This Week's Top Stories

Fisherman's Wharf

Ripley's Believe It or Not to Close Fisherman's Wharf Doors After Nearly 60 Years

The Odditorium at 175 Jefferson St. will shut before year's end, ending a nearly six-decade run as one of the waterfront's most recognizable attractions.

Ripley's Believe It or Not! announced this week that it will close its San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf location before the end of 2026, after nearly 60 years in operation. Company president Jim Pattison Jr. confirmed the closure in a letter posted Tuesday, September 22, but did not give a specific final date or explain the reason for the departure. The attraction opened at 175 Jefferson St. on February 2, 1967, and grew to include more than 400 unusual artifacts and a 2,000-square-foot mirror maze.

Fisherman's Wharf

Port Seeks Public Input on Fisherman's Wharf Long-Term Redesign — Survey Closes September 30

The Port of San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf Forward concept design survey, tied to a multi-decade plan to rebuild the Taylor Street shoreline and Inner Lagoon, closes at the end of this month.

Residents, business owners, and visitors have just days left to weigh in on the long-term future of Fisherman's Wharf. The Port of San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf Forward Concept Design Survey closes September 30, 2026, and the Port is asking the public to help shape plans that will guide improvements to the Taylor Street shoreline and Inner Lagoon area — a planning horizon that extends through 2100.

Fleet Week

Fleet Week Begins October 4: Ship Tours, Parade of Ships, Blue Angels and Fleet Fest at the Wharf

San Francisco Fleet Week runs October 4–12, with free ship tours at Piers 27 and 35, a Parade of Ships on October 9, three days of air shows headlined by the Blue Angels, and a new Fleet Fest footprint landing at Fisherman's Wharf.

San Francisco Fleet Week opens Sunday, October 4, and runs through Columbus Day, October 12, putting the northern waterfront at the center of the city's largest fall gathering. For Fisherman's Wharf and North Beach, the week means military bands at Pier 39, flyovers above the bay, dense visitor crowds along Jefferson Street, and on October 11, the Italian Heritage Parade marching through the same neighborhoods.

Upcoming Events

Saturday–Sunday, October 3–4

Madonna del Lume — Blessing of the Fishing Fleet

📍 Saints Peter and Paul Church, Washington Square / Fisherman's Wharf · Various times · Verify · SF Italian Heritage Festival & Parade

Saturdays, October 4, 11, 18 & 25

Pier 39 Saturday Night Fireworks — October

📍 Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf · DJ from 6:00 PM; Fireworks at 8:30 PM · Verify · funcheap SF

Wednesday, October 7 through Monday, October 12 (select days)

Fleet Week: Free Ship Tours at Piers 27 & 35

📍 Piers 27 and 35, The Embarcadero · 10:00 AM–4:00 PM (9:00 AM–noon on Oct. 12) · Verify · San Francisco Fleet Week

Friday, October 9

Fleet Week: Parade of Ships

📍 San Francisco Bay waterfront (viewable from Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, and Marina Green) · 11:00 AM–12:00 PM · Verify · San Francisco Chronicle

Friday–Sunday, October 9–11

Fleet Week Air Show — U.S. Navy Blue Angels

📍 San Francisco Bay (between Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz); viewable from the northern waterfront · 12:00 PM–4:00 PM · Verify · San Francisco Chronicle

More from the Community

Grocery Outlet Opened August 13 at Former North Beach Safeway Site, Ending Three-Year Food Gap

North Beach and Fisherman's Wharf residents welcomed a long-awaited grocery option when Grocery Outlet opened Thursday, August 13, at 350 Bay St., taking over the 30,000-square-foot space that Safeway vacated in May…

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