# Strange and bizarre things to do in and around San Francisco **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 7, 2004, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964 "2004-05-07T05:57:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Baraqiyal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@Baraqiyal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baraqiyal)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2004, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964/1 "2004-05-07T05:57:01Z")
My cousin is in town and wants to do something strange and bizarre. I wasn’t prepared for the request, so I’m really at a loss. She’s into serial killers and “True Crime” stuff, but anything really “out there” will work. ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2004, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964/2 "2004-05-07T08:05:42Z")
Take her to 624 Commercial St. It was the home of [Emperor Norton](http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist1/norton.html) , Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico. Not much to see today as the house burned down in the earthquake/fire in 1906. But one can stand and gaze in awe at the place where it would have been. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2004, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964/3 "2004-05-07T08:09:49Z")
Visit the intersection of Washington and Cherry, where the legendary Zodiac Killer killed a cabbie. If you’re up for it, you could visit all of the Bay Area locations where killings attributed to Zodiac occurred! Also, there are bison in Golden Gate Park. This has nothing to do with serial killers, but on the other hand, bison are pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2004, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964/4 "2004-05-07T12:05:05Z")
Nailed it, check out this site: [http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-27BD-11FFECC4-397783B4-prod2](http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-27BD-11FFECC4-397783B4-prod2) Pros Tell your friends you stood in a key spot, which figures in The Maltese Falcon Cons Night can be chilly, and a bit sinister, but leave you service revolver at home. The Bottom Line Burritt (Alley) Street gives you the curious feeling of being on the spot of an historic event, the murder of Miles Archer, although it never really occurred. Here’s a link to someone that took the Dashile Hammet walking tour: [http://www.intaglio.org/~islands/amarchives/1199/631.html](http://www.intaglio.org/~islands/amarchives/1199/631.html) This book has the actual tour listed : [http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=62-1879367033-0](http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=62-1879367033-0) More intensive googling will probably turn up the tour on a webpage somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2004, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964/5 "2004-05-07T13:06:20Z")
> [@Baraqiyal](#): > > My cousin is in town and wants to do something strange and bizarre. I wasn’t prepared for the request, so I’m really at a loss. > > She’s into serial killers and “True Crime” stuff, but anything really “out there” will work. Why don’t you kill her? ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Girl)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2004, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964/6 "2004-05-07T13:42:31Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Why don’t you kill her? Hehe. Nicely done, **Eve**. Or get her into [The Game](http://imdb.com/title/tt0119174/). ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964/7 "2004-05-07T13:57:10Z")
Are your sure you’re from the area? I would think it would be harder to find a mundane, pointless thing to do in San Francisco than something strange and bizarre. My brother lived there for a bit and made it sound as if it really were “Babylon by the Bay.” Of course, he was gay and lived there in the mid-1970s. I don’t suspect he was travelling in the same circles you frequent. ---
**Author:** ![Baraqiyal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@Baraqiyal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baraqiyal)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964/8 "2004-05-07T17:04:08Z")
We’re going to visit the Berkeley campus this morning. That’s strange and bizarre enough for me. She showed interest in the Zodiac Killer locations. We might do that later. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2004, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964/9 "2004-05-07T18:44:06Z")
Go on Jim Fassbinder’s Ghost Hunt: [http://www.sfghosthunt.com/homepage.html](http://www.sfghosthunt.com/homepage.html) It’s great, it’s weird, it’s very San Francisco, it’s fun and Fassbinder himself is _amazing._ ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964/10 "2004-05-07T18:47:34Z")
Heh, you want strange and bizarre, try Bondage-a-Go-Go, on wednesday nights. It doesn’t really get going until after 11 pm or midnight, so it would be a late night, but I guarantee you’ll see many strange and bizarre things. Dress code requires dressing in all black at a minimum… [http://www.bondage-a-go-go.com/](http://www.bondage-a-go-go.com/) Also, you can do the Haight Street thing. Pretty bizarre. Very Tame and Maybe Geeky but Quirky: The Exploratorium, a science museum. [http://www.exploratorium.edu/](http://www.exploratorium.edu/) Or you guys could stop your car on the bay bridge, and sit on the edge, threatening to jump. Make sure to do it on a Friday, when there lots of traffic to hold up. And don’t come down until the helicopters are circling! Then people will be yelling strange and bizarre things at you as they slowly crawl by. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2004, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964/11 "2004-05-07T19:26:10Z")
Are they still doing Alcatraz tours? ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964/12 "2004-05-07T22:32:47Z")
[These folks](http://www.sfvampiretour.com/) used to advertise in my favorite local alternative rag, and I always thought it looked intriguing. Never tried it, though. This might qualify as “strange and bizarre.” ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2004, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964/13 "2004-05-08T02:30:47Z")
> [@cher3](#): > > Are they still doing Alcatraz tours? They sure are. I’m flying out to SF next week, and am taking the trip out to the island on Saturday (5/15) with some friends and family. Apparently if you want to go on a weekend, it’s a good idea to book in advance, which i did. You can find all the info you need [here](http://www.nps.gov/alcatraz/). If you’re willing to travel south out of the city, and to go as far as San Jose, you could check out one place that i really want to visit: the [Winchester Mystery House](http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/). ---
**Author:** ![parsnip](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parsnip/32/4564_2.png) [@parsnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parsnip)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2004, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964/14 "2004-05-08T03:36:48Z")
If you’re willing to travel south out of the city, and to go as far as San Jose, you could check out one place that i really want to visit: the [Winchester Mystery House](http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/). [/QUOTE] Winchester Mystery House has a pretty high cheese factor. I thought the winery tours were more interesting, and I don’t drink wine and the smell of wine bothers me. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2004, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964/15 "2004-05-08T04:35:32Z")
> [@parsnip](#): > > Winchester Mystery House has a pretty high cheese factor. Absolutely! That’s why i wanna go. The OP asked for “strange and bizarre,” and i think it qualifies. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2004, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964/16 "2004-05-08T15:58:12Z")
I think the Museum of Death started in SF & then moved to L.A.- I don’t know where it is now. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2004, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964/17 "2004-05-08T23:10:22Z")
Something strange and bizarre to do in San Francisco? Go to the top of Nob Hill, cover yourself in Cheez Whiz, and demand that the government grant amnesty and a stay of execution to Colonel Sanders. Strange, bizarre, and in San Francisco. What more do you need? ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964/18 "2004-05-08T23:58:15Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Something strange and bizarre to do in San Francisco? > > Go to the top of Nob Hill, cover yourself in Cheez Whiz, and demand that the government grant amnesty and a stay of execution to Colonel Sanders. > > Strange, bizarre, and in San Francisco. What more do you need? Someone already did that in the Mission last week. Not too many people noticed. Back to the OP. You could try the Power Exchznge tonight, at 74 Otis. If you’re into orgies and stuff. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2004, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964/19 "2004-05-09T00:44:20Z")
Take your cousin to Starfleet Headquarters. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2004, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964/20 "2004-05-09T01:09:33Z")
out at Land’s End there’s a sort of museum of old-fashioned mechanical boardwalk novelties (like the fortune-telling machine from _Big_, ya dig?). They all work and some of them are verrry strange. Like the little mechanical reinactment of a beheading… It’s called the Musee Mechanique, AFAIK it’s still there. Brieflt mentioned in this article: [http://kron4.com/Global/story.asp?s=552915](http://kron4.com/Global/story.asp?s=552915) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-and-bizarre-things-to-do-in-and-around-san-francisco/243964.md?page=2)