California Welcome Center

I like the California Welcome Center for ONE reason… they offer AAA members a Pier 39 Fun Pack!!! In the fun pack it includes discounts for almost every restaurant and several stores at Pier 39. It also includes a voucher for 2 hours of free parking!!! That is an $ 18 savings just in parking.
Just go to the Welcome Center with your AAA card and pick up your fun pack!!!

The Philippine male working the front desk has no idea about working in customer service. He was very rude and short with all of the guest asking him for simple information. I asked if they are hurting and gave me straight No! I’m thinking to myself this guy does not deserve this job he doesn’t even look happy. Hope management views this post.

This place contains maps and local Information so nothing special really. Most of their information can be found online so this is not really a place to go unless you want maps as a souvenir.

What a nightmare!
We checked our bags at this place and NEITHER the clerk NOR claim tickets had the courtesy to notify us of the business hour! Turns out the place closes at 7pm so, even when we returned only 10 minutes late, we had to catch a midnight flight without our baggage!
When we called a few days later the manager was impatient and petulant, insisting that it’s «our responsibility» to ask for the closing time. What’s worse, we were still being charged for $ 10 a day! When we returned a week later to collect them, we were $ 100 out of pocket.
Avoid this place at all cost.

Didn’t catch the name of the fella that helped me and my 3 friends out but he was quick, personable and easy when we needed assistance!

Nice folks. Very helpful. Good place to check bags to enjoy the city before your redeye. Mike was A+++ on solutions.

Check in with your Unilocal app at California Welcome Center before exploring Fisherman’s Wharf. The coupon book is useful. There are phone chargers located inside.

I’m amazed w/​the customer service here.
My friends and I were visiting San Francisco for a week and we had a 8hr gap from our checkout time and flight departure. We found out prior to our trip that Pier 39 had a luggage storage for people in our situation so we were all delighted to have the option. We dropped off our luggage at around 11am on Memorial Day. The lady who assisted us was so pleasant. I wish I remembered her name because she was amazing. It was really great the welcome center has a service like this. It’s only $ 5 per bag. The storage space is very safe and is left in good hands. My friends and I were able to enjoy our last day in the city without worrying about bags.

Triple a discount is super lame and they lied about the free parking… The lady would not validate parking and was rude. Defiantly did not feel welcome in the welcome center… Don’t waste time. …
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I came here to use a computer, they claim to have 50 But only one is working. the computer brand is very obscure so it’s hard to use. won’t be going back

Newlywed from LA visiting SF here! Make sure you check in and visit the center before exploring the area. If you’re new, ask questions about where to eat, what to do, and where to visit first. My husband and I were really glad we ran into Zakhida and Richard. Zakhida was about to leave and actually stayed back to help us out. She gave us coupons for a free tote and informed us where to get the best clam chowder. Which was the one restaurant to the left of the center. Sorry I totally forgot the name. She said they had sustainable seafood, which was a good thing! Anyways, at the end of our convo, I felt informed and ready to explore the pier! I’ll make sure to come and stop by next time I visit SF again. Thanks Zakhida!

This place is great because with a AAA card, they give you a discount booklet good for places to eat at the pier. However, if you are like me who forgot my AAA card at home, you can still get the booklet card and 2 hour validated parking IF you write a «great» review about the place and the employee helping you. I am extremely disappointed because the employee said that they have to review my post before actually posting it. Therefore, I wrote what was necessary to get the discount and here I am writing my real experience. Zakhida helped me that day, and though she was nice, she was annoying at the same time. She asks if I had posted a review on Unilocal and she had to see it so I can get my booklet. Seriously? If you are there to help tourists, you shouldn’t be asking them to write false reviews on Unilocal in return. Good Unilocal reviews have to be earned, not as a must just to get a booklet and parking validation. Therefore, everyone go to this place and get your free 2 hour parking validation!!! Watch them take this post down fast!

Katarina was so helpful! These people are the best! The store was really clean and orderly. Katarina seemed like she was enjoying herself when she was helping me. It made me feel really comfortable and definitely made my visit to San Francisco worthwhile

Zakhida at the Welcome Center was super nice and very helpful !! Cant wait to come back and visit again !!

