Pier 45 San Francisco is home to two historic war vessels: The SS Jeremiah O’Brien and the USS Pampanito. Both were used during World War II. This historic pier is in the heart of the Fisherman’s Wharf neighbourhood. It’s the perfect stop for war history buffs. Pier 45 stands as one of San Francisco’s most authentic slices of living history, tucked at the northern edge of Fisherman’s Wharf where the clang of cable cars fades into the cries of sea lions and the scent of sourdough drifts on the fog. This sturdy World War II-era pier, once a bustling hub for troop ships and cargo during the war, has gracefully transformed into a celebration of the city’s unbreakable bond with the sea. Walking its weathered planks feels like stepping onto a time capsule: the massive Liberty ship SS Jeremiah O’Brien, one of the last operational survivors of the D-Day fleet, sits proudly at the dock, its engines still capable of steaming again at a moment’s notice.
Nearby, the USS Pampanito, a beautifully restored submarine that sank six Japanese vessels and rescued 73 Allied POWs, offers narrow ladders and cramped quarters that instantly transport visitors into the tense, heroic reality of underwater warfare in the Pacific. Both vessels are not static museum pieces behind velvet ropes; volunteers who served on similar ships guide you through the decks with stories that make the steel bulkheads come alive. Yet Pier 45 is far more than preserved military history. It pulses with the playful, slightly eccentric spirit that makes San Francisco irresistible. The Musée Mécanique, housed in an open warehouse space on the pier, shelters one of the world’s finest collections of antique arcade games and mechanical wonders—everything from 19th-century fortune tellers and player pianos to the giggling, slightly creepy Laffing Sal that once greeted visitors at the old Playland-at-the-Beach.
Drop a quarter into a hand-cranked dioramas or challenge a friend at vintage skee-ball while the bay sparkles just outside the open doors. Street performers often gather nearby, sea lions bark from the floating docks a short stroll away, and the aroma of crab cocktails and clam chowder in sourdough bowls tempts every passerby. Whether you spend a quiet morning exploring the submarine’s torpedo rooms, an afternoon laughing over century-old carnival machines, or simply leaning on the railing watching fishing boats return with the day’s catch, Pier 45 wraps San Francisco’s maritime soul, wartime courage, and joyful quirkiness into one irresistible waterfront package that leaves every visitor eager to return before the fog even lifts.
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