957.1849
info@californiapioneers.org
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Film and video, visual arts, performing arts, and public programs
701 Mission Street (at Third Street)
415.978.27700; 415.978.2787 (tickets)
Other Noteworthy Places:
San Francisco:
826 Valencia
415.642.5905
San Francisco’s foremost independent pirate supply store. The only store where you can
purchase literary quarterlies alongside spy glasses, pirate flags, and eye patches. All proceeds
go to the 826 Valencia Writing Center. Founded by writer Dave Eggers.
Camera Obscura
lower terrace behind the Cliff House (1096 Point Lobos Avenue)
415.750.0415
Giant camera overlooking the ocean (Seal Rock on Point Lobos). Originally built in 1948–1949
as part of the Playland at the Beach; reopened in May 2005 after a restoration. Closed during rain,
fog, and strong winds; it’s best to call before going.
Japantown
Geary and Webster
3 favorites in Japantown are:
Kinokuniya Stationery and Gift, 1581 Webster Street, #81
Kabuki Springs & Spa, 1750 Geary Blvd.
Paper Tree (origami and other papers, etc.), 1743 Buchanan Mall
East Bay:
Chabot Space & Science Center
10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland
510. 336.7300
Lawrence Hall of Science
UC Berkeley space and science museum
Centennial Drive, Berkeley
510.642.5132
Oakland Museum of California
New galleries of California Art and California History
1000 Oak Street, Oakland
510.238.2200
UC Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive
2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley (Museum)
2575 Bancroft Way, Berkeley (PFA Theater)
510.642.0808
