Sausalito Historical Walking Tour
Walking Tour · Downtown/Bridgeway
Verified September 2026
The Sausalito Historical Society's Secret History walking tour is a docent-led stroll through downtown, held on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m. It starts from the Ice House Museum on Bridgeway. The stories cover artists, sailors, shipbuilders, musicians, and the cultural rebels behind the town's odd character. The Society is a nonprofit founded in 1975, so the money goes toward keeping local history preserved. It's the quickest way to get real local history instead of guessing at what you're looking at.
What To Expect
A local docent leads a small group of up to ten through roughly a mile of flat ground, and the tour runs about 90 minutes. The route is wheelchair accessible, which is unusual for a tour of an old waterfront town. Tickets cost $20 per person and sell through Eventbrite, so book ahead. With only ten spots per tour, summer dates often sell out. Private tours are available by emailing the Society. The walk covers the town's ferry era, shipbuilding boom, and bohemian past, and you'll pass the waterfront where the wartime Marinship yard once turned out ships. Wear comfortable shoes and a layer, since fog and wind can arrive mid-tour. After the walk, the Ice House Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., which makes a natural next stop for more of the story.
Getting There
The tour meets at the Ice House Museum, 780 Bridgeway, a block off the main downtown strip and an easy walk from the ferry landing. Arrive ten minutes early to check in. If you drive, downtown street parking is limited on weekends, so the ferry from San Francisco is the easier choice. Check the schedule for your date on the Eventbrite listing, since the tour runs on selected Saturdays only.
Good To Know
Runs from the Ice House Museum, covering roughly a mile of flat, wheelchair-accessible ground in about 90 minutes, capped at 10 guests per tour.
Our Take
Do this early in your visit, not late. It'll change how you see everything else you walk past for the rest of the day. Book a Saturday that lines up with your trip before you buy ferry tickets, because the tour only runs twice a month.