Established in 1988, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park celebrates America’s maritime heritage, especially on the Pacific Coast. Our 50-acre park has grown around Aquatic Park Cove, a protected area in the stunning San Francisco Bay. As you explore the cove and the historic landmarks around it, you will experience the sights, sounds, and stories of the city’s seafaring past.
Through the preservation and interpretation of historic ships, extensive museum collections, traditional maritime skills, and its San Francisco Bay setting, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park brings America’s maritime legacy to life and promotes the understanding and enjoyment of the nation’s West Coast maritime heritage.
National Park Service
National Historic Landmarks of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
The schooner C.A. Thayer was designated as a National Historic Landmark on November 13, 1966. Built in 1895 by Hans Ditlev Bendixsen at his shipyard near Humboldt Bay in Northern California, the vessel was named for Clarence A. Thayer, a partner in the San Francisco-based E.K. Wood Lumber Company.npshistory+2
How and Why It Was Established: The C.A. Thayer was recognized for its significance as one of the last survivors of the sailing schooners used in the West coast lumber trade between San Francisco and Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. The vessel is typical of three-masted schooners that dominated Pacific coast lumber transportation, with a cargo capacity of 575,000 board feet. From 1895 to 1912, the ship primarily sailed from lumber mills to San Francisco, carrying cargo as far south as Mexico and occasionally to Hawaii and Fiji. After sustaining damage in 1912, it was converted for use in the Alaskan salmon fishery, where it served until 1924.wikipedia
Description: The C.A. Thayer is 219 feet in length with a unique flat-bottomed design that allowed it to navigate shallow waters efficiently. The vessel represents the technological and commercial development of the Pacific Coast lumber trade during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its designation was part of a broader maritime preservation vision that began in the 1950s when California appropriated $200,000 for the purchase and repair of historic vessels.npshistory+1
The square-rigged sailing ship Balclutha was designated a National Historic Landmark on February 4, 1985. Built in 1886 by Charles Connell and Company near Glasgow, Scotland, the vessel was designed to carry diverse cargo around the world.noehill+2
Hyde Street Pier was built in 1922 for automobile ferries between San Francisco and Sausalito. The ferry route was part of US Highway 101 until the Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937.
How and Why It Was Established: Balclutha was recognized for its active role in the development of maritime trade and commerce in the United States, particularly in the grain trade between California and England from the 1870s-1890s.
In 1963, Hyde Street Pier became home to the park’s fleet of museum ships and small craft. Five vessels- Balclutha, C.A. Thayer, Hercules, Alma, and Eureka-are designated National Historic Landmarks.
The Balclutha ship is significant as the last square-rigged vessel afloat on San Francisco Bay and one of only two American-owned square riggers on the Pacific Coast. After 1899, it engaged in Pacific Coast lumber trade, and from 1903 onwards, it was chartered by the Alaska Packers Association for the Alaskan salmon trade, remaining in service until 1930 as the last sailing vessel for that company.nps+1
The Hyde Street Pier is closed for a major renovation project. The ships have been temporarily moved to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Roughly 23 miles northeast of San Francisco, the Mare Island shipyard has served as an important site for ship building and repair in the bay since 1854. It was also the site of the first drydock and the leading submarine port on the West Coast.
Description: The Balclutha is a 1,689-ton, three-masted, steel-hulled, square-rigged ship measuring 301 feet in length. With minor alterations made during its working career, it remains essentially the same vessel launched in 1886. The ship’s designation recognized its representation of an era when sailing vessels were crucial to Pacific Coast maritime commerce and development.kids.kiddle+2
One of the California Packing Company’s founding partners was the Alaska Packers Association (APA).
The APA had no canneries in California and did not specialize in fruit. But with a monopoly on salmon in Alaska and operations in Washington, APA brought Calpak considerable assets. In 1918, a full year after the companies merged, APA contributed $2.5 million of its income to Calpak (approximately $52 million in 2024).
From about 1900 to 1930, the APA sent fishing and canning crews from San Francisco to Alaska each spring. Its “Great Star Fleet” included this park’s museum ship, Balclutha, then named Star of Alaska.
Come autumn, the fleet returned to San Francisco, their holds stuffed with canned salmon ready for sale to the world.
