Clearwater Beach and Screamer

We are excited to announce a new drop ride and show – Escape Alcatraz – has arrived at the San Francisco Dungeon ! The new ride creates a thrilling finale to the sixty-minute Dungeon experience, complete with fresh sets, script, characters, and costumes, culminates in a heart-pounding drop ride simulating a jump from the infamous island prison into the frigid and choppy waters of the San Francisco Bay.  Escape Alcatraz is now included in all tickets. The Dungeons is the first for Merlin in the USA and Madame Tussauds is the fifth addition to the USA and a cornerstone on Merlin Entertainments roll out of new sites across the USA, Asia, Europe and Australasia. The San Francisco Dungeons is an experience that will inform and entertain, is scary but fun, that sees the funny side of horror and is grippingly captivating. Humour sets Dungeons apart with this actor-led live shows as it trawls through history and brings every visitor face-to-face with the chilling truth our past.  Madame Tussauds is the ultimate celebrity fun day out, where else can you get up close and personal with A-List celebrities, sporting legends, political heavyweights and historical icons and relive the lives, events and moments that made the world talk about them. HALLOWEEN AT THE SAN FRANCISCO DUNGEON 2015 SCARE DATES ANNOUNCED OCTOBER 1ST – OCTOBER 31ST, 2015! Miss Piggott is returning to The Home of Halloween, The San Francisco Dungeon!   Join Miss Piggott as you experience 200 years of history through 9 live actor shows.   October heralds the return of Miss Piggott, a saloon owner who may or may not run a little shanghaiing business on the side. She's been away looking for some new girls for her saloon, but she's been hearing some news about this Jack fellow who's moving in on her turf and might be threatening her girls.    She'll be scoping out the situation, so she might pop up for a night at a bar or two in the city, working the crowds and listening in for some of the latest gossip. She's planning to be back in the Dungeon by Halloween, right in time to chase Jack away, and ply her new customers with some more tricks and treats.    The San Francisco Dungeon is the first attraction of its kind in North America and brings to life the stories of the old Bay Area with a full theatrical cast, special effects, gripping storytelling, and 360-degree sets.    The San Francisco Dungeon is the ultimate live action journey through the Bay Area’s murky past where the audience is part of the show. ** No child or children under the age of 13 will be admitted to The San Francisco Dungeon unless accompanied and supervised by a paying adult aged 18 years or over. 

Want to see the San Francisco Bay as the sun sets over the Pacific Ocean? Our 1.5-hour Sunset Sail is for those who want a serene, romantic experience—it's the perfect date night! Watch the city slowly light up behind you as the Golden Gate bridge glows in the dwindling sunlight. Relax and sip some California wine in our protected cabin with intimate tables and cushy seating. Included with your ticket are two complimentary beverages (beer, wine or soda) from our bar and light hors d'oeuvres. It's a memorable night out that won't break the bank! Recorded audio tour handsets are available for free upon request, 8 languages available () Things to Remember: 
Bar and snacks available onboard, accepting cash and credit cards. 
Arrive 30 minutes early to find parking and to locate us on Pier 39, Gate J, next to the sea lions. 
Bring a jacket and wear soft-soled shoes. 
No outside beverages may be brought on board.
All cancellations must be made 3 days before day of cruise

***IMPORTANT*** All hikes meet at the GREEK THEATRE BOX OFFICE. The Greek Theatre Box Office is located right next to the Greek Theatre, just up the hill from the theatre itself on. The same side of the street, you will see a big "Box Office" sign on top of a one story building. Your guide will meet you in the patio area right under that sign. The Greek Theatre (The North Vermont Avenue Entrance of Griffith Park) 2700 North Vermont Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90027

