150 Fourth St. (at Mission)
San Francisco
(415) 369-6000
(800) METREON
www.metreon.com
Part amusement park, part mall, Sony Metreon is designed as
an all-day entertainment experience. An IMAX theater and 15
screens with stadium-style seating, restaurants, shops and games
conspire to boggle your mind -- and vacuum out your wallet. Open
since June 1999, the four-story Metreon takes up an entire city
block just a block from Market Street in the SoMA (South of
Market) district.
Kids will love Where the Wild Things Are, interactive
adventure where kids of all ages can join Maurice Sendak’s
characters in a huge fantasy play space; and The Way Things
Work, an interactive and educational exhibit -- and 3-D film --
that brings award-winning author/illustrator David Macaulay’s best selling
book to life.
Try your luck at "virtual bowling" or more
adrenaline-packed interactive games in Airtight Garage, a
state-of-the-art adventure zone inspired by the science fiction
author and designer Jean "Moebius" Giraud
("Alien," "The Fifth Element").
Restaurant offerings range from burgers ‘n’ fries to
upscale California cuisine in Metreon’s eight dining spots:
Buckhorn, for traditional American fare; Firewood Cafe, and its
gourmet pizzas; LongLifeNoodle Company, with spicy, fresh Asian
noodle specialties; Sanraku, for sushi and other Japanese fare;
In the Night Kitchen, a family-friendly cafe; Jillian’s, for
food and drink, billiards, late night dancing and the best
sports viewing in all of San Francisco; Montage, where
celebrated chef Jennifer Cox melds fresh seasonal ingredients in
contemporary California cuisine; and Malvina’s, a stylish
restaurant/bar smack in the middle of Airtight Garage.
At the Metreon’s slick, user-friendly shops, nobody will
tell you to keep your hands off the merchandise. In fact,
visitors are invited to touch, play, and explore the latest
personal technology at Sony Style -- the first on the West Coast
-- a "high-touch" entertainment boutique; at
microsoft®SF, where you can check your email and surf the Web
for free on the latest, tiniest high-speed personal computers
and other wondrous gadgets; The Way Things Work Shop, filled
with brain-bending merchandise; the PlayStation® store, where
consumers can sample the latest games and consoles; Wild Things,
for children; and the edgy Moebius Shop.
At the Metreon Gateway, an information center in the middle
of the action on the ground floor, guests can check movie
schedules, get assistance, or buy Access Metreon cards to use
for entry into attractions.
For reasons mere mortals will never comprehend, Metreon has
no on-site parking. There is a large garage (2,500 spaces)
across the street, at the corner of Fourth and Mission streets
-- but expect to pay between $6-$12 during your stay, since
Metreon does not validate parking. Other lots are within two
blocks’ walk. It’s much more convenient to take BART (Powell
or Montgomery St.) or Muni bus; 28 bus lines drop off within two
blocks of Metreon.
By the way, the name "Metreon" is derived from the
roots of Greek words. As they explain it, "from ‘metropolis’
comes the sense of a nurturing urban environment, while ‘odeon’
and ‘pantheon’ are associated with important places of
assembly."
Hours:
10 a.m.-9 p.m. seven days
(theaters and some restaurants open later)
Admission/fees:
Admission to Metreon is free.
Prices for attractions are as
follows:
Where the Wild Things Are: $7 gen.,$5 child/senior
The Way Things Work: $7 gen, $5 child/senior
Airtight Garage: game cards are in increments of $1
IMAX Theater: $9.75
Sony Theaters: $8.75
