Embarcadero Ferry Building. San Francisco’s rediscovered masterpiece

Live the high life at San Francisco’s premier boutique shopping and fine dining destination. Bask in the grandeur of this magnificent feat of design and engineering, wander through its sublime arches or set your watch from the stunning clock tower.

Hop off our San Francisco Bus Tour right outside the building. Treat yourself in high-end shops, catch a movie at the independent cinema or explore your cultural side at the art exhibits. It’s all here at the Embarcadero Ferry Building – much more than your average boat terminal.

A building rediscovered

Following the 1989 earthquake, much of the neighboring freeway had to be removed, effectively uncovering the Embarcadero. Substantial renovations then took place, with the building reopening in 2003.

Take a tour around the complex. It’s almost like going back in time, with the renovated Embarcadero maintaining much of its late 19th century charm

Other interesting facts about the Embarcadero Ferry Building

  • The Embarcadero Ferry Building’s 75-meter (245-feet) clock tower was modeled on the 12th century Giralda bell tower in Seville
  • The building opened in 1898 and remarkably suffered almost no damage during the earthquakes of 1906 and 1989
  • Until the 1930s, catching a boat via the Embarcadero was the only way in and out of the city across the bay
  • The modern building boasts a 6,000 square meter (65,000 square feet) Marketplace and 16,250 square meters (175,000 square feet) of office space
  • The Embarcadero Ferry Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places