Locals, this is a good time to cast aside your aversion to Fisherman's Wharf and check out a frighteningly fun attraction: The San Francisco Dungeon.
One of the scariest spots in town, it's even spookier lately for the Halloween season, with special highlights and a "Zombie Lurch" that'll take the undead from there to the Hard Rock Cafe at Pier 39 this Friday afternoon.
Opened on June 26th, 2014, at 145 Jefferson St. in the heart of Fisherman's Wharf, the SF Dungeon tells nine distinct tales of the city's sketchy past, from the Gold Rush Greed to Gangs of San Francisco to the "Ghosts of Alcatraz." You could get shanghaied at Miss Piggott's Saloon, and you might be found guilty at a crooked court.
Miss Piggott show. Photo: SF Dungeon
A lot of research, thought and clever scriptwriting went into creating a specifically San Francisco experience, and a team of actors takes you through the immersive, interactive shows. "Our tagline is 'scary fun,'" said Kari Martin, marketing manager. "It takes you on a journey of San Francisco's history and, as it does that through incredible storytelling, we share the dark and often hidden parts of San Francisco's history that a lot of people don’t know about.”
Gangs of San Francisco show. Photo: SF Dungeon
And now, for Halloween, the SF Dungeon is "a little more scary than usual," Martin said, with different lighting and different scripts. "There’s a whole process that goes into how we change the Dungeon to make it more scary," she said, with Halloween references in each show. "They’ve handmade these jack-o-lanterns, and all of our Halloween decorations are made in the time frame of the late 1800s," she said. "We have these beautiful masks that you would’ve seen during that time."
Also, some of the actors and any number of participants will break out of the depths around 1:30pm Friday and hit the road as the SF Dungeon head up a "Zombie Lurch" from its headquarters down Jefferson Street to the Hard Rock Cafe, where there'll be Halloween-themed drinks and happy hour prices all day (half-off appetizers, $4 draft beers, $5 well cocktails and $6 select wines). The party will also feature entertainment, a DJ, a costume contest with prizes and a bartender competition.
Anyone can dress like a zombie and join the fun. The festivities at the Hard Rock will start around 2pm, depending on when the zombie posse arrives. "You know, zombies walk pretty slow," Martin pointed out.
The SF Dungeon isn't recommended for children under age 10. The attraction is part of Merlin Entertainments, which also operates the adjacent Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Tickets are available online; Bay Area residents get discounts, and there are discounts if you buy tickets for both attractions.
