Hercules Steam Tug

Discover the lives of the people who lived and worked on steam machines.

Using VR technology you can explore this tugboat built in 1907. Powered by steam and the sweat of the crew, Hercules worked the waters of the Pacific Coast and San Francisco Bay from the early 1900's well into the 1960s. She was part of the industries that changed California's energy sector from coal to oil, that logged the great trees of the Pacific Northwest, and connected the communities of the Pacific Coast and San Francisco Bay. She rounded Cape Horn towing her sister ship Goliah, delivered material for both the Panama Canal and Pearl Harbor, and towed millions of board feet of lumber. Her crew endured raging storms and surging seas, hard work, and the tedious days of making no headway. Hers is the story of the Pacific Coast. Join Park Rangers as we explore this marvel of engineering.