Shearwater is a classic Newport-style schooner yacht, only recently recognized as a national landmark in 2009. The vessel was built by Rice Brother Corporation in East Boothbay, Maine, back in a time when yachting was a rare combination of elegance and adventure; Rice Bros. were well known for building luxury pleasure yachts and produced some 4,000 hulls over a period of 64 years. The keel was laid down on January 4, 1929 and a news clip from the Boothbay Register reflects alongside a photograph "Tyler Hodgon at the old Tide Mill is getting out timbers for the schooner to be built at Rice’s. Vessel to be built of native white oak." Traditionally built from hand-hewn native white oak, she was the last boat to be constructed at that yard - likely due to the ensuing Great Depression brought on by the Stock Market Crash that occurred later that autumn. East Boothbay was a small coastal town with shipbuilding being its only industry. About 40 workmen were employed for the construction of SHEARWATER. Her designer Theodore Donald Wells was born in Hudson Falls, N Y on October 22, 1875. He was a naval architect and marine engineer, a member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and also the Institute of Naval Architects London. His education included post-graduate work at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He began his career as a member of the firm Herreshoff and Wells, N. Y. City in 1902. Working with Herreshoff no doubt had an influence on his designs, which bear similarities to many of the famous Herreshoff designed yachts of that time. From 1903 to 1907 he worked for Wintringham and Wells and then began practicing his profession under his own name. Mr. Wells joined the Navy Department in March 1917 and became Superintending Constructor of the Baltimore District U. S. N. Notable yachts designed and constructed under his supervision are "Viking" a 272 foot steel motor yacht built for George F. Baker in 1929 by Newport News and "Karina" a three masted schooner built for Robert E. Tod in 1932 by Staten Island Shipbuilding. Mr. Tod was a well-known offshore yachtsman as was his former yacht ‘Thistle", which competed in the Emperors Cup ocean race. SHEARWATER was launched on May 4, 1929 and photographs in the Boothbay Register reflect her graceful and elegant lines. Her first Captain, Leon Esterbrook of Edgarton, MA, arrived to take charge of the fitting out. Her owner Charles E Dunlap was a member of the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, Oyster Bay, NY and this became SHEARWATER’s first homeport after her completion in late September 1929. It was there in Oyster Bay that she first started to thrill those who sailed in luxury aboard her and those who were privileged to crew her on race day. Since her launching and documentation in Lloyd’s Register of American Yachts in 1929, she has had a colorful history and has been carefully maintained and restored to standards that few contemporary vessels are able to match and is truly a piece of American Maritime History. On November 7, 1942 SHEARWATER was requisitioned by the War Shipping Administration and became a member of The United States Coast Guard’s Coastal Picket Patrol during World War Two. She was painted gray and bore the numbers CG67004. Based at Little Creek, Virginia she patrolled the waters east of the Chesapeake Bay entrance and south towards Cape Hatteras. Her skipper during that period reflected on how they used their free time while out on submarine patrol to race against other yachts and in his own words "sailed in tandem with the schooner Lord Jim, racing in and out of port, up and down the east coast and winning." She was designed and built as a gaff rigged schooner but during this period was changed to a Marconi rig. She carries over 2,550 square feet while under full sail. A true veteran world cruiser, she first transited the Panama Canal in July 1946 and in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s completed a two and a half-year global circumnavigation. In December 1971 Mrs. John B. Thayer of Rosemont, wife of a former trustee and treasurer, donated SHEARWATER to the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute of Environmental Medicine. She was used by the university as a laboratory for research on physiological responses to the stresses of living and working underwater. Captained by James Shearson, she was fitted with compressors, generators, monitoring instruments and a small decompression chamber. She has participated in many Ancient Mariner and Classic yacht races in U S waters as well as racing in the Bay of Islands in New Zealand while on her circumnavigation in the early 1980’s. It is rumored she was once dismasted in the famous Newport to Bermuda race. She was last raced by the current owners in San Diego in May 1995 in the American Schooner Cup and finished second overall. She entered the yacht charter industry in 1966 whilst on the West Coast sailing to the Channel Islands and was again used to generate income to keep her shipshape while owned by the University of Pennsylvania. During the chartering industry’s infancy in the Caribbean, SHEARWATER was known as the " Queen of the Fleet". Today she continues this tradition offering the most unique sailing experience and has passed rigid Coast Guard inspections and can carry up to 49 passengers. We welcome you to join us for an excellent opportunity to experience the ambiance of a vintage sailing vessel while delighting in the splendors of The Manhattan sky-line, the Statue of Liberty or the beauty of the oceans beyond.

