Tripvorra researched this guide using official city, park and venue sources linked throughout.
Last verified: October 2026.
Most first-time itineraries for San Francisco cover the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the cable cars and Fisherman’s Wharf. This guide covers three places that rarely appear on those lists: a sound sculpture played by the tide in the Marina, a mosaic staircase built by neighbours in Golden Gate Heights, and an 1898 domed columbarium in the Inner Richmond. All three are free or have no listed admission fee, none needs a reservation, and each can be reached by Muni.
Quick Answer: Visit the Wave Organ near high tide, when the bay makes the most sound in its pipes; climb the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps and continue to Grandview Park for a wide city view; and step inside the San Francisco Columbarium, a working memorial building, on a weekday between 9am and 5pm.
Getting Around: Muni Fares in 2026
All three places are on regular Muni bus routes. According to the SFMTA fares page, an adult single ride costs $2.85 with a Clipper card or a contactless credit or debit card, or $3.00 in cash, and it is valid for 120 minutes. A Muni day pass is $5.70, and a 1-day Visitor Passport, which also covers cable cars, is $15. Under the budget the SFMTA board approved in April 2026, the Clipper discount ends in January 2027, which raises the Clipper single fare to $3.00, so check current fares if you are travelling next year. If you plan to visit all three places in one day, the $5.70 day pass costs less than three separate rides.
The Wave Organ: A Sound Sculpture Played by the Bay
What it is
The Wave Organ sits at the tip of a man-made jetty in the Marina District. The Exploratorium built it in 1986, to a design by its artist-in-residence Peter Richards working with sculptor and stonemason George Gonzales, and it is one of the few Exploratorium exhibits outside the museum. It is dedicated to Frank Oppenheimer, the museum’s founding director, who led its fundraising and died months before construction began.
Twenty-five PVC and concrete pipes run down into the bay. As water moves in and out of them, the air columns inside vibrate and amplify the sound of the water. KQED reports that Richards described higher tides as producing shorter air columns and higher sounds, with lower, sparser tones at low tide. Expect gurgles, splashes and low booms rather than tunes. The terraces and benches around the pipes are built from salvaged stone, including granite from demolished San Francisco cemeteries, 1906 earthquake debris and old street curbs.
Visiting
- Address: 1 Yacht Road, at the end of the jetty that runs past the Golden Gate Yacht Club. The walk starts at the Marina Green.
- Muni: In the daytime (about 6am to 8pm), the 30 Stockton continues along Marina Boulevard to Crissy Field. Get off at Mason St & Yacht Rd and walk out along the jetty, which takes roughly 10 to 15 minutes. In the evening the 30 ends at Divisadero & Chestnut, which adds about 10 minutes of walking.
- Hours and cost: Free, outdoors and unstaffed, with no posted opening hours.
- Best time: Around high tide. The pipes are much quieter at low tide. Check the NOAA tide predictions for San Francisco before you go.
At the Wave Organ: watch your footing
The stone slabs are uneven and can be wet, and the jetty is exposed to wind. Hold children’s hands near the water’s edge, and bring a layer even on a sunny day.
If you have extra time: the Wave Organ looks across the small harbour toward the Palace of Fine Arts, a short walk away, and the flat waterfront path west of the jetty leads to Crissy Field and views of the Golden Gate Bridge.
16th Avenue Tiled Steps: A Staircase Built by Its Neighbours
What it is
The staircase climbs Moraga Street between 15th and 16th Avenues in Golden Gate Heights. According to the project’s official site, residents Jessie Audette and Alice Yee Xavier started it in 2003 as a neighbourhood beautification effort. Artists Aileen Barr and Colette Crutcher designed a “sea to stars” mosaic that runs across all 163 risers, and neighbours made panels at three community workshops. Sponsored tiles shaped like animals, fish and shells, many carrying donors’ names, paid for most of the work. The steps opened on 27 August 2005, when Supervisor Sean Elsbernd, acting as mayor for the day, declared it “16th Avenue Tiled Steps Day.”
The project was inspired by the Escadaria Selarón in Rio de Janeiro. It uses more than 2,000 handmade tiles and over 75,000 pieces of glass and rises about 90 feet. The gardens on both sides are planted mainly with California natives and succulents, and since 2014 the group Nature in the City has helped restore habitat there for the endangered green hairstreak butterfly. Volunteers still look after the planting on work days each spring and autumn.
Visiting
- Address: the base of the steps is at 16th Avenue and Moraga Street.
- Muni: the 66 Quintara stops at 16th Ave & Moraga St in both directions, about every 20 minutes (6am to 10pm on weekdays, from 8am at weekends). It starts at 9th Ave & Judah St, where you can change from the N Judah line.
- Hours and cost: free and open at all times. It is a residential street, so daylight visits are more considerate and easier for photos.
- Best time: a clear afternoon, finishing at Grandview Park for the late light. Fog often covers the west side of the city, so check conditions before you set out.
At the Tiled Steps: neighbours and parked cars
People live in the houses beside the steps, so keep noise down, stay off the planted beds and do not block driveways. SFist reported in 2016 that car break-ins near the steps had risen and that residents were warning visitors. Arriving by bus avoids the problem. If you drive, leave nothing visible in the car.
