Abandoned Grain Silos

The towering structures rising above the Islais Creek channel at Pier 90 serve as a massive, industrial monument to San Francisco's maritime past. Built in 1918 by the State Harbor Commission, these silos were designed to handle grain arriving by rail, holding up to 500,000 bushels of barley at a time before loading it onto cargo ships for international export. In the 1970s, the terminal even played a significant role in global logistics by helping transport grain to Russia during a period of severe drought. The facility functioned for decades as a vital connection between California's inland farms and the global market, defining the skyline of the city's southern waterfront.