Michelle is amazing! We live in contra costa county and were on an adventure day to pier 39 for my best friends 30^th bday celebration. I completely forgot our fun pack coupon in the car and I was totally bummed! I’d figured we go and ask. Worst I figure is they’d say no. Totally not the case… Michelle totally hooked us up! Gave us a fun pack and even validated our parking! Thank you Michelle you rock!

Recently my husband and I visited the California Welcome Center at Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco. I would like to commend one of your employees who helped us more than once. She was polite, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable. Her name is OLIVIA. She showed me how to use your computer to order ½ price tickets to BEACH BLANKET BABYLON. Computers scare me to death, but Olivia guided me through the process most gracefully, even though I was perspiring and dripping on the keypad. Gross. Olivia – What a trooper.
Thank you very much,
Betsy — San Antonio, TX

Awful customer service! I had a coupon that was emailed to me for 3 free hours of parking. I showed them the coupon on my cell phone and they refused to take it. They wanted me to print it out and wouldn’t accept it on my phone. Talk about not being green! SF is so known for being green and you want me to print it out? Worse of all, they said that if I wanted them to print it out for me, they would charge me a $ 5 service charge. Yes, $ 5 people!!! I ended up eating at a restaurant and getting 2 free hours validated. My friend joined us for dinner and got her validation stamped at the restaurant, but printed out the parking coupon as well. When she went upstairs to get the 3 free hour stamp (basically trying to cancel out the 2 hour from the restaurant, and gaining an extra hour by using the free 3 hour from the welcome center), she was told she couldn’t do it cause they can’t be combined. She didn’t want it to be combined, but just be used instead. They said no. Straight out no. Talk about being unhelpful and rude. If my friend knew better, she would of just gotten the validation from the welcome center before eating at the restaurant. Oh well, lesson learned. I guess they advertise to want you to come in to buy their tours, but make it real difficult to redeem any offers they advertise. I say BS!
Well I just learned that if you have a Triple A card, you can get a free fun book that will offer 2 hours of free parking. No printing at home and no $ 5 charge for printing a damn piece of paper through them.

SCAM! This is not an impartial information center. They are only trying to sell you tickets to businesses that they are affiliated with. I went there today and a manager lied and told me that all the Segway tours except one had gone out of business. We quickly learned this was a lie after we had purchased the tickets.
Please do not support this fraudulent business!

why i think this place is wonderful…
— check yo belongings here! for $ 5 you can store personal items all day (till 6 pm) and come in and out easily if you need to grab anything. they get your last name and store it in the back room.
i came to the city with big heavy backpack in tote expecting to have to lug it around all day. $ 5 was a bargain to walk around fisherman’s wharf without it. even if there were lockers in the area, this is probably better because you can store full on luggage and whatnot.
— seating and outlets. my lame battery draining beast of a smart phone was about to die around only 2 pm after utilizing too much. got to rest my feet and juice er up a bit.
— internet. i didnt need based on the above but there are several kiosks of computers for use
— maps to look at. even if you DO have a smartphone its sometimes easier looking on paper maps of the city
— home of coupons! i love coupons… if you check in on fourquare you get a «fun pack» which is just a coupon book, but hey why not. there was almost things i could have used (angry i could have saved an xtra $ 1 off each person at the aquarium with it… i. e $ 3 off each). and i guess they have parking passes?
— super friendly staff. seriously, really nice. when i showed my foursquare checkin on my phone the girl excitedly said «AH foursquarer eh?! thats big down there. we are big with this thing called Unilocal here.»
…haha, yes, in SD too, my dear :]

So first things first. There IS no «fun pack». Well, ok, there is, but I was looking for a tote bag. Instead I got a little coupon book, and a confused representative asking her co-​worker what’s this tote bag people keep asking about?
Brooke helped me out when I asked, what’s the best food you can eat here if you’re allergic to seafood? After debating, she finally said «You need to just leave here… there’s a Hard rock downtown! haha. I didn’t actually have a meal here, well, unless you call cookies and ice cream a meal, but I imagine I felt welcomed… besides, brooke was cute ;)