Grandview Park: keep climbing past the tiled section, up several flights of plain stairs, to Grandview Park on Turtle Hill. The summit is about 666 feet high, with views of Golden Gate Park, the Pacific, the Marin Headlands, downtown and Sutro Tower. UCSF’s Synapse recommends the west-facing view at sunset. The hilltop has rare native plants, so stay on the paths.
If you have extra time: the Hidden Garden Steps, designed by the same two artists and finished in December 2013, start at Kirkham Street where 16th Avenue dead-ends, on the north side of Grandview Park. A 28-step salamander is the largest figure. Walking down from the park lets you see both staircases in one loop.
San Francisco Columbarium: An 1898 Rotunda Still in Use
What it is
Architect Bernard J.S. Cahill designed the San Francisco Columbarium, completed in 1898, for the Odd Fellows Cemetery, which then covered about 30 acres. San Francisco banned new burials in 1902 and cremation by 1910. The cemetery’s remains were moved to Colma from 1929, and the columbarium is what survives. The Neptune Society of Northern California bought it in 1980 and began restoring it, and the city made it a designated landmark in 1996.
Inside, more than 8,500 niches line four levels around a central rotunda about 45 feet high under a copper dome. The building measures 64 feet from the entrance to the stained-glass window opposite. One window, showing three angels in flight, has been attributed to either Louis Comfort Tiffany or John La Farge. The eight ground-floor rooms are named after mythological winds, and the rooms on the floor above are named after constellations. It is still an active columbarium, and families continue to place ashes there.
Visiting
- Address: One Loraine Court, off Anza Street near Stanyan and Arguello, a few blocks north of Golden Gate Park.
- Hours: the operator’s Dignity Memorial listing gives office and visiting hours of Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and invites visitors to drop in during business hours. The same page says the site is open seven days a week, and other listings, such as Atlas Obscura, give weekend hours of 10am to 3pm. Treat weekend access as unconfirmed and call 415-771-0717 before a weekend visit.
- Cost: no admission fee is listed, and no booking is needed during business hours.
- Muni: the 38 Geary, which runs 24 hours, stops at Geary Blvd & Arguello Blvd. From there it is a walk of about five minutes south on Arguello and east along Anza to Loraine Court.
- Etiquette: this is a working memorial and funeral home, not a museum. Keep your voice low, give space to anyone visiting a niche, avoid photographing mourners or services, and ask staff if you are unsure. Atlas Obscura’s listing also asks visitors to respect the neighbours and obey parking rules on the narrow court.
If you have extra time: the eastern end of Golden Gate Park is under half a mile south along Arguello Boulevard, which makes the park an easy next stop and the walking link to the Tiled Steps in the route below.
One Thing We Left Off: Sutro Baths
The ruins of the Sutro Baths at Lands End appear on many “offbeat San Francisco” lists, but we left them out because they are already well known. SF Travel promotes them as a highlight and suggests going on a weekday because weekends can be crowded. According to the National Park Service, Adolph Sutro developed the baths in 1894, developers bought the site in 1964, and a fire destroyed what remained in 1966. The concrete ruins are now part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
If you still want to go, SF Travel lists the 38 Geary as one bus option. The Lands End Lookout visitor centre above the ruins is listed by the NPS as open daily from 9am to 5pm. The NPS advises visitors to stay on trails and keep away from cliff edges, which matters on the wet rocks around the old pools.
Planning a Day: Linking All Three
The three sites are in different parts of the city, so plan on buses and some walking rather than a single walking route. A weekday works best, because the Columbarium’s confirmed hours are Monday to Friday. Walking and ride times in this guide are map estimates, not published figures, so check routes and live arrivals with the SFMTA trip planner or a map app before you set out.
- Morning, Wave Organ: pick a day when high tide falls in the morning or around midday. Take the 30 Stockton to Mason St & Yacht Rd and allow about an hour, including the walk along the jetty.
- Midday, Columbarium: the Marina and Inner Richmond have no direct bus link, so use the SFMTA trip planner for a bus route with a change or take a rideshare of roughly 15 to 20 minutes. Allow 30 to 45 minutes inside, and get lunch along Geary Boulevard or Clement Street nearby.
- Afternoon, Tiled Steps and Grandview Park: walk south down Arguello Boulevard and through the eastern part of Golden Gate Park to 9th Ave & Judah St, about 35 to 40 minutes, then take the 66 Quintara to 16th Ave & Moraga St. Climb the steps, continue to Grandview Park for the late-afternoon view, and come down past the Hidden Garden Steps.
With a $5.70 day pass, every Muni ride on this route is covered. If you are planning a longer trip in the state, see our guide to towns and trails worth the detour elsewhere in California. For another trip that skips the obvious stops, try our underrated towns in Ireland.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I visit the Columbarium during a service?
The building is also a funeral home, so services do take place. If one is under way, ask staff whether it is a good time to look around, or come back later. Calling 415-771-0717 before a visit avoids the problem.
Are the Tiled Steps and Grandview Park accessible for wheelchairs or strollers?
No. Both are reached by long flights of stairs on a steep hillside. The Wave Organ is a better fit: the trail from the Marina Green is described as wheelchair accessible, although the stone terraces around the pipes themselves are uneven.
Can I help look after the Tiled Steps?
Yes. The project’s official site lists garden volunteer days on Earth Day weekend and in the autumn, plus occasional citywide volunteer days. Volunteers meet at the base of the steps at 16th Avenue and Moraga Street, and sessions are cancelled if it rains. Check the site for the next date.
