Alcatraz
A mile and a half from Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz was the site of the first lighthouse built on the Pacific Coast, then a federal prison for such notorious convicts as Al Capone. Now it is one of the city's most populart attractions.
Bay Bridge
Opened just six months before its counterpart, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge has connected the city with Oakland and the East Bay areas since 1936. A glittering necklace of lights was added to commerate its 50th anniversary in 1986.
Cable Cars
San Francisco is one of the few places in the world people can ride on a national historic landmark. The Cable Cars are the world's last permanently operational manually operated cable car system, in the US sense of a tramway whose cars are pulled along by cables embedded in the street.
Coit Tower
At the summit of Telegraph Hill is Coit Tower. This flutelike cyclinder was built in 1933, the legacy of Lillie Hitchcock Coit, who left $125,000 bequest to San Francisco "for the purpose of adding beauty to the city which I have always loved."
Golden Gate Bridge
Once called "the bridge that couldn't be built," today it is one the seven wonders of the modern world. This magnificent span, perhaps San Francisco's most famous landmark, opened in 1937 after a four-year struggle against relentless winds, fog, rock and treacherous tides.
The Painted Ladies
One of the most photographed locations in San Francisco, Alamo Square's famous "Painted Ladies" is indeed a visual treat. A tight, escalating formation of Victorian houses is backdropped by downtown skyscrapers, and the grassy square is an ideal midday break.
Essential Toolkit
San Francisco Must-See Icons & Landmarks
> Alcatraz
> Bay Bridge
> Cable Cars
> Coit Tower
> Golden Gate Bridge
> The Painted Ladies
