San Francisco Dungeon scares up dark side of the city’s history

Let’s get one thing straight: San Francisco never had a dungeon -- until now.

The dark side of the city’s 200-year history will play out in an entertainingly creepy way at a new attraction called the San Francisco Dungeon, set to open June 26 at Fisherman’s Wharf.

San Francisco is the first city in North America to host the dungeon attraction. It’s the brainchild of Merlin Entertainments, which operates Legoland California as well as Legoland Discovery Centers and Madame Tussauds across the U.S.

Visitors walk through and take a boat ride to glimpse San Francisco’s lurid past. You might be shanghaied by Miss Piggott, who in the 19th century would capture dupes at her saloon with a cocktail “composed of equal parts of whiskey, brandy and gin, with a goodly lacing of laudanum or opium,” according to the book “The Barbary Coast.”

Or you might be grabbed by the scoundrel James “Shanghai” Kelly, who did the same, kidnapping men and sending them off on ships to China.

Expect to see the Lost Mines of Sutter’s Creek, where gold was discovered, and the harsh military prison at Alcatraz. Live actors tell stories and re-create the era, and special effects boost the scary factor.

The London Dungeon was the first such attraction; now there are others in Edinburgh, Scotland; York, Blackpool and Warwick Castle in England; Amsterdam; and Berlin and Hamburg in Germany.

The ride is recommended for children 10 and older. Tickets cost $19 if bought in advance online; $26 for adults and $20 for children if bought at the site for same-day entry. It’s open year-round.

Info: San Francisco Dungeon, Fisherman’s Wharf at 145 Jefferson St.