Offbeat SF

Offbeat SF

Looking for an unusual San Francisco experience that'll give you bragging rights? Try one of these quirky choices—even a local would be impressed.

ATA. Dedicated to getting anyone's art in front of an audience, Artists' Television Access has been showing films by local artists for more than 20 years. An open-minded crowd comes to ATA's tiny space, where $5 gets you a peek at what might be the next groundbreaker. www.atasite.org

Audium. Billed as a "theater of sound-sculptured space," Audium is an experience like no other. Every Friday and Saturday, a few dozen participants sit in concentric circles in a completely soundproofed room in utter darkness, and music plays over the 169 speakers strategically placed, well, everywhere. www.audium.org

Boxcar Theatre. Climb aboard a bus and join this collaborative company in a show on the go. Free-flowing booze helps keep the creative juices flowing. www.boxcartheatre.org

Mt. Davidson. Ask most San Franciscans what the highest point in town is and they'll likely say Twin Peaks, but it's actually this "mountain," the next hill over. Visible from all over town but rarely visited, Mt. Davidson is topped with a eucalyptus-filled park. Finding the road up here is tricky (entrance at Dalewood and Myra ways), but once you get there you'll have amazing views—while all those tourists are still waiting for a parking space on Twin Peaks.

Qoöl at 111 Minna. The granddaddy of the gallery-cum-house-party scene, this hip SoMa loft is packed to the gills on Wednesday with a friendly, artsy crowd. The art is edgy, the DJ sets are potent, the drinks are stiff, and the party kicks off at 5 PM. www.qoolsf.com

Slides at AT&T Park. The massive Coke bottle looming over the AT&T ballpark is a familiar sight, but most people don't know that you can slide inside. The Coca-Cola Superslide has a series of slides twisting and turning down the bottle's contours. Kids aren't the only ones who get a kick out of the 56-foot "Guzzlers" and the 20-foot "Twist-Offs." It's open for free on some nongame days.

The Tamale Lady. It's impossible to pin down her location but if you're out and about in the Mission of an evening, keep an eye peeled for this San Francisco legend. Her tamales are terrific but the real reason that she's revered is her supernatural ability to show up in a bar and provide protein at the critical moment in a bender.

Third Thursdays at the Cal Academy of Sciences. Supersized snakes, waddling penguins, and taxidermy are cool anytime, but throw in a cash bar and this science club gets even cooler. Join an in-the-know crowd knocking back drinks and handling wild animals (with help from the academy's staffers) from 5 PM to 9 PM. www.calacademy.org