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A large, very popular year-round organic farmers market.
A historic ferry terminal which survived the 1906 earthquake and fire and had 100,000 people pass through it every day before the bridges were built. It was renovated several years ago and now it's a great example of Bay Area "foodie" culture. Inside you'll find little shops selling artisanal bread (Acme), cheese (Cowgirl), chocolate (e.g., Recchiuti, Ghiradelli, Scharffen Berger, etc.), slow-drip coffee (Blue Bottle), and so on. There's even a stand selling vegan donuts! There are also a few excellent little restaurants and specialty markets as well as a large farmers market out front (Tuesdays and Saturdays year-round and on Thursday evenings in the summer). Together with its surroundings, the Ferry Building is beautiful to see, especially at night (although the shops will be closed at night). It's a popular place to visit for downtown office workers and tourists alike.
A long-standing photography gallery with changing museum-quality exhibits featuring the work of many of the medium's masters.
Exhibits in San Francisco's original US Mint Building about the history of the City.
A small but charming museum with exhibits on the history of rail transportation in San Francisco, with a particular emphasis on the streetcar systems. It's a good companion piece to a streetcar ride, with a stop on the F-line just outside the front door.
San Francisco's tallest and most famous skyscraper, controversial when it opened, but now accepted. There used to be an unusual observation deck on the ground floor with 4 big TV monitors, showing live views of the city transmitted from cameras at the top of the building. They now have a happy worker at the bottom that tells you anything and everything you want to know about San Francisco and has some great stories. Then he tells you that they no longer have the 4 big TVs and are building a restaurant where you can view the city from inside.
The most important site is the square itself, which was revamped in 2002 to provide more space for outdoor events and less space for napping homeless people (an earlier version of the square appeared in the film The Conversation). The square now includes a Cafe along with an underground parking garage. For blogging people-watchers, there is free wi-fi provided by the city. Look under the leaves of the greenery in the planters, and you'll find a few power outlets for your laptop.