The ferryboat Eureka was designated a National Historic Landmark on February 4, 1985. Originally built in 1890 as the Ukiah by the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad Company at their Tiburon yard, it was the largest existing wooden ship in the world.museumships+3
How and Why It Was Established: Eureka was recognized as the last remaining example of the fleet of ferry boats used in commuter service across San Francisco Bay. The vessel is significant for its role in Bay Area transportation history, initially carrying commuters between San Francisco and Tiburon during the day and hauling railroad freight cars at night. After extensive rebuilding following World War I damage, the vessel was re-christened Eureka and converted to carry both passengers and automobiles.nps+1
Description: At 299.5 feet long with an extreme width of 78 feet, Eureka was the biggest and fastest double-ended passenger ferry boat in the world during its operational period. The vessel could carry 2,300 passengers and 120 automobiles. Its significance lies in representing the critical role ferries played in Bay Area development before the construction of bridges, as well as its unique walking beam steam engine, which is the only operable 19th-century example of its kind afloat.nps+2
Tug Hercules (National Historic Landmark 1986)
The steam tugboat Hercules was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986. Built in 1907 by John H. Dialogue of Camden, New Jersey, for the Shipowners and Merchants Tugboat Company of San Francisco, the vessel represents the pinnacle of early 20th-century steam tugboat technology.tugboatinformation+2
How and Why It Was Established: Hercules was recognized as the only oceangoing steam tug on the West Coast and as a representative of early 20th-century maritime technology. The vessel was significant for its role in West Coast development, towing oil tank barges, lumber rafts from the Columbia River, disabled steamers, and even participating in Panama Canal construction by towing lock gates. From 1924 to 1962, it served the Western Pacific Railroad, pushing car floats around San Francisco Bay.tile.loc+1
Description: The Hercules measures 151 feet in length with a 27-foot beam and was powered by a 1,000-horsepower triple expansion steam engine. Built with innovative design features including a steam towing winch capable of handling 1,200 feet of steel cable, it represents state-of-the-art tugboat construction for its era. The vessel’s steam plant has been restored to full operation and continues to steam San Francisco Bay as a floating exhibition.sfchronicle+1
Aquatic Park (National Historic Landmark 1987)
The Aquatic Park Historic District was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. The district encompasses a beach, bathhouse, municipal pier, restrooms, concessions stand, stadia, and speaker towers, all developed as part of Works Progress Administration projects during the 1930s.electrictourcompany+2
Glimpse Sea Scouts training by the Maritime Heritage Learning Center on the cove’s west side or play a game at the Bocce Ball Courts.
How and Why It Was Established: Aquatic Park was recognized for its significance in community planning and development during the Great Depression, representing one of the most successful WPA maritime projects. The district embodies the New Deal era’s approach to public recreation and employment, featuring Art Deco architecture designed by William Mooser and his son. The area was developed between 1936-1939 with innovative design elements including a baffle system in the pier to protect the cove for recreation.theclio+2
Description: The Historic District includes the distinctive streamline moderne bathhouse (now housing the Maritime Museum), the curved Municipal Pier extending into the bay, terraced bleachers, and landscaped areas. The bathhouse features colorful murals by Hilaire Hiler depicting underwater scenes and the lost city of Atlantis, created as part of the Federal Art Project. The district represents a comprehensive approach to waterfront recreation planning that became a model for similar developments nationwide.tclf+2
Aquatic Park was built from 1935 to 1939 as a joint project of the City of San Francisco and the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA). Its protected cove —fortified by curving Municipal Pier —has since offered a haven for swimmers, rowers, and sailors. Join in the fun or take it all in from the beach, bleachers, or gardens.
Scow Schooner Alma (National Historic Landmark 1988)
The scow schooner Alma was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1988. Built in 1891 by Fred Siemer at his boatyard at Hunters Point in San Francisco, Alma is the last surviving example of approximately 400 scow schooners that operated in San Francisco Bay.westerntrips.blogspot+2
The Way Inland: On the West Coast there are only three major waterways into the interior. California’s river system, draining the Central Valley, has a single outlet at San Francisco’s Golden Gate. Only Portland on the Columbia River, and Seattle on Puget Sound, offer similar water access inland.
How and Why It Was Established: Alma was recognized as the only surviving San Francisco Bay scow schooner, representing a unique vessel type designed specifically for shallow-water cargo transport in the Bay Area. These flat-bottomed vessels were crucial for navigating the shallow creeks and sloughs of the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Delta, providing stable platforms for loading and unloading cargo. Alma hauled various cargo including hay and lumber until 1918, then served as a barge and later as an oyster shell dredger until 1957.wikipedia+2
Description: Alma measures 59 feet in length with a flat-bottomed design that allowed it to safely rest on the bottom in shallow waters. The vessel represents the ingenuity of West Coast maritime engineering, designed to meet the specific transportation needs of the San Francisco Bay region’s agricultural and commercial activities. Its restoration in the 1960s returned it to its original sailing configuration, and it now serves as an operational museum vessel.tallship-fan+2
Rivers linked the city to the interior. From San Francisco, a riverboat could steam inland as far north as Red Bluff or south to Modesto. During the Gold Rush, the rivers carried supplies up to the mining operations in the Sierra foothills and the cities of the interior. As the Central Valley’s agricultural wealth developed, the river system brought California farm products downstream and out to the markets of the world. Paddlewheel riverboats offered passenger and freight service between San Francisco and the inland cities into the 1930s. Shallow-draft sailing boats, scow schooners, and fast sloops, hauled farm produce to market until about 1900, when gasoline engine boats took over. Tugs, barges, and even ocean freighters now use the rivers, calling at the ports of Stockton and
Difficulties in Establishing These Landmarks
The research reveals limited specific documentation of major difficulties in establishing these National Historic Landmarks, though several systemic challenges affected maritime preservation efforts:
The immersive exhibits in the San Francisco Maritime Visitor Center offer much to discover about the Bay Area’s history.
