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S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien
Categories: Arts & Entertainment Museums Event Planning & Services Venues & Event Spaces Hotels & Travel Tours Museums, Venues & Event Spaces, Tours [Edit]
Pier 45San Francisco, CA 94133
Neighborhood: Fisherman's Wharf
(415) 544-0100
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 9 am - 4 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
34 reviews for S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien
Review Highlights
34 reviews in English
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Review from Michelangelo S.
Seattle, WA
*SHIP AHOY!!!* It's A Sea-Faring, Steam-Punkin Halloween Party!
SITREP
It doesn't really get much better than this! Imagine being deep within the hold of an authentic WWII sailing vessel, with giant metal doors, and vast subterranean spaces to have the most-kick Halloween Party you've been too! Well, I didn't have to imagine that! It HAPPENED!
THE "SALVAGE" (FOR A PARTY!) OPERATION!
My lovely friend Ann Vargas - an incredible hostess with the mostess - decided why not host a fun party aboard a SHIP? Ann is the sort of social-genius that finds these wonderful locations to host fun parties - such as the recent Alice-In-Wonderland "UnBirthday Celebration" we celebrated in a mansion on the top of a hill in the East Bay.
[In one of her PREVIOUS lives, Ann was no-doubt the Madame of one of the most touted Salons in 18th Century PARIS or 19th Century VIENNA, where the likes of Mozart, Chopin & Liszt would play & entertain the guests, or artists such De La Croix would mesmerize spectators with his wonderful paintings. These are the kinds of events and people in the 21st Century - such as Shawni, X, BLIXA and PARADOX - that Ann brings together!]
She got to talking with the good folks responsible for scheduling and maintenance of the Sailing Ship (S.S.) Jeremiah O'Brien @ Pier 45 in Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco and made it happen!
THE SET-UP
The S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien turned out to be a fantastic venue to host our Saturday Night Halloween Party Spectacular! The ship is permanently moored at Pier 45 and so there were no strict "timing" issues like you "had to be there right at 6pm or you would be left behind!"
For our group of friends who lean strongly towards the Steam Punk & Gothic-Industrial music scenes, the environment could not have been more perfect.
* Large LARGE SHIP!
* Metal Walls & Submarine Doors
* Large Open Ball Room to host the Dance Floor and DJ Set-up, along with buffet tables for goodies and the Bar.
* Conveniently located SAILOR and SAILORETTE Rest Rooms!
* Large POOP DECK in which we could escape the subterranean Ballroom and come up and hang out with the seagulls, catch some fresh air, have a smoke, view the beautiful San Francisco cityscape from a shipside view.
We actually got to walk up the gang-plank to get into the ship which was quite the feat if you had issues with a fear of heights or "vertigo".
DONATIONS
The S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien is part of a historical preservation society and relies upon donations to keep the ship maintained and in good working order for visitors. The donations are regularly $10 per person which can be purchased at the head of PIER 45.
THE LOWDOWN
A historic ship can make for one FANTASTIC PARTY! -
Review from Sherene L.
San Mateo, CA
10/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
First off, I like to state that I'm not a history buff or a war veteran, but I simply love this ship. If you're visiting Pier 39 or Fisherman's Wharf, it's a MUST to visit their WW2 submarine and ship.
Yes, there's a small fee to pay to enter the ship, but it's nothing compared to the history and knowledge you gain from this experience. If you want to see everything, make sure to allow yourself anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hours for the entire ship as well. There are so many rooms you can peek your head into and read about. You also have to make sure to visit the room that got the little miniatures of the replica of Normandy.
If anything, make sure to stop by the front of the ship. There is a working dual machine gun contraption that you can actually turn and view Alcatraz on. I thought it was simply amazing to view through the little magnify glass and actually see the people walking around Alcatraz.
Highly recommend!!!! -
Review from Kris R.
San Jose, CA
10/10/2011
The second best location to view the airshow for Fleet Week. (The only other better spot would be the "Show Box" on the shore!)
Great to have a captain aboard to narrate the show for us, and warn of possible "sneak passes" by some of the fighter jets.
