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

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

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.

Built in 1906, this unique building was the first Hindu temple in the United States.

One of few lasting examples of the brief octagon craze that developed into folly.

The oldest alley in San Francisco is paved with a reminder of the city's original shoreline.

One of the oldest producers of hand-folded fortune cookies still uses its original secret recipe.

Not merely a museum – but a whirring powerhouse that offers a subterranean peek into the heart and soul of cable car operations.

Tiki luxury on Nob Hill.

San Francisco's newly reopened hands-on science museum.

This concrete tangle of square pipes has stood as a proud thorn in the city's side since the '70s.

Recovered from the brink of extinction, at home in the Financial District.

These six walrus head statues harken back to a time when this area wasn't far from the oceanfront.

The second building of its name to occupy this location might be the finest flatiron building in San Francisco.

A still functioning vaudeville carousel that has operated for over a century boasts a colorful menagerie and past.

Furniture tries to escape an abandoned building in San Francisco.

This contorting sculpture is the tallest in San Francisco.

This one-block alleyway is stuffed with street art that is colorful, cultural, and intensely political.

A shop full of natural curiosities, carnivorous plants, and costumed taxidermied mice.

An essential stop before plundering, BYO Cutlass.

The most beautiful Taco Bell in the world even has surfboard parking.

An artsy hidden staircase leads to breathtaking views of San Francisco.

Standing in for the first ship to navigate the Northwest Passage.

A miniature view of the park, caught in time.