Ferry Building Marketplace

The Ferry Building Marketplace in San Francisco occupies the ground floor of the historic Ferry Building, a Beaux-Arts landmark completed in 1898 at the foot of Market Street on the Embarcadero waterfront. Following a major restoration completed in 2003, the building was transformed from a neglected transit hub into one of the most celebrated artisan food marketplaces in the United States. The interior marketplace runs the full length of the building along a grand ground-floor nave, housing approximately 40 permanent tenants — the majority of which are specialty food producers, artisan purveyors, and quality restaurants. Vendors include celebrated Northern California institutions such as Cowgirl Creamery, Acme Bread Company, Recchiuti Confections, and Hog Island Oyster Co., each representing a pillar of the Bay Area's farm-to-table food movement. The marketplace is overwhelmingly focused on authentic, high-quality goods rather than tourist merchandise — visitors come specifically to purchase artisan cheeses, locally roasted coffee, organic olive oil, handmade chocolates, and freshly baked bread. The celebrated Saturday Ferry Plaza Farmers Market draws Bay Area farmers and artisan producers from across California's Central Valley, Marin County, and the greater Bay Area, operating along the Embarcadero promenade outside the building. The farmers market is among the most respected in the country for the quality and variety of its certified organic produce, heritage meats, and specialty items. Payment is accepted by card virtually everywhere inside the marketplace. Prices reflect the premium quality of goods — artisan cheeses typically range from $8 to $30 per piece and bread loaves from $6 to $12. The building is easily accessible by foot from the BART Embarcadero station, by ferry from Marin County and Oakland, and by Muni streetcar along Market Street.