San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

The largest collection of historic ships afloat in the United States is moored at Hyde Street Pier, where visitors can walk the decks of vessels that once worked the Pacific coast and San Francisco Bay. The fleet includes the square-rigged sailing ship Balclutha of 1886, the steam ferryboat Eureka, the lumber schooner C.A. Thayer, the steam tug Hercules and the scow schooner Alma.

Across Aquatic Park, the Maritime Museum occupies a 1939 Streamline Moderne bathhouse built by the Works Progress Administration. Shaped like an ocean liner, it has interior murals by Hilaire Hiler and displays on the region's seafaring past. A visitor center nearby introduces the park's stories of ships, sailors and the waterfront.

The park is run by the National Park Service and draws more than four million visitors a year. It suits anyone curious about sailing ships and working boats, and exploring the pier and its vessels easily fills a couple of hours.