Old Ship Saloon

The Old Ship Saloon is a rare historic business that witnessed the birth of the city of San Francisco, survived the earthquake and fire of 1906, and is still operating today. The bar was built upon the ruins of a Gold Rush-era ship, the Arkansas, which ran aground on Bird Island (aka Alcatraz) in 1849. The ship was hauled to what was then the shore in the Barbary Coast waterfront of San Francisco. In 1851, an Englishman named Joe Anthony cut a hole into the abandoned ship from the Pacific Street side, laid down a ramp, and opened the Old Ship Ale House in its hull. Over time, the ship was swallowed by mud and covered with landfill, and the building that now houses Old Ship Saloon was constructed above it.