San Francisco On Zero Dollars A Day

San Francisco is one of the more expensive cities to visit in the United States, excluding the hyper-gouging along the Las Vegas Strip. As a hotel concierge in a pricey tourist destination, I have routinely fielded questions from budget travelers and families about how to experience the city without having to dip into the kid's college fund. Fortunately, there are a number of events and attractions which are free, and many can be enjoyed all year round.

Sea Lions at Pier 39 For almost 50 years Pier 39, on the eastern edge of Fisherman's Wharf, has been well known as one of the most popular attractions in San Francisco. It's easy to spend a lot of money on snow globes and Dungeness crab cocktails. However, its most popular attraction is one that was not planned, happened as a result of a natural disaster, and costs nothing. In fact, a whole infrastructure was built around it. Not long after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, sea lions started showing up on the docks next to Pier 39. Some have said the yacht and sail boat owners, whose docks were taken over by the meddling marine mammals, demanded authorities remove them at any cost. It turns out the sea lions became more popular than the boat owners, and they ended up victorious. Pier 39 authorities had to capitulate and build another set of docks for the humans, while the sea lions became the most popular destination at Fisherman's Wharf. So popular in fact, that they opened the Pier 39 Sea Lion Center to exclusively cater to tourists flocking to their noisiest attraction. https://www.pier39.com/sea-lion-center/ [pier39.com] In a previous blog I mentioned the City Guides Walking Tours as a unique San Francisco experience, but it is also free. Knowledgeable volunteer guides conduct over 50 tours, which blanket the city. There are naturally tours for popular attractions such as Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf. Yet you will also find tours that cover the gamut from Alfred Hitchcock's San Francisco, to Diego Rivera murals, to classic Victorian architecture - all for free. In addition to their regular tours, they also invent new ones, so their roster is always dynamic. https://sfcityguides.org/ [sfcityguides.org]

Libraries are no longer places you get shushed. The San Francisco Public Library offers free exhibits and programs all year round. I am continually amazed at how many programs they offer for children, seniors, as well as their regular patrons. I've seen live music, book readings, history exhibitions, and that is just in the Civic Center's main branch. There are dozens of branches all over the city which have a full spectrum of activities. All for free!

https://sfpl.org/

The de Young Museum Tower Museums admissions are expensive, but in San Francisco a tourist can find little nooks in them for free. Rising 144 feet above the foliage of Golden Gate Park, the de Young Museum's Hamon Observation Tower offers commanding views of the park and the western part of the city. It is a great way to see a unique view of the city, a nice stop to take a break, and it's free! The renowned Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, has three billboard-sized murals in San Francisco. The SFMOMA is temporarily housing one of them through March of 2024, while the WPA-era building where it normally resides is being seismically upgraded . Until then, his master work, Pan American Unity, is on display for free. https://www.sfmoma.org/exhibition/pan-american-unity/