Cable Car Ride

San Francisco's moving landmark

San Francisco's cable cars were invented here in the 1870s and remain the world's last manually operated cable car system, named a National Historic Landmark in 1964. Three lines run today: the Powell–Hyde and Powell–Mason lines from Powell and Market Streets to the Fisherman's Wharf area, and the California Street line from Market Street to Van Ness Avenue. Riding on the running boards over Nob Hill and Russian Hill, with the bay opening below, is one of the city's quintessential experiences.