Take the eerie nighttime excursion: a narrated circuit around the island and guided tours to the main prison building (not to mention a few special programs only offered after dark).
Among the best gourmet offerings? Divine chocolate sablées at Miette Patisserie, fresh-baked sourdough levain from Acme Bread, and Mt. Tam triple-cream cheese at Cowgirl Creamery.
Walk through an enclosed glass-and-steel bridge connecting the fifth-floor galleries to the dramatic Rooftop Sculpture Garden.
The center doesn’t have its own café, but adjacent to Yerba Buena Gardens are the B Restaurant & Bar and Samovar Tea Lounge – two rooftop spots that are perfect on a sunny day.
Don’t leave without checking out the upstairs Poster Room—with psychedelic vintage poster art—and without grabbing a free apple.
Don’t leave without checking out the restaurant’s world-famous camera obscura (one of about 20 in existence), with 360 degrees of live images projected from a nearby seal rock.
From the museum’s copper-clad torqued tower, you can see the Transamerica Pyramid, Sutro Tower, and the top of the Golden Gate Bridge. The tower’s café serves food sourced within a 150-mile radius.
Don’t miss the classic black and white milkshake made with Mitchell's ice cream and homemade chocolate syrup.
