San Francisco: Cable Car Powerhouse and Museum
October 17, 2010. The San Francisco Cable Car Museum is one of my favourite museums ever. It's not too big, but it's packed full of things to look at, read, watch, and learn about. The best part is that it's a working museum, in the actual powerhouse that drives San Francisco's entire cable car system. You can watch the huge motors, cable pulleys, and underground cable routing. Seeing these motors in action, as they pull completely motorless cable cars full of tourists all over San Francisco, makes the whole system even more impressive. Plenty of good history about the cable car system, San Francisco's geography, and of course the San Francisco Fire too.
I'd highly recommend checking this place our before heading out for a cable car ride. It makes the whole experience so much better when you know how it all works. I'd love to go back sometime too.
More info on Wikipedia and at the San Francisco Cable Car Museum website.