When you think of San Francisco you think of traveling up and down its beautiful hills looking out from one of the iconic streetcars (cable cars) that have been connecting the city since 1873 – an image we all have in our minds. If we find ourselves in San Francisco, it has to be on the must-do experience list. And why not discover the secrets and history of this picturesque means of transportation too? The Cable Car Museum is the perfect place to do this… plus it’s completely free.
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What is the Cable Car Museum
The Cable Car Museum, dedicated to San Francisco’s beloved transport system used by over 7 million people each year, is located on Nob Hill.
The museum was founded in 1974 and is located in the historic home of the Cable Car Power Plant. Today it is run by the nonprofit organization, The Friends of the Cable Car Museum.
The streetcar was invented by Andrew Smith Hallidie, who on August 2, 1873, demonstrated to the entire city that his vehicle worked better than any horse carriage. The conformation of the city, with its hills and valleys, could only prove Hallidie right. His vehicle was an immediate success. A ‘carriage’ hitched to an iron cable running along the road up and down the hills of the town and a skillful operator using a lever to start the vehicle at a certain speed or apply the brakes – all in all, a simple and effective concept. So much so that the monopoly of Hallidie’s company, the Clay Street Hill Railroad, lasted only four years. By 1889 there were eight companies with streetcars covering 53 miles, connecting the streets and major areas of San Francisco.
The terrible earthquake of 1906 and new means of transportation (such as the less expensive bus) led to a call in 1947 for the streetcars to be permanently eliminated as city public transportation. A committee for the preservation of cable cars was immediately formed. Thanks largely to the efforts of Friedell Klussmann, the streetcar went from being a simple means of getting around to a symbol of the city of San Francisco. In 1966, the streetcar was even listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
For more details on the operating lines and tips on where it’s best to hop on to enjoy a cable car experience to the fullest, read our article dedicated to the Cable Cars of San Francisco.
How to Get There
The Cable Car Museum is located at 1201 Mason Street in San Francisco. The entrance for people in wheelchairs is on Washington Street.
The best way to get to the San Francisco Cable Car Museum? By streetcar! The Powell-Hyde line and the Powell-Mason line both have a stop in front of the museum entrance. The California St. line has a stop on Mason Street and just a few minutes’ walk will take you to the museum entrance.
If you are driving, there are not many parking lots in the area. One of the best is the Masonic Temple at 101 California Street, about an 8-minute walk from the museum.
For more background read our article on getting around San Francisco.
Hours and Tickets
The Cable Car Museum is open:
- Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m
- Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
The museum is closed every Monday, New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
The Cable Car Museum is free of charge.
Visit the Museum
The Cable Car Museum is not only a museum dedicated to one of San Francisco’s icons, but it is also the perfect place to understand the workings of this means of transportation. Here, in fact, you will be able to see how the three lines still in existence work and are operated: the engines, the wheels, and the large steel cables to which the cars are attached.
Descending below the intersection of Washington and Mason Streets, to the museum’s lower level, you’ll see where the transportation cables are routed to travel miles to the south, north, east and west of the city. This area is not open to the public, but special galleries have been built to overlook this area to allow viewing.
In the museum you will also see some antique model streetcars dating back to the 1870s:
- the Sutter Street Railway Number 46
- the Sutter Street Railway Number 54
- the Clay Street Hill Railroad Number 8, the only streetcar still in existence from the first streetcar line that ever existed.
For fans of engineering and paraphernalia, there is everything here: brakes, bells, railroad parts, cables, models, and numerous historic photos. Speaking of bells, if you’re in San Francisco in the summer check the calendar, as Union Square may be hosting the annual Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest that has been going on since 1949…not to be missed!
Where to Stay Nearby
The Nob Hill neighborhood, where the Cable Car Museum is located, is one of the residential neighborhoods some distance from downtown but charming and well connected by transportation: there are stunning views and beautiful Victorian houses, plus good restaurants and places to eat well in San Francisco. In our article on where to stay in San Francisco, you will find targeted advice not only on this chic and picturesque neighborhood but also on all the other best areas to stay in the city.
