Learn the history of Sausalito's houseboat community on a 3-hour walking tour that delves into the San Francisco Bay Area's maritime history and culture. You'll get close views of the boats as you walk around this storied waterfront area with your guide. See shipyards from World War II, and hear about wooden boat builders, bohemian artists, and other colorful characters who have made their homes aboard the houseboats.

• 3-hour tour of the Sausalito houseboats and waterfront
• Explore with a local guide who knows Sausalito’s history and personalities firsthand
• See WW II’era shipyards, wooden boat artisans, and fanciful houseboats
• Learn about the fascinating maritime history of the San Francisco Bay Area

What To Expect

Make your own way to the meeting point in Sausalito to meet your guide for your walking tour.

Gain insight into how the houseboat community became a haven for artists, eccentrics, and bohemians as you stroll through the old wooden shipyards and floating docks that line Richardson Bay. Your guide is a local writer and artist with firsthand knowledge of the lively community that developed among the houseboat residents.

See the oldest surviving wooden hull ferryboat on the west coast, then move from dock to dock as you hear how WWII briefly transformed the Bay Area into the busiest shipbuilding region in the world. Understand the vibrant alternative culture of the houseboat dwellers that arrived after the war, which contrasted with the increasingly affluent communities of the nearby hills.

Wrap up the tour with a visit to the historic Marinship company, which once launched WWII Liberty Ships, and currently builds and restores houseboats, yachts and ferries.