San Francisco Cable Car Museum

Open regularly

City: San Francisco (United States).

Opened: 1974 at 1201 Mason Street.
Closed: April 15, 2020 because of COVID-19.
Reopened: August 1, 2021.

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Location on a map

Current trams at the museum

Cable car: 52 (gl), 62.

Horse-drawn tram: 54.

Open cable car: 8, 46.

San Francisco Cable Cars
Operational

Cable car: ?, 52 (gl) .

Open cable car: 8, 46.

Sutter Street Railway Company
Closed

Horse-drawn tram: 54.

Indicative opening hours

April - October
Monday to Sunday: 10 am - 6 pm

November - March
Monday to Sunday: 10 am - 5 pm

See the official opening hours.

Address

1201 Mason Street
San Francisco
California 94108

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Postcards from San Francisco Cable Car Museum

Postcard: San Francisco, the back (2026)For information and further viewing opprtunities visit: www.sfcablecars.com Balboa Theatre 3630 Balboa Street San Francisco, CA 94121 Friday, March 17- 5:00, 7:30, 9:45 Santurday, Marrch 18- 5:00,7:30, 9:45 Sunday, March 19- 5:00, 7:30 Monday, March 20- 5:00, 7:30 Tuesday, March 21- 5:00, 7:30 Wednesday, Marsch 22- 5:00, 7:30 Thursday, March 23- 5:00 Summerfield Cinemas 551 Summerfield Road Santa Rosa, CA 95405 Friday, March 24- 4:00 Saturday, March 25- 4:00 Sunday, March 26- 4:00 The Rafael 1118 Fourth Street San Rafael, CA 94901 Sunday, April 9- 4:15 Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum 37417 Niles Boulevard Fremont, California 94536 Sunday, July 16- 4:00 November Fire Recordings San Fracico 18 73 Cable CarsBy Henrik Boye, San Francisco Cable Car Museum - 2026.

Postcard: San Francisco, the front (2026)The history of modern transportation from Gold Rush technology. San Francisco Cable Cars November Fire RecodingsBy Henrik Boye, San Francisco Cable Car Museum - 2026.

Postcard: San Francisco Cable Car Museum (2016)Cable Car Museum San Francisco The giant machinery powering San Francisco's famous cars seen from the observation deck at the Cable Car MuseumBy Cable Car Museum, Henrik Boye, J. Godoy - 2016.

Postcard: San Francisco open cable car 46 inside Cable Car Museum (2016)San Francisco Sutter Street Cable Car Sutter Street Cable car 46 pauses at the corner of Powell St. circa 1905. Today it is on permanent display at the San Francisco Cable Car Museum.By Cable Car Museum, Henrik Boye - 2016.

Postcard: San Francisco Cable Car Museum (2012)San Francisco Cable Car Barn and Powerhouse Built in 1887 for the Ferries & Cliff House Railway Company and rebuilt after the 1906 earthquake and fire. later refurbished in 1967 and almost entirely rebuilt again in 1982-84.By Cable Car Museum, Henrik Boye - 2012.

Other items from San Francisco Cable Car Museum

Folder from San Francisco Cable Car Museum, the back (2026)San Francisco Cable Car Museum 1201 Mason Cable Car Museum Cable Car Barn & Powerhouse 1201 Mason Street San Francisco, CA 94108 Cable Car Route Key Powell/Hyde Line Powell/Mason Line California Line Turnarounds & Terminals Gitting to The Museum Cable Cars -Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde cars make stops at the Museum. California Street cars stop at Mason St., within 2 blocks. Buses: MUNI Lines 1, 8, 10, 12, and 30 make stops within 2 blocks. For information on MUNI routes, hours, and fares call: (415) 673-6864 Admission -Free! Hours 10am to 6pm, April 1 through October 31 10 am to 5pm, November 1 through March 31 Open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Years Day. (415) 474-1887 Cablecarmuseum.orgBy Henrik Boye, San Francisco Cable Car Museum - 2026.

