Books Inc

The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers


One of the city's best remaining independent bookstores, Books Inc carries new-release hardcovers, good fiction, extensive magazines and travel books. Check the bulletin boards for readings and literary events.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers attractions

1. Church of St Mary the Virgin

0.29 MILES

You'd expect to see this rustic Arts and Crafts–style building on the slopes of Tahoe, not Pacific Heights, but this Episcopal church is full of surprises…

2. Vedanta Society

0.37 MILES

Meandering the Marina, you'll pass Mexican-inspired art deco buildings, Victorian mansions, generic bay-windowed boxes – and, hello, what's this? A…

3. Palace of Fine Arts

0.49 MILES

Like a fossilized party favor, this romantic, ersatz Greco-Roman ruin is the city's memento from the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The…

4. Baker Street Steps

0.52 MILES

A quiet alternative to adjacent Lyon St's social and fitness scene, Baker St's 200 steep, narrow steps between Broadway and Vallejo St are dense with…

5. Lyon Street Steps

0.57 MILES

Two blocks of Lyon St, between Broadway and Green St, are flanked by forests and glamorous mansions – including Senator Dianne Feinstein's – and offer jaw…

6. Wave Organ

0.58 MILES

A project of the Exploratorium, the Wave Organ is a sound sculpture of PVC tubes and concrete pipes capped with found marble from San Francisco's old…

7. Fort Mason Center

0.68 MILES

San Francisco takes subversive glee in turning military installations into venues for nature, fine dining and out-there experimental art. Evidence: Fort…

8. Octagon House

0.72 MILES

Crafty architects are always trying to cut corners on clients, and architect William C McElroy has done so splendidly with this house. This is among the…