History
San Francisco history and landmarks
San Francisco history and landmarks: start with Alcatraz Island, Asian Art Museum, and California Academy of Sciences. Use the 160 places below to build a plan around this theme; each place has source-backed details behind its description.
160 places
Places to start with
Source-backed place · Religious sites
Tin How Temple
One of the oldest operating Chinese temples in the United States, this serene sanctuary dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu is tuck…
Source-backed place · Museums
USS Pampanito
Step aboard the USS Pampanito, a National Historic Landmark and World War II Balao class fleet submarine that served six patrols…
Source-backed place · History
