The Cannery
The Cannery, for the most part, is an old factory in Fisherman’s Wharf. Surviving both the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes, today it stands as one of San Francisco’s most famous buildings. But after years of service — and being part of the touristy neighborhood of Fisherman’s Wharf — the factory building has since retired and has been converted to a group of specialty shops.
Built in 1907 for the California Fruit Canners Association, the Cannery became home to one of the most famous fruit companies in the world, Del Monte Foods.
At one time producing more than 200,000 hand-soldered cans per day, the Cannery employed nearly 3,000 in its heyday to propel the company onto the Forbes 500 list.
But because of a rise in real estate value (which is still rising today — San Francisco is second to Manhattan in U.S. real estate prices), the Cannery eventually closed and moved to a less-expensive location, Oakland. But the historic building remains.
The Cannery is historic. And yeah, people know it. But the landmark doesn’t have the pizazz like other San Francisco treasures such as the Golden Gate Bridge.
But if you walk through Fisherman’s Wharf, why not browse the building? You can hang out in the Cannery Concourse, which was once the old railway platform for the factory; eat some snacks from one of the specialty shops; or stare at a 130-year-old olive tree while you enjoy beers from the Jack Cannery Bar. Those are just a handful of ideas for your stroll.
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The Cannery, for the most part, is NOT the most amazing part of San Francisco. Many other city attractions, in fact, trump the old factory. But it’s a piece of San Francisco history nonetheless.
If you’re in Fisherman’s Wharf and need a break from the hordes of tourists on the sidewalk, step into The Cannery Concourse for a beer. Staring at the olive tree might be the best decision you ever made.
How Do I Find The Cannery?
- The Cannery is located on the corner of Beach and Leavenworth Street in the center of Fisherman’s Wharf. But just a heads up — you could walk past the building and not even know it.
- You can use public transportation routes 9x, 10, 19, 20, 30, 39, 47 and bus 49; the Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason cable car lines; or the easiest (and usually most crowded in the morning), the F-line. If you’re in a rush, just grab an uber.
- To reach The Cannery from Union Square you can ride most of the above bus lines, the fastest being bus 30 (around 20 mins), or you can ride the F-Line (40 mins) and face crowds. And FYI — waiting for a cable car IS NOT worth your time. Instead, ride a cable car during a less-crowded time of day.
- Other attractions near The Cannery include the Buena Vista Cafe (for Irish coffees), Cable Cars, Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square, Aquatic Park, The Embarcadero, The F-Line, Sea Lions, In-N-Out Burger, Alcatraz, North Beach, Lombard Street, Hyde Street Pier, the Maritime Museum and Musée Mécanique.
Orange Sky Co. says:
The Cannery is very similar to Ghirardelli Square — it’s an old factory that’s been gutted and turned into specialty shops. Although it’s the historic start of Del Monte Food (the famous canning plant), unless you need something specifically from a shop, maybe just an outside photo and a quick stroll through the building will suffice.
Location of The Cannery
