BEST MUSEUM

Rosie-The-Riveter Memorial
Inside Marina Bay Park (corner of Regatta Blvd. and Marina Bay Pkwy.), Richmond
(510) 236-2024
www.rosietheriveter.org

The elegant stainless steel, granite and porcelain structure is a fitting tribute to the more than six million American women who, during WWII, when their fathers, brothers, husbands and sons were called to fight, willingly stepped up to the plate to fill their jobs and ensure American productivity, thus forever changing women’s role in the workplace. The memorial sits on the former site of the Kaiser Shipyard in Richmond, which set production records during WWII for wartime shipbuilding. At the height of the war, women made up about 27 percent of the shipyard’s workforce and 80 percent of the general workforce in the area. The Rosie The Riveter Memorial, which was commissioned by the City of Richmond and the City of Richmond’s Redevelopment Agency in 2000 and designed by visual artist Susan Schwartzenberg and landscape architect Cheryl Barton to resemble a ship’s hull under construction, is the first memorial in the nation to honor the important role women played in WWII. With sweeping views of the Richmond Marina and San Francisco Bay, the memorial offers visitors a picturesque and serene setting for casual strolls and quiet reflection.

San Francisco Maritime Museum
Foot of Hyde St., San Francisco
(415) 556-3002
www.nps.gov/safr/

Most people don’t know this but the ship-shaped structure at the far west end of Fisherman’s Wharf is actually a part of the National Park Service’s San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, which also includes the fleet of turn-of-the-century vessels next door at the Hyde Street Pier. Inside the curved concrete, glass and stainless steel structure, you’ll find a number of cool exhibits, models and photos of the early San Francisco waterfront. Check out the one-man sailboat that carried a man across the Pacific Ocean from Tokyo and learn how sailors who once relied on the wind to carry them converted to steam power. It’s fun and educational and best of all, it’s free!