Calling this place a visitor center is misleading. This is a pretty cool, and often overlooked, maritime museum. It sits in a corner of the Cannery at Jefferson and Hyde -- in the shadow of the much larger art deco Maritime Museum. It's well worth stopping in, and it's FREE. Outtakes below.
This enormous lighthouse lens dates to 1855, warning ships from the rocky Farrallon Islands.
No shortage of detailed ship models from back in the day.
A model of a floating lighthouse that would have been stationed off the coast.
Trans-bay ferry signage and boat whistle.
Vintage passenger ship signage.
So much for the romance of the sailor's life...
I believe this vintage telescope was installed on the roof of the the Marine Exchange building to alert traders to the arrival or the latest trade ships.
This rustic battle-scarred relic was originally installed on the roof of the luxurious Fairmont Hotel. Beginning in 1909, once each day for almost 30 years the ball would drop down the pole, and when it reached the bottom it would signal exactly 12 noon. Ships watching from the bay would set their timepieces -- accurate time keeping being a key to navigation.
The fishing fleets from San Francisco have a rich tradition of farming the ocean.
San Francisco, always hella expensive.
On the rocks. You can't tell the story of San Francisco without a chapter, or several, on shipwrecks.
Some impressive artistry.
A sturdy rope was a life-and-death issue on the high seas.
A sailor's chest.
San Francisco was home to a bustling shipbuilding industry.
No interactive touchscreen displays here. Just skillful modeling.
Deep sea diving equipment. It's like they designed it to be as uncomfortable as possible.
Everything you wanted to know about going to sea in olden times, but were afraid to ask. In a good museum, even the bathroom can teach you something.
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