Attraction with deadly past arrives in San Francisco — and it’s totally free

Just over a year after a deadly crash into the Brooklyn Bridge, the massive Mexican Navy tall ship at the center of the disaster has arrived in California — and locals can climb aboard for free.

The nearly 300-foot ARM Cuauhtémoc (BE-01) arrived in San Francisco Bay Wednesday morning for a four-day visit celebrating the maritime relationship between the US and Mexico.

The ship’s arrival was anything but low-key.

Sailors stood atop the yardarms as the vessel sailed into the bay, while city officials boarded for a ceremonial welcome complete with music and folkloric dancers.

“Of all the more than two million foreign tourists that the city receives every year, the first market is Mexico, and our community is very strong and very present in the economy of the Bay Area,” the city’s Mexican Consul General told CBS News.

But the ship’s sunny arrival comes with a grim recent history.

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In May 2025, the Cuauhtémoc slammed into the Brooklyn Bridge while sailing out of New York, killing two sailors and injuring 17 others.

The ship was carrying a crew of 277 and was bound for Iceland when the current pushed the towering vessel into the bridge’s road deck.

Now, just over a year later, the same ship is back in American waters — this time as a free public attraction.

The Cuauhtémoc will remain docked at Piers 15-17 through Sunday, with the public invited aboard for free viewing.

The visit is part of a 92-day training cruise that will take the crew through Mexico, the US and Canada. It also marks the first time the ship has visited San Francisco in 17 years.

Built in Spain in 1982, the ship has visited more than 234 ports across 75 countries and has racked up an impressive collection of international sailing honors.