1. Musical Stairs

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San Francisco, CA

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Musical Stairs

4.4 (15 reviews)

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We both enjoyed walking up and down these musical steps.
Lisa X.

I actually found out about these stairs from my Yelp friend, Yvonne C. who wrote a review about this place years ago. I think I must have walked by many times , but just never noticed them, and then recently I went through my bookmarks on all the places I want to visit, and found these stairs. Since I was going to Pier 39 with my little one anyway, I thought I would make an effort to locate these stairs for some photos. They were not very hard to find. Just locate Mango's Taqueria & Cantina and you should find these stairs. Bik's and I had fun walking up and down and took some fun photos. They are not very loud, so if it's a busy time of day, you may not even noticed. Still I recommend it as it's a FREE thing to do, and may be amusing for you and your kids.

Cris I.

On a day trip with Alana and Nadine in the Bay Area, we were looking for this landmark but after several tries in finding this musical stairs, we gave up. Fast forward to another trip in Embarcadero by myself, I found myself back at Pier 39 on a weekday when the place wasn't as busy during weekends. I soon figured out that a weekday is the best place to explore pier 39 since I discovered quite a handful of new landmarks even though I've been to this pier a lot of times. I saw the carousel from a distance and as I was approached it, I looked on my right and voila, the musical stairs was right there. I happily walked up and down the stairs and was amazed of the sounds it made. The steps I made is comparable to striking the keys of a piano with your fingertips. The sound certainly wasn't to the tune of a particular song but nonetheless, it's pretty interesting.

View from upstairs
Annabelle R.

It's a cool concept, and beautiful art. Just know, on a busy day with a lot of people around and the Pier drowning in noise, you probably won't hear much from these stairs. At least that's what we experienced when trekking up the steps on our way to Magowan's mirror maze in March 2021.

Luan T.

We went to Pier 39 and my daughter asked if we could go to the musical stairs. We went and found where they were and she was going up and down on the stairs. She loved listening to the musical tunes that she was making. We went with family and they enjoyed it also. It is nice that you can do this for free and children really enjoys this attraction.

Piano stairs (photo by Henry Kersten)
Yvonne C.

A staircase that is a piano! Run up and down the stairs to play music, and get friends to help you play chords. The artist, Remo Saraceni, is the one who created the oversized walking piano in the movie "Big".

Without people

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3 years ago

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8 months ago

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4 years ago

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5 years ago

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8 years ago

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6 years ago

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5 years ago

So cool! Thought it was cutely painted and to our surprise, it made music. Cute little hidden treasure

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9 years ago

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7 years ago

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13 years ago

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9 years ago

Very fun tucked away spot that kids will love. The stairs are awfully quiet tonight, doesn't make for much of a symphony.

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10 years ago

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12 years ago

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11 years ago

These stairs are so much fun. even if you don't know any music. It's a blast to watch all the kids rocking out on them.

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Review Highlights - Musical Stairs

“I enjoyed standing at the top of the staircase watching the visitors discover it for the first time.”

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Language of the Birds - Exhibit

Language of the Birds

4.5(13 reviews)
0.7 mi•North Beach/Telegraph Hill, Russian Hill

I first took note of this new art installation by Brian Goggin, with Dorka Keehn, from the "Birds…read moreon a Wire" article in 7x7, and was pleasantly surprised to chance upon it after finishing a late night dinner at New Sun Hong Kong Restaurant. Lighting up the sky since its unveiling on November 23rd, Language of the Birds looked as amazing in person as described in the 7x7 article: "Keep that in mind when his new site-specific installation (a two-year collaboration--commissioned by the SF Arts Commission--with local political activist Dorka Keehn) is unveiled this month above a new plaza linking Chinatown and North Beach, at the intersection of Broadway and Columbus. The Language of the Birds (a reference to the ancient Greek and Celtic mythical languages used to communicate with the divine) is a flock of 23 books suspended 15 to 30 feet above ground and arranged with their bindings open, as if in flight. For the sublime-spectacle portion of the program, the books, sculpted from white translucent polycarbonate and embedded with LED lights, will be illuminated from dusk till dawn using solar power from ad-hoc panels installed above City Lights Books. "Eventually, the goal is to take City Lights off the electrical grid," Keehn says. (Bonus points awarded for the project's eco-consciousness.)" According to Goggin's website, www.metaphorm.org, the "fallen words" in the concrete are in English, Italian and Chinese to reflect the rich literary history of the neighborhood where North Beach and Chinatown intersect. Text from over 90 local authors, ranging from the Beats to Chinese poets and Italians, from the last 150 years are represented. The design on the concrete was actually created during a separate performance at the SFMOMA months ago, making this the first time SF's public art has included performance art. Check out Goggin's website for more information. You might also recognize him from his installation, "Defenestration," at 6th and Howard.

We just wandered into this public art exhibit. It's rather lovely, paying tribute to writers and…read moremusicians and linking Chinatown and North Beach. Look down at the ground to find words in Chinese, Italian, and English from the pages fallen from the books/birds above.

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Language of the Birds - Exhibit

Exhibit

Language of the Birds - Exhibit

Exhibit

Language of the Birds - Exhibit

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Exhibit

Andy Goldsworthy's Wood Line - Trail and sculpture

Andy Goldsworthy's Wood Line

4.7(55 reviews)
2.4 mi•Presidio

I love walking in the Presidio with the children I work with. This is one of my favorite spots in…read morethe Presidio because of the trees and the path with the logs. It is fun to bring the children here because it is great to play with the children and the branches that make the tree houses. One time my kids and I made a tree house and it was there when we came back the following week and people added more to the house.

One of my absolute favorite field trip spots for my students is the Wood Line in the Presidio of…read moreSan Francisco. This is a super popular place for professional photos. A quick tip: because of the way the Wood Line is designed, this stretch can turn into a full-on wind tunnel. Definitely layer up; it can get chilly even on a sunny day. What makes this area so special for young students is the natural layout. The rows of eucalyptus trees create built-in boundaries, which makes it much easier to manage a group while still giving them a sense of freedom and exploration. There are also spots nearby where kids can build and expand on makeshift shelters using fallen branches, perfect for imaginative play, teamwork, and a little hands-on engineering. There are often dogs off leash in this part of the Presidio, but we've never had any issues along this particular stretch. One especially memorable visit included spotting an owl nesting in the trees. A park ranger was stationed nearby to ensure the owl's safety, and my students even got to ask questions and learn more about the habitat. It turned into an unexpected and magical lesson in urban wildlife. If you're looking for a unique, outdoor San Francisco, add the Wood Line to your list.

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Andy Goldsworthy's Wood Line - Trail and sculpture

Trail and sculpture

Andy Goldsworthy's Wood Line - Trail and sculpture

Trail and sculpture

Andy Goldsworthy's Wood Line - Trees and sculpture

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Trees and sculpture

Musical Stairs - publicart - Updated October 2026

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