San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
Mission
Through preservation and interpretation of historic ships, extensive museum collections, traditional maritime skills, and its San Francisco Bay setting, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park brings America’s maritime legacy to life and promotes the understanding and enjoyment of the nation’s West Coast maritime heritage.
Featured Fun
Fun fact: San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park as a podcast called “Better Lives, Bitter Lies” by Park Guides Sabrina Oliveras and Anne Monk. In the 19th- and 20th-centuries, countless people sailed into San Francisco Bay seeking better lives. For many, arrival meant living with the ideas that shaped their personal histories and the waterfront’s. This podcast introduces several of these ideas, using points around the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park as springboards.
Dock workers in San Francisco in the 1930s who gathered every day to find work in what was known as the “Shape Up.”
In addition, the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is pleased to provide a video in which Ranger Peter Kasin introduces a series called “The Human Stories of Dock Labor” that reviews books about the same; and two videos that explain the history of sea chanteys alongside performances.
Video 1. Live Chantey Sing with San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park from OI Maritime Fest 2020
Video 2. 30th Anniversary Sea Chantey Celebration in 2011
Saturday, September 26, 2020 at 12:00PM – (Virtual) Diversity and Inclusion in Public Spaces: African American Artist Sargent Johnson at the San Francisco Maritime Museum
Park Guide Alvin Rivera
Join us for a San Francisco History Days exclusive virtual tour of the San Francisco Maritime Museum led by Park Guide Alvin Rivera focused on the artist Sargent Johnson.
Sargent Claude Johnson, 1930s Works Progress Administration artist who created the bas-relief sculpture and tile mosaics for the Maritime Museum Building, 900 Beach Street, San Francisco.
Sargent Claude Johnson was one of only two African American artists employed by the Works Progress Administration in California. His artwork in the Maritime Museum reflects a fusion of American and traditional African cultures. Discover how he portrays and elevates a positive identity for African Americans through his art in 1930’s America – a time when such representation would not have been visible.
This event is free but pre-registration is required.
Sunday, September 27, 2020 at 12:00PM – (Virtual) Balclutha and Star of Alaska: One Ship, Two Names, and Very Mixed Experiences
The 1886 tall ship Balclutha berthed at Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.
Join us for a San Francisco History Days 2020 exclusive virtual tour of the Balclutha led by Park Rangers Christopher Edwards and J.R. Earnest.
Rangers Chris Edwards, left, and J.R. Earnest, right, of San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park lead a virtual tour of the 1886 tall ship, Balclutha for San Francisco History Days 2020
The Full-Rigged Ship Balclutha is full of stories about challenge, strife, and survival. Often, these stories are interpreted through the ship’s voyages around Cape Horn. Difficult stories also manifest through the human experiences of her last career in the salmon fishing industry. During this time with the Alaska Packers Association (renamed Star of Alaska), stories of challenge, strife, and survival can be found in the plight of the cannery workers and how they became caught up in the tragic experience of debt peonage. Join Park Rangers Christopher Edwards and JR Earnest for a revealing look into the cannery workers and their shipboard living spaces.
This event is free but pre-registration is required.