Funding and Resource Constraints: The preservation of maritime vessels required substantial financial resources that exceeded the capacity of private historical societies and local governments. California’s 1955 appropriation of $200,000 for vessel purchase and repair was necessary because private organizations lacked sufficient funds.npshistory
Technical and Environmental Challenges: Maritime preservation faced unique obstacles compared to land-based historic sites. The marine environment posed ongoing threats to vessel integrity, requiring specialized maintenance skills and materials that were becoming increasingly scarce. The loss of traditional maritime skills and the decline of the regional shipbuilding industry created workforce challenges for maintaining these vessels.nps
Regulatory Complexity: While not specifically documented for these landmarks, maritime preservation generally involved complex regulatory frameworks spanning federal, state, and local jurisdictions. The waterfront location subjected projects to multiple layers of oversight that could complicate preservation efforts.spur+1
Urgency of Preservation: The documentation suggests that time pressures motivated landmark designations, as these vessels represented rapidly disappearing maritime heritage. By the 1950s, only two three-masted schooners and one steam schooner survived in repairable condition, emphasizing the critical need for immediate preservation action.npshistory
Haslett Warehouse
The establishment of these landmarks appears to have proceeded relatively smoothly once institutional support and funding were secured, with the National Park Service’s involvement after 1978 providing the necessary resources and expertise for proper preservation and interpretation of these irreplaceable maritime heritage assets.
Proposed budget cuts under the Trump administration have led to significant reductions in staffing at national parks, resulting in layoffs of rangers, educators, and maintenance workers, which in turn means shorter operating hours, closed visitor centers and campgrounds, delayed repairs, and decreased ranger-led programs. These cuts force parks to limit or eliminate interpretive services, reduce routine safety and maintenance work, and restrict educational outreach, making many sites less accessible and compromising the overall visitor experience across the National Park System.
Visitors Center
The Visitor Center is located inside the Haslett Warehouse, a San Francisco historic landmark built in 1907.
As you enter, the Voyages exhibit introduces you to life aboard a ship and why people took to sea in the first place.
A ship is a floating island. Away from land, for a single day or for months on end, voyagers depend entirely on their vessels and the people aboard them. For everyone on board there are duties, meals, places to sleep, moments of peace, and moments of terror. Yet to some extent, all aboard a vessel contribute to the nature of their isolated society. Sea voyages are as varied as the men and women who make them. For the professional seaman, the voyage is a way of life, with rules of conduct and a distinct social order. For the passenger, a voyage is a temporary interruption, a period of little responsibility or control.
Get up close to an authentic first-order Fresnel lens from the Farallon Islands Lighthouse.
Learn more about the Visitor Center’s site history as Del Monte Plant No. 1 in Canned in California, Shipped to the World.
In the late 1800s, salmon was eaten mostly in coastal and foreign markets-and then, only as a delicacy. As canning made salmon more widely available, cookbooks promoted it to more Americans. Such materials helped create a larger domestic market by emphasizing salmon’s nutritional value and versatility for meals.
Horse Shoe and Argo were among the earliest brands of Alaskan red salmon that the APA made popular. APA’s products were eventually sold under the Pioneer and Del Monte labels.
Recue by Breeches Buoy
If a ship wrecked close inshore, lifesavers could rig a breeches buoy to bring the crew to safety.
A line was shot out to the ship using a Lyle gun. A life ring, with a pair of canvas shorts sewn inside the hole carried shipwreck survivors ashore.
Here the Ohioan has run ashore at Point Lobos, just outside the Golden Gate, in 1936.
Water is a path, not a barrier.
San Francisco was an outpost on the Pacific Coast of the North American continent, isolated by mountains and deserts. The only way to deliver supplies was by ship around South America by way of Cape Horn. The preferred messenger route was by ship to Panama, by land across the Isthmus, and then by ship to San Francisco.
The railroad crossed the continent in 1869, but California was still supplied largely by sea. In 1915, the Panama Canal dramatically shortened the water route.
Today, the cost of shipping has never been lower, and the volume of goods carried by sea has never been higher.
Low-cost shipping makes possible the globalization of production. Although San Francisco itself is no longer a major port, the West Coast receives an ever increasing volume of goods across the Pacific.
