A working model of the entire San Francisco Bay and much of the Sacramento River Delta, complete with regular tides that change every 14 minutes.

A porcelain company's former dumping ground, completely covered in pieces of collectible ceramics.

Where a staggering 747 ships were constructed during World War II.

A 90-acre park on former landfill that hosts an annual kite festival.

A pier that used to act as a busy ferry dock is now a decaying favorite of local fisherman and urban artists.

Condemned US Navy seaplane control tower turned officers’ club sits atop Yerba Buena Island.

A man-made island in scenic San Francisco Bay.

In all of the 29 years it was in operation, no prisoners ever escaped successfully... or so they claim.

This lighthouse has been guiding shipping into the Golden Gate since before the American Civil War.

Internationally-recognized arts center housed in a century-old former military barracks.

Concrete strongholds stand guard over the Golden Gate.

A living time capsule of the 1960s Richardson Bay water-front.

A playground built by the kids that is a child's wonderland, and a helicopter parent's nightmare.

This bakery sits on the site of the Black Panther Party's first headquarters.

A series of vibrant murals celebrate the culture and community of Oakland.

This small oasis of flora and art was created in remembrance of a local auto business owner.

A crumbling Beaux Arts monument to the Bay Area's age of rail.

International delicatessen has been owned and operated by the same family for more than 110 years.

The Flatiron Building's storied West Coast cousin is a lot more into religion.

The newsstand that never closes its doors—well, almost never.

A massive ultra-modern church presents a science-fiction view of Catholicism's inclusive future.

This Oakland fairytale kingdom, fiercely devoted to childlike whimsy, was an early inspiration for Disneyland.

Bonsai garden in Oakland is curated by the first non-Japanese female bonsai master in the United States.

This mysterious series of teeny guerrilla installations sheds a whimsical light on street art in Oakland.