Aquarium of the Bay

Aquarium of the Bay is a public aquarium located at The Embarcadero and Beach Street, at the edge of Pier 39 in San Francisco, California. The aquarium is focused on local aquatic animals from the San Francisco Bay and neighboring rivers and watersheds as far as the Sierra Mountains. Since 2005 the Aquarium has focused its mission on enabling ocean conservation and climate action both locally and globally. It is one of seven institutions under parent company Bay Ecotarium, the largest watershed conservation organization in the Bay Area The Aquarium of the Bay is a Smithsonian Affiliate and certified as a Green Business by the city of San Francisco. It contains over 770,000 gallons of salt water that over 24,000 animals from 200+ species call home. It is the only Smithsonian-affiliated aquarium in the state of California. As of May 2025, it is led by Jon Fisher, Dan Ashley, and John McAteer.

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Waterfront Park (San Francisco)

Waterfront Park is a park along San Francisco's Embarcadero, near Pier 39, in the U.S. state of California. The park, established in 1976, is owned by the Port Authority. The park is home to the Skygate sculpture.

Landmark Park

The Embarcadero and Stockton station

The Embarcadero and Stockton station (also signed as Pier 39 station) is a light rail station in the Fisherman's Wharf district of San Francisco, California, serving the San Francisco Municipal Railway's E Embarcadero and F Market & Wharves heritage railway lines. It is located on The Embarcadero at Stockton Street, in front of Pier 39. The station opened on March 4, 2000, with the streetcar's extension to Fisherman's Wharf. The stop is also served by the route 39 bus, plus the L Owl bus route, which provides service along the F Market & Wharves and L Taraval lines during the late night hours when trains do not operate.

Landmark Train

Guardians of the Gate

Guardians of the Gate is a 1991 Everdur bronze sculpture depicting a family of sea lions by Miles Metzger, located northwest of Pier 39 and adjacent to the Embarcadero Center in San Francisco, California, United States. The sculpture was dedicated on January 22, 1992, and was surveyed by the Smithsonian Institution's Save Outdoor Sculpture! program the same year. It is administered by Pier 39 Limited Partnership Beach Street and the Embarcadero Center. Guardians of the Gate, which depicts a "nuzzling" male and female with a pup, was created in 1990 and cast in 1991. Metzger considers the sculpture one of his favorite pieces. He said of his work: "(My) sculptures mean to inspire, encourage and appreciate humanity and the natural world. The family (of sea lions) seemed such a beautiful, emotional moment." Metzger claims he knew that sea lions would be the subjects of his work upon learning the statue had been commissioned by the pier's owner. In 2012, he said of the sculpture's prominent placement: "I've been told by many people it is (one of the) most photographed pieces of sculpture in the United States. It's so populated in that particular spot. Everybody sees that piece. It's one of those places where you can sit on the sculpture and get your picture taken."

Art Landmark

Skygate

Skygate is an outdoor 1985 stainless steel sculpture by Roger Barr, installed along the Embarcadero in San Francisco, California, in the United States. The sculpture was the first piece of public art along the Embarcadero. As inscribed on the plaque placed on the ground nearby, this artwork is dedicated to American philosopher Eric Hoffer.

Art Landmark