If you're into aviation, love the sound of roaring engines or the thought of seeing what color helmets the pilots are wearing that day (they're THAT close) get yourself a ticket! I would, however, try to get a spot on the gun platform or stern next year for best viewing opportunities.
Oh, did I mention you'll be part of the Parade of Ships AND they might shoot the 3 in. gun again, too?!? Great to see this old gal still chugging along and in the process, keeping history (literally) alive! -
Review from Alex M.
9/22/2011 4 photos
It might be because I'm in the military, or it might be because I currently work in a history department, but I love touring historical war machines.
In essence, what you have here is one of the two remaining Liberty ships, built in under 60 days. That's mad impressive when you take it in. You can explore everything fully, and the guns still rotate (you can pretend to sink boats in the harbor hehe!)
What really made the experience is that a volunteer veteran from WWII who served on a Liberty ship took my friend and I around on a free tour telling us about his job, where he lived on the ship, specific jobs people had.
It's really moving to see someone who served over 50 years ago, STILL having pride and passion about how he served. Giving up years of your life in your youth to fight a war. That's time you'll never get back. Even more, he's still giving back by volunteering his time and he's ~80?
Military members get in free, and I enjoyed it enough that I donated the cost of an admission ticket when left -
Review from Yoni D.
San Francisco, CA
9/2/2011 1 photo
I highly recommend visiting the S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien. This thing is pretty big and has a fascinating history to tell.
Listed in: San Francisco for noobies
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Review from Stewart B.
East Bay, CA
9/21/2011
Amazing ship with an amazing history. We did a cruise during Fleet Week 2010 and it was a blast. Highly recommend.
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Review from Ann L.
9/26/2010
I went on the Jeremiah O'Brien because of Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day Sat 9/25/10. B. loves boats so we went even though he's been on it a few times, I went pre-Yelp so I had to go back to review it.
They have a booth along Pier 45 to buy tickets, but it's was FREE for us with a printout for Museum Day. Regular price is $10 per adult.
You have to walk up some steps onto the ship. I noticed some bathrooms, I think it's for anyone to use them, I didn't.
I think we spent over 1hr there. Engine Room is the Highlight. Can't bring backpacks - have to put it on the side before you go down. Volunteer guide gave us a short talk about the Engine Room, another volunteer let us see some pipes in a confined locked up space. That was neat.
Put in 50c at a machine before the gift shop, and you'll see how an engine model runs. That was nice to see.
They have volunteer in the gift shop - there's books. dolls, model of some boats, etc.
Might be worth going at least once.Listed in: Museums in SF
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Review from Max T.
Huntington Beach, CA
8/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Highly recommend. I loved the engine room. You can go inside and see the giant functional steam engine. Loved it....
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Review from Connie C.
San Jose, CA
10/5/2008
A friend of mine had his 30th birthday bash on this battleship -- talk about doing it big!! Okay, so it's not really a battleship -- it's a liberty ship, which means it was a cargo ship built during WW2 -- but telling people that you're going to a party on a battleship just sounds a lot cooler. ;)
Located between Piers 43 1/2 and 47, you would never suspect a warship to be docked in the middle of Fisherman's Wharf. We must have asked 5 people for directions, and no one had a clue. Luckily, we spotted a friend who was hanging outside the pier to wait for his motion sickness medication to kick in. Yes, there is a very slight sway you'll feel inside. Just keep drinking and you'll just think it's the booze.
What a unique spot to have a party! Although the ship is available to rent for cruise parties, the one we were at was a moored event. It was nice to be able to come and go as you pleased, though it would have been amazing to cruise along the bay in a huge warship. The event space was below the docks, and there was a large dance floor and nice bar area. While it would get stuffy down below, you could easily cool off by going up on the deck and look out onto the gorgeous bay.
The ship goes on cruises about 6 times a year. The one coming up is next weekend during Fleet Week. For $150, you can watch the Blue Angels from the deck, enjoy breakfast and a BBQ lunch and be entertained by a live jazz band.