Folder from San Francisco Cable Car Museum, the front (2026)San Francisco Cable Car Museum 1201 Mason Estsblished in 1974, The San Francisco Cable Car Museum displays various mechanical devices such as grips, tracks, cable, brake mechanisms and much more. The museum also features antique cable cars, one of which is the world's first cable car - No, 8 of Clay Street Hill Railroad. The museum is located in the historic Washington/Mason Cable Car Barn and Powerhouse overlooking the machinery powering San Francisco's Cable Cars. (415) 474-1887 Cablecarmuseum.orgBy Henrik Boye, San Francisco Cable Car Museum - 2026.

Model tram: Model of cable tram 16 (2021)Powell and Market Hyde and Beach Fisherman's Wharf "Meet me at the St. Francis"By San Francisco Cable Car Museum, Silas Boye Nissen - August 2, 2021.

Model tram: San Francisco Cable Car Museum (2021)The models, in this case, are part of a more extensive collection of cable car models built by Dr. George Rahilly between 1969 and 1972. Rahilly built 57 models to represent every type of cable car operated in San Francisco. The first 14 of the models were displayed at the San Francisco Wells Fargo History Room in 1971. In 1973 the models were presented to the City of San Francisco. After the reconstruction of the cable car system and the restoration of the Car Barn in 1984, the models were deeded to the San Francisco Cable Car Museum for permanent display. Market Street Cable Railway Company RPO CAR. In late 1800, the U.F. Postal Service developed the "railway post office car" (RPO car) in cooperation with various railway companies. RPO cars were in service long before using trucks or other vehicles to deliver mail. These cars performed several jobs. Omnibus "Open Car" - no. 104. The "open" design was most famous for cable cars at the turn of the century, although it was introduced with home-drawn equipment. MSR Car No. 15. Car no. 15 was a large-tram car similar to no. 33 and nor. 103. The Market Street Railway assigned car no. 15 to the Hayes Street line, which ran from the Ferry Building along Market Street to Hayes Street (at 9th and Market) and continued past City Hall to the east end of Golden Gate Park. United Railroads Car No. 2. This model sorts a larger version of the "California"-type car. Cars of this type were rebuilt from open cars of the Market Street line and ran from 1906 to 1942. They proved to be very unpopular with gripman, who considered them too big, too "chunky," heavy, hard to stop, etc.By San Francisco Cable Car Museum, Silas Boye Nissen - August 2, 2021.

Model tram: Small tram models (2021)By San Francisco Cable Car Museum, Silas Boye Nissen.
August 2, 2021.

Badge: Cable Car Museum - Welcomes back (2021)Aug 1 2021 148th Year San Francisco Cable CarsBy Cable Car Museum, Henrik Boye - August 1, 2021.

Poster: San Francisco (1979)Omnibus Cable Company San Francisco, California 1889-1893 1979 Carbarn PressBy Cable Car Museum, Henrik Boye - 1979.

Links about San Francisco Cable Car Museum

Market Street Railway (MSR)
Language: English.

"San Francisco Market Street Railway | We keep San Francisco's Vintage Streetcars on TrackMarket Street Railway"

Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMFA)
Language: English, French, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish.

"SFMTA is the official website of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, providing extensive information about the city’s public transportation network. Tram-related content is a major part of the site, with detailed information on Muni Metro, including the J, K, L, M, N, and T lines, routes, stops, schedules, and projects such as the Central Subway. The site also covers historic streetcars and cable cars, with information on fares, accessibility, operations, history, and future improvements."

San Francisco Cable Car Museum
Language: English.

"Presenting cable car history, technology, information, and gift shop. Located in San Francisco's Washington-Mason powerhouse and carbarn, the museum provides a historical perspective and insight into today's system."

San Francisco Cable Cars
Language: English.

"Visiting San Francisco? Then come check out the San Francisco Cable Car Website, the online home of the web's first interactive Cable Car. Features include: interactive demos on how cable cars work, route maps with popular destinations, and the location and hours of the San Francisco Cable C"

See all links about trams and light rails in San Francisco.

Last updated: October 7, 2026.