After a refreshing dip in the ocean, enjoy a tasty buffet with rice and peas and sweet corn, chicken meatballs in tomato sauce, bread and banana with drinks. Please let us know if you are vegetarian and we will do our best to accommodate you. Your drinks including beer, soft drinks, sangria and water are included during the journey, and after enjoying your lunch you will sail back to Puerto Colon enjoying spectacular views on the way. When the whales and dolphins are close to the boat you can get excellent views through the glass bottom, or window in the catamaran but if they are a distance away you will get a good view of them from the deck. Through the glass bottom you will see plenty of fish and if the whales appear beneath the boat you will really see them up close and personal! The return trip will give you the chance to enjoy a different view of this spectacular coast with its sophisticated resorts, volcanic beaches, hidden coves and wide bays sailing down to Puerto Colon, where the journey will come to an end. An unforgettable day out for all the family.  As you sail on the crystal clear water you will be treated to spectacular  views of the coastline and of the beautiful island. A perfect way to enjoy a family day out with sun on your face and a soft gentle and welcoming breeze blowing through your hair! Bon Voyage! Including on-board service: - Drinks: beer, soft drinks, sangria and water included during the journey. - Type of Food: Buffet with rice and peas and sweet corn, chicken meatballs in tomatoe sauce, bread and banana. - Special menu for vegetarian people. - Funny bath in the crystal water of our coasts and under the waterfall of our boat. - Specialized guides on board. - Panoramic windows with submarine vision. - Live submarine TV. Don't forget to bring with you bathing suit, cap, sun cream and suitable shoes!

A List Beneath the stars, high up in the hills of the Californian countryside you have been invited to the most exclusive party in town...  The party is filled with the most glamorous and gorgeous A-Listers all waiting to meet you. George Clooney has reserved a space for you on the sofa in the VIP area - sit down next to him and watch as the lights dim and create a romantic setting. Gaze at the stars with Leonardo Di Caprio by the open balcony. Elton John stands at a grand piano, waiting for you to join him to entertain your guests. Madame Tussauds San Francisco is inviting you to this ultimate star-studded party. Film Join the stars on set to recreate some of the most iconic scenes in film history. No homage to San Franciscan movie history would be complete without a scene from both Bullitt and Dirty Harry. Pose with Steve McQueen next to a replica of his green Mustang. Perhaps you feel more comfortable behind the camera? No problem! Steven Spielberg has reserved his Director’s Chair for you on the set of Jurrassic Park! You can also put your own martial arts skills to the test by taking on the kung fu master, Bruce Lee. History and Leaders As you enter the Leaders and History room witness the moment Johan Sutter first discovered gold, setting off a chain reaction that would see the beginning of the great Californian Gold Rush.  Visit Alcatraz prison cell and experience first-hand what it was like to be behind bars on ‘The Rock’, then plan an escape with your friends and hear the sirens go off. Meet Civil Rights campaigner Rosa Parks and join her on a bus ride which changed history! Stand proud with Martin Luther King as he delivers a speech and meet with the Dalai Lama; a man who not only won the Nobel Peace prize but who also influenced the peace loving hippies of 1960s California.  Continue on your epic journey of discovery with a trip to the White House to meet Barack Obama, the first African American president of the United States of America, then finish you trip meeting a couple of the most famous entrepreneurs of the current generation. Spirit of San Francisco A street sign points you in the direction of Haight Asbury where you travel back in time to the era that shaped San Francisco’s liberal attitudes and gave birth to a generation of free thinking idealists and iconic musicians. After a very special welcome from Ed Lee, the Major or San Francisco, you will marvel at grafitti from a local artist as well as become a participant in Harvey Milk's triumphant campaign for equal rights.  As you follow the winding path of Lombard Street you end up outside the Sentinel Building home to Francis Ford Coppola’s movie production company. The man himself is waiting for you outside with his latest film script in hand; perhaps he has you in mind for the leading role!  A short distance away you can hear the faint sounds of music and smell burning campfires. As you investigate closer you step into a living breathing festival. Jimi Hendrix rocks out to Purple Haze on the main stage waiting for you to step in and jam with him. The dominant stance of the iconic Golden Gate bridge frames the middle of this area. As you step through the red arch you step further back in time, witnessing the bridge's construction, before picking up the hose and colour the Coit Tower in beautiful patterns. and many more!!