Pier 70 Time Machine Museum Opened in San Francisco

Founders Peter Linenthal and Bill Perez have launched a new history museum featuring Dogpatch industrial artifacts.

Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in Historical

Bold vector editorial illustration showing an iron riveter and maritime compass on a wooden bench, depicting local historical preservation.
Founders Peter Linenthal and Bill Perez have opened the Pier 70 Time Machine, a museum in San Francisco's Dogpatch neighborhood displaying local industrial and indigenous history. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Peter Linenthal and Bill Perez have opened the Pier 70 Time Machine, a 4,000-square-foot museum in San Francisco dedicated to preserving local history. Located in the restored Building 12, the space displays artifacts showcasing the area's industrial past and indigenous roots.

Why it matters

The founders established the museum to provide free public access to historical collections while highlighting the neighborhood's heritage amidst ongoing urban development. It serves to bridge the gap between the area's current transformation and its industrial origins.

The museum occupies 4,000 square feet in Pier 70’s Building 12 and offers free admission to all visitors. It operates on a weekly schedule of Fridays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m.

The players

Peter Linenthal

He is a co-founder of the Pier 70 Time Machine who contributed personal historical items to the collection.

Bill Perez

He is a co-founder of the Pier 70 Time Machine who helped curate the museum exhibits using personal archives.

The details

Exhibits inside the museum highlight diverse aspects of the local area, including shipbuilding history, the former Irish Hill neighborhood, and the presence of Ramaytush Ohlone tribes dating back over 1,000 years. The founders created the displays by merging their own personal historical collections.

Timeline

  1. The museum opened in October 2026.

  2. The museum is open to the public every Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

  3. The museum is open to the public every Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.

Roadmap

The museum project follows a pattern set by the San Francisco Dogpatch industrial rezoning plan by preserving cultural history within a district undergoing massive redevelopment. By occupying a restored industrial building, it reflects a trend of integrating historical preservation into the modern architectural landscape of the city.

Residents and visitors can access the museum for free, providing a new low-cost weekend activity in the Dogpatch neighborhood. The gallery offers a direct way for neighbors to learn about the history of their immediate surroundings during scheduled operating hours.

The takeaway

The museum offers a unique opportunity for locals to explore the deep roots of their neighborhood at no cost. Visitors can use the facility as a resource to understand how the industrial legacy of Pier 70 continues to shape the identity of the current Dogpatch area.

Further reading

Discover more about the Historical context of local preservation efforts in San Francisco.

Source note: This article includes information reported by NBC Bay Area.

Live Poll

Do you believe preserving local industrial history is important as your neighborhood changes?