Cable cars have been a part of the city’s scene for nearly a century and a half. The Tony Bennett song portrays every visitor’s image of the beloved form of transportation:

“I left my heart in San Francisco;
High on a hill, it calls to me.
To be where little cable cars
Climb halfway to the stars...”

An English immigrant, Andrew Smith Hallidie introduced the first San Francisco cable car in 1873. It ran between Market Street up 300 feet to the top of Nob Hill. Soon the system was expanded to include more cable cars on other of the city’s hilly streets.

Through the years since, and although there have been changes and political battles about continuing the cable car routes, they are still an everyday part of San Francisco life. In the 1880s, it cost a nickel to enjoy a cable car ride.

Today, adults pay $6, seniors $3, and kids to age four go aboard free. There are lower prices per ride for all-day and multi-day tickets. Whatever the fare, a San Francisco cable car experience is worth every nickel of it. sfcablecar.com