There's a lot of history to be learned from the tour you can take during the week. I don't remember why Jessica and I were talking about Titanic the other day, but we were both saying how much we loved the movie. You know you liked it too. An interesting factoid for movie buffs (Titanic fans):
"Many interiors, sounds and visuals for Titanic were captured aboard the S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien, including her fully-operational triple expansion marine steam engine, which provided the dramatic massive and churning metallic parts of the famed White Star liner's engine room.
A wide range of Jeremiah O'Brien Academy Award-winning sound effects were also captured for Titanic, including metallic door closes, hatch openings, distant engine rumbles (which run throughout the film, to give the sense of movement), bells, clangs, etc. The O'Brien also was taken out into San Francisco Bay so Cameron's sound team from Skywalker Sound could capture a tremendous variety of bow wash, mid-side wash, propeller wake, hull laps, and other water movement sounds, which occupy much of the movie's first 11 reels before Titanic 's iceberg collision. The O'Brien's crew even threw the engines into full-reverse about 20 times, simulating the climactic iceberg collision moment, which provided a wealth of creaks, groans, distant rumbles, perspective shifts, and countless backgrounds used to re-create the factory-like ambience of the steerage compartment."Listed in: It's Birthday Party Time!
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Review from Andre L.
San Francisco, CA
8/3/2010
My friends just had a wedding here a few weeks ago, and I helped out with design and production. The crew is extremely helpful and pleasant. I've worked in a lot of spaces, and found the experience here to be one of the best in relation to putting on an event. They are open to new ideas and help come up with innovative solutions to facilitate work in a tricky space.
Plus, it's a really cool place to do a party! -
Review from Cathy Y.
10/13/2010 1 Check-in Here
Absolutely the best place to watch the Fleet Week air show. $150 gets you a full day cruise of the bay, coffee and doughnuts for breakfast, BBQ buffet for lunch, and nearly full access to a WWII era merchant marine vessel!
We were not the military buffs it seemed most of the elderly passengers on the ship were, but our attention was still held captive by the volunteer docents who could not help but tell you interesting tidbits about the history of the Jeremiah O'Brien. All the volunteers were so enthusiastic about the ship, it was hard to feel detached.
Unlimited drinks throughout the day, which included water, OJ, beer, and various sodas. The lunch buffet was not bad at all, and I was impressed that they fed a thousand people so efficiently. No, you can't get any substitutions, but what they did have was pretty tasty.
Do not miss the engine room! Yes, they filmed scenes from Titanic in there, but saying that does not do justice to the incredible amount of machinery they have in there. Pistons, gauges, dials, and even that awesome lever thing they yank to change the ship's speed!
We cruised south down the bay. Unfortunately, we couldn't cross the Golden Gate Bridge because of the fog. The air show started at 1pm...we weren't warned of the impending F-18 when all of the sudden BOOM the entire boat shook...was that a sonic boom? One of the volunteers said it may have been an accidental one, as they're not allowed to "go supersonic". So yeah, whatevs, I had my bones shaken by a sonic boom (HOW COOL IS THAT?!?!)
The air show is much more engaging when you have an announcer who knows his marbles and tells you what kinds of moves the planes are going to make. I learned that the Blue Angels do tricks that no other aerobatic team would even attempt, which definitely made me appreciate the show more. It was also mind-boggling to hear that on one pass the wingtips of the plans were only 18 INCHES apart. That is CRAZINESS.
The cruise is advertised to end at 4pm, but we didn't get off the ship until a little after 5pm. I left with a hilarious sunglasses tan, ringing ears, and a new appreciation for WWI merchant marine ships! -
Review from Ai M.
A Fleet Week cruise was $150 and the Shed A parking was full around 10 minutes after boarding started. As we disembarked, the band played the themes for all of the armed forces so that we could clap to acknowledge the many veterans present. Because of the steps for the gangplank they don't recommend flip flops but do wear flat shoes because of all the ropes on deck. Beer, bottled water, and popcorn snacks were included in the ticket price. I spent several hours here, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge twice as part of the Parade of Ships.
I wore four layers so I could be warm enough to sleep sitting up. Medical volunteers passed out small bottles of water. My boyfriend and his brother loved the hot engine room tour. The crew is helpful, especially when someone in the band needed a medic. The gift shop machine was out of order.
