Pier 45, San Francisco

Welcome to Pier 45 — the part of Fisherman’s Wharf whose raw industrial charm immediately signals a departure from the nearby souvenir shops and seafood stalls. This stretch of the waterfront hums with old-world grit: diesel fumes, salt air, and the ghosts of sailors who never quite clocked out. Forget the clam chowder lines; here, history still smells faintly of oil and adventure.

First up, the USS Pampanito — sleek, silent, and once deadly. This World War II submarine prowled the Pacific on six patrols, sending enemy ships to the deep. Today, it floats in peaceful retirement, part museum, part memorial. Step inside and you’ll weave through torpedo bays, claustrophobic bunks, and the control room where the world once tilted between survival and silence. Just a short stroll away, the SS Jeremiah O’Brien — one of the last working Liberty cargo ships built in the U.S. during World War II — stands as her old steel companion, still seaworthy and proudly stubborn.

But not everything here runs on diesel and duty. Beyond naval history, Pier 45 is home to the Mechanical Museum, a delightfully nostalgic, interactive collection of over 300 mechanical arcade games, from fortune-tellers to Laffing Sal automata. It’s free to enter, but the games will cost you a few quarters — a small price for a fortune told or a laugh from Laffing Sal, the eerily cheerful automaton that’s been scaring kids since the 1930s.

Tucked nearby is a humble chapel honoring fishermen lost at sea — a quiet pause before the smell of fresh catch and the clatter of crab pots pull you back to the living. Indeed, Pier 45 remains a working waterfront: cranes keep swinging as local fishers process annually more than 20 million pounds of seafood, so you can often watch dawn-crabbing or buy fresh-caught fish. Courtesy of a $10-million revitalization program—including a new plaza, floating dock, and added food and museum venues—this pier adds polish without losing its patina, keeping its pulse gritty, heartfelt, and unpretentious.

It’s still very much San Francisco’s maritime soul — weathered, working, and wonderfully alive — offering compelling stories, hands-on discovery, and unforgettable waterside atmosphere.