Free instructions are available now from 826 Valencia and Green Apple Books. No plank-walking required.
Aug 18, 2026
Updated 10:45 am PT
Got an aspiring pirate in the family? There’s a scavenger hunt for that now. (Getty Images/San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers)
Do you say “Yarg!” when you’re frustrated? Gaze at parrots longingly? Maybe you keep a collection of jaunty eyepatches for no discernible reason? If so, you might be in desperate need of joining the Freebooter Secret Pirate Society — a mysterious organization that operates out of 826 Valencia (aka the Pirate Supply Store) in the Mission.
A taste of Shannon Mulholland’s Pirate’s Guide to San Francisco.
Mulholland came up with the idea for the scavenger hunt after completing her new book for middle graders, Finding Sea Legs. The hero of the story is a 13-year-old girl who discovers a lost pirate colony hidden in the waters beyond San Francisco. She soon realizes that pirates are not the villains depicted in old stories and becomes immersed in their misunderstood way of life. Finding Sea Legs is set for release on Sept. 19, 2026, which conveniently happens to be International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Because, yes, that is in fact a real thing.
Though pirate-appreciation is encouraged on the scavenger hunt, you definitely don’t need a peg leg to participate. The Pirate’s Guide to San Francisco is also just a really fun way to explore the storied history of the Bay Area, from Gold Rush times up to the 1939 World’s Fair (for which Treasure Island was built). Happy hunting, mateys.