San Francisco

Travelers' Takes

Rates and Deals

Cable Car Museum

More Photos
millsy99
millsy99
First Reviewer
3 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
4
Reviews
8
Photos
Sort by: Most Recent|Positive|Negative|Most Useful
1-4 of 4

Cable Car Museum

  • March 3, 2007
  • Rated 1 of 5 by Ricardo! from Santander, Spain
Cable Car Museum

You will love this place if you are really interesting in cable cars. The only thing I really liked about this museum was the machines that control the whole city's cable cars. When I left I was happy that it was free!

From journal The Amazing San Francisco

Cable Car Museum

  • March 18, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by kustom57 from Turlock, California
The most recognizable monument in San Francisco has to be the Golden Gate Bridge, but giving that a good run for the money has to be the cable cars!

From the tell tale gong of the cable car bells, to the clickety-clack from the gripmans lever, there is nothing that says San Francisco quite as well. Invented in 1873 by Andrew Hallidie, as a way to traverse the steep hills of the city-by-the-bay, when those hills were wet and slippery, the cable cars revolutionalized the way to travel. By 1889 there were eight cable car companies operating in the city with a total of 53 miles of track going all over the city. Then the 1906 earthquake devastated the city, including much of the cable car tracks. At that time, the electric streetcar had become a better choice for city wide transit because it was quicker and less expensive.

The cable cars were still better at traversing the large hills though, so a few tracks were rebuilt. In 1947 the Mayor of San Francisco said that the cable cars should be taken out all together. The city responded by passing Measure 10, which saved the cable cars by a landslide. The citizens knew what they wrought; a legacy of antique and unique, that adds so much to this jewel of the bay area.

Today, there is no better way to experience San Francisco than to hop on a cable car and take a jaunt somewhere. Anywhere.

If you happen to be travelling to S.F. in July, please visit www.cablecarmuseum.org to look for the cable car bell ringers contest that is held in Union Square.

Hours of operation for the Cable Car Museum are as follows;
10am to 6pm, April 1st to September 30th.
10am to 5pm, October 1st to March 31st.
Admission is free!
For more information or questions call 415-474-1887

From journal San Francisco on a Budget

Cable Car Museum

  • May 12, 2003
  • Rated 3 of 5 by panda1 from ., California
Cable Car Museum

The Cable Car Museum is where you look through viewing windows to see the actual workings underneath the streets of what drives the cable cars, started by Andrew Smith Hallidie in 1873 after witnessing a horse and car accident in 1869. There are film clips, photos, artifacts, and old cars.

Open October to March, 10am-6pm, except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

Phone: (415) 474-1887

From journal SFO

Cable Cars (museum & ride)

  • June 24, 2002
  • Rated 3 of 5 by millsy99 from Knoxville, Tennessee
Cable Cars (museum & ride)

If you have young children, especially boys (who seem to be fascinated by any type of machinery), this museum is an exciting way to spend a morning. The museum has many different models of cars on display, and also features the very first cable car from the 1870s. Older kids can find out how the cable car system works and how it came about in San Francisco. Hours are 10 to 6 (at least in summer) and it's free. You can get on a cable car at the museum, where the cars begin and end their routes.

From journal "City by the Bay" for families

Sort by: Most Recent|Positive|Negative|Most Useful
1-4 of 4

Compare San Francisco Rates

1. Enter travel information

City

2. Select websites to compare rates

Each selected website will open a new window.

Helpful San Francisco Links

San Francisco Travel Deals