I didn't see any books or teddy bears I liked but the Omaha Beach diorama was great. The inner room also has two military jeeps. The children onboard seemed to enjoy the BBQ lunch and doughnuts. The view of the San Francisco bay area was worth it. There are half a dozen porta-potties that didn't smell. -
Review from Rahul K.
New York, NY
6/19/2010
Friday post-work open bar happy hour? Stunning views of the city and bay from an f-ing warship? sign me up.
don't forget to bring layers, because DAMN it gets windy -
Review from Kapeli M.
San Francisco, CA
7/8/2009 4 photos
A living, working, tribute to the Sailors, Merchantmen, and builders that helped win the war.
If you have not been to this ship, you should go. The cruises are awesome, especially the fleetweek cruise. -
Review from Manny M.
Castro Valley, CA
5/14/2011
First let me say God bless the men & women who served throughout the history of this magnificant vessel. My wife and I had a blast getting to know the history of this ship, the employees were very nice, we had fun on the turret pretending to shoot commie fascists bastards. HAHA LOL! We are definetly are going to plan one of the cruises. God bless the USA!
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Review from David M.
11/8/2008 5 photos
After wandering around pier 39 poking our heads into random shops to try to dodge the rain, we finally found an umbrella and were able to wander down the coast a bit. Looking for something to explore we stumbled upon the S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien.
The ticket guy (8 bucks a head to get in) sold us our tickets, and told us we were the last people he was going to let in for the day. We gave us the money, he handed us a few brochures, and we hurried onto the ship.
The first thing I noticed is the giant naked lady painted on the front of the ship.. awesome :) It wasn't until we got into the ship that we realized that the ticket guy had handed us 8 brochures... all in German... Fortunately we found an English one in one of the holds.
We only ran into one worker while wandering around, and one other much older couple. Otherwise, it was like a big play ground/museum. Climbing around from the engine all the way up to the top deck. We learned about the Liberty Ships that were built and sunk during WWII. The one worker we found informed us that the ship is fully functional, and they do a few fund raising trips around the bay. That explained the odd mixing of modern items (suave shampoo bottle in the shower) with the purposely left artifacts from the 40s.
As we headed off the ship, we noticed that the gate was closed. It was a fun moment of panic, as we thought we'd been locked into the pier (it has razor wire on top, and extends out over the water). turns out it was just shut, but not locked. got the old heart rate up a bit though.
An odd side note is that they have fully functional bathrooms. How many times do you get to use the toilette in a fully functional war ship?Listed in: A Trip to SF for my cousin's…
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Review from Mark B.
San Francisco, CA
5/20/2008 10 photos
If you're a maritime geek, you'll love taking a tour of this ship. Out of the (I believe) 2,700-ish liberty ships built in WWII, this is one of only two remaining in seaworthy condition -- and the ONLY one that remains largely unchanged.
Most ships tours severely restrict your access. Not so here. You're free to tour the vast majority of the ship at your leisure. Want to see an engine room and boiler in operation? Drop by on the 3rd weekend of the month, when they fire the boilers up and turn the screw at dead slow while docked to keep everything lubricated. They're more than happy to have you in the engine room while they work.
Even better -- head out of port with them on one of their several-times-yearly cruises. I did this over the last weekend... a six-hour memorial cruise that took us from pier 45, out past the Golden Gate bridge for a memorial service, then back across the bay and down the Alameda estuary and finally back to pier 45.
The trip included a "continental breakfast" (chuckle -- coffee and doughnuts), and a pretty darn tasty catered lunch... including all the beer, wine or soda you felt like drinking.
The docents and crew were really marvelous and knowledgeable and happy to entertain any questions I had. It was a real treat to stand on the fair weather bridge and watch the captain and bay pilot operate the ship.
I wholeheartedly recommend both the docked-tour and the bay cruises they offer. You won't be disappointed. -
Review from aileen k.
South Pasadena, CA
10/26/2009
If I had it all to do over again, I would have spent all day on this ship. From the upper decks to the engine room, it was a fantastic experience for me.
Oh, and they have a large diorama that shows how the O'Brien took part in D-Day. I love me a good diorama and the lady in the gift shop left her post to give me a tour of it.
This is a great example of living history, a ship crewed by volunteers making an enormous effort to keep the ship viable.
That it sails and you can take a short cruise on it (only during specific times of year, be sure and check before you go) is not only amazing but I was charmed by the entire experience and will make an effort to get back for a cruise. -
Review from Ken M.
Mesa, AZ
7/17/2010
Had to beg my wife and kids to go on it and had to drag them away. Even my way too cool for anything 16 year old daughter enjoyed it and that says a lot.
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Review from Mark a p.
Santa Clara, CA
4/16/2007 37 photos
Quick history. The O'Brien is a Merchant Marine Naval Vessel. It served in getting cargo, supplies and men to Britian and was instumental part in D-Day and further supplying the European campaing in WWII. It is now run by volunteers with many having a first hand realtionship of her service. See the website for more history.
The O'Brien make a few bay cruises during the year, but one cruise is up to Sacramento. The ship is also open as a museum. This cruise covered 57 nautical miles. It is not a fast one mind you. Taking about 9 hours depending on conditions. It is a living history cruise. You get a chance to experience life on the ship. It is also a chance to learn about the history that this waterway and area played for naval and military forces. It also covers the business overtime that operated on this routeand the cities that exist from all this.
You will pass many exciting and beautiful places. A few highlights are, Alcatraz, Immigration processing buildings, Mare island, various pumping stations, whale processing plant, 7 bridges to cross under and the East Brothers B&B(http://www.ebls.org).
The trip itself is about 9 hours. This is a military ship so don't expect a great deal of comfort. I'd bring you're own fold up seat. Food and beverage is provided and part of ticket price. Music is played during the trip. Natural Gas was the band on my trip. The museum is in hold 2 and hold 1 is the gift shop and also recreation on stowing equipment and a D-Day diarama. There are many places to sit on the ship on benches, soft cafeteria seats or those you bring, Parts of the ship are closed for crew only. getting around keep you eyes open. Big ship with little room to walk and easy to bump something hard. This they tell you when you board.
The food. Upon boarding, there are doughnuts, muffins, coffee(available all trip), orange juice. Lunch and snack provided by CB Hanegans. I love the Los Gatos place. Lunch was BBQ pork and tri-tip, salad, fruit, cookies and some really good garlic bread. Me A you'd like. I had way too much and the othe 375 passangers also seemed to keep going back. There was a snack later with pork ribs and same veggie offerings. Beverages for the cruise was water, soda, coffee, beer and wine. Tip the bartenders and make a few other donations around the ship. This trip also had hot coca because it decided to rain all day and pretty hard. So this may have caused me to drop to three stars. The rain and just enough covering in ships nooks and crannies seemed to ware on people. There was an hourly trivia question, band, author John Garvey speaking about WWII and SF, and this trips highlight, the engine room. This area ship goes from deck to keel. As you decend, as most are, the narrow ladders. You get to feel the heat from the steam engines. The smell of lubrication. Gladly heat rises and working at the bottom isn't so hot, but loud. This is where a person adjusts the speed called from the captain. Fun to watch the cranks work. The captain worked from the flying bridge so he was also out in the elements.
Overall this trip is fun. Cruising is not abou speed. Weather this day took away from the enjoyment. The food was good. The crew was friendly and had stories. The passangers varied in age. The ship requires you to pay attention to where you are walking and curteous on passing each other. The food was good and served very well give the rain and under tents. It fed the 375 people quickly also. The free beverages helped the trip, Beer is from ships home port. I took advantage of my rain gear and elements to get pictures that i might not have gotten. I also took advantage of the protecive pipe beam on deck and the only tent open offering a bit of room. Short arms length for a beverage. Worth the trip. There is a return trip on Sunday, but I prefered coming back by busses provided free. Trip back 1.5 hours. -
Review from Loni T.
Santa Cruz, CA
7/11/2011
This ship has such an amazing history. It's really wonderful that it's been restored. Nice place to watch the 4th of July fireworks!
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Review from Jennifer P.
San Francisco, CA
7/29/2009
I have to admit that I got the hookup through a friend and got on the self tour for free. If I had to pay though, it would be worth the price. Did you know that the engine scenes in Titanic were filmed on this boat?
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Review from John M.
Chicago, IL
5/21/2006
This is a must see. Absolutely amazing that this old ship-that was really meant to be used once-is in this great seaworthy condition. And make no mistake, this ship is fully operational. Four stars, no question-go see this.
Listed in: Four thumbs up!
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Review from Julian H.
Seattle, WA
11/14/2008
So much history in one place, so much fun. The docents are very helpful and the entry fee is cheap.
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Review from Anna P.
Alameda, CA
10/28/2006
My experience with this ship was not as delightful as other reviewers', unfortunately. A few years back, my employer at the time took the whole company on a day-long cruise of the bay during Fleet Week, so that we would watch the Blue Angels from Jeremiah O'Brien. To get there on time I had to get up earlier than I would for work, and the cruise was over around 5 pm. Oh well. That wasn't too bad. What was too bad though really was that the Blue Angels did not fly that week. Of course this is not Jeremiah's fault... but, the other people on this cruise besides my co-workers seemed to be 50+,. the food wasn't so good, and it was really cold and windy. Oh and, one of the caterers (female) propositioned one of my co-workers (also female) - i know, hot, but my co-worker is not into girls... it was a little weird to her. The highlight of the day was scattering someone's ashes over the bay. But god, it was nice to get back onto solid ground! maybe I'm just not into that sort of thing - I'll allow for that.
One more thing - I moved since this cruise and they still manage to send me requests for support. I know, I was stupid to fill out my address before the cruise but I thought you had to! I certainly did not update it... how do they keep getting it??? -
Review from Jason W.
Novato, CA
10/25/2008 4 photos
Visitors have free reign to explore most of the ship. I was surprised that the I was allowed to climb up to the aft gun deck. The ladders are a bit difficult to climb due to its construction. Most tourist ships would cover the ladders and deny access. The ship features over twenty furnished cabins and offices as well as a galley with a wood coal fired stove. I think the engine room and the diorama showing the ship unloading in Normandy are the highlight. The ship is a bargain at $8 and definitely worth a visit.
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Review from Ame k.
Quincy, MA
1/21/2007
Like other warship, i found very amazing with the history of the ship. It got nice view to the city and you can play with the unloaded guns.
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Review from Jay T.
Quincy, MA
11/5/2008
This was an awesome stop. I love to hear thee waves hitting the hull of the ship while I was in the engine room. The folks who run things here love the ship. Just ask them anything.
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Review from mr bolo b.
San Francisco, CA
9/16/2008
I really enjoyed this tour, especialy going down to the engine room and seeing it run, exactly as it did back in 1945
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Review from Wolf L.
Fremont, CA
8/22/2006
Very clean and nicely restored vessel. Friendly staff. Easy to navigate one's way around the ship using provided maps. Becareful on the ladders for they can be tricky at times.
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Review from Justin R.
Waco, TX
7/1/2009
A fun, and interesting little run we had on this ship. The engine room is really awesome.
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Review from S T.
IL
8/19/2009
This is the best thing you can do on fisherman's warf. Specially if you aren't into crowds and bleeding money. I think it was $5 bucks a person and you get to walk the ship. Almost full access! We toured the engine room and the engineer was happy to amaze us with all kinds of stuff. Everyone on the ship was friendly and helpful, and most of the time extremely knowledgeable. And on top of it all you get the best view available on fisherman's warf.
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Review from Neil K.
Fremont, CA
9/5/2009
What a terrific place to visit. Loved the history behind the ship, and most importantly, the kids loved it too. The decks seemed a bit steep to climb, but our 5 and 3 year did it easy. Great place to visit when you're in the city.
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Review from justin p.
Walnut Creek, CA
3/8/2009
one of only two liberty ships left of nearly 3000. and the only one that is still operational. if you like climbing around on a ship and exploring holds, engine rooms and the like, this is for you. and a history lesson to boot! great views of alcatraz and the city and not too crowded. a steal at only $8! or free if you're military (like me).
