Kathleen from San Francisco

About me Born on an American Army base in Germany, I came to the states when I was six months old and my parents were stationed back home at Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington, where I spent my entire childhood. Little did I know that the military lifestyle was going to become what inspired me to become an artist. I have been a photographer for most of my life. Whether I knew it o...

May 9, 2025

The Carousel San Francisco

A Childhood Fantasy Come True

"Custom-built in Italy, it features more than 30 colorful animals and is the only bay area carousel with artistic renderings of all the SF landmarks!"

If you have fond memories of carousel rides when you were a kid, Pier 39 has you covered with a two-story, double-decker dream ride for you and your family. What could be better?

Walking through Pier 39 is like the world’s best carnival, but when you get near the back, you’ll come across the most magnificent structure that begs you to step inside. Having arrived in December 2008, this is probably one of the most beautiful carousels I’ve ever seen. It was custom-built by hand in Italy, features more than 30 colorful animals, and is the only bay area carousel with artistic renderings of all the San Francisco landmarks. Stunning!

It has the requisite organ music playing during its circle game to entertain riders. In addition, it has over 1800 twinkle lights that evoke hundreds of ooo’s and ahh’s from not only the riders but all the patrons of Pier 39 who happen to be passing by. Especially during twilight turning to night. It’s an incredible sight to behold.

Instead of spending the day at Pier 39, why not come and spend the evening enjoying a whole different vibe here and have an incredible twilight experience on this fantastic carousel?

Go. You know you want to.

Amsterdam

Antwerp

Art & culture

About this spot

PIER 39

Carousel ride:

US$

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156 Insider Tips from our local Spotters

Authentic Stories by Real People

Escape the Crowd & Travel Slow 🐌

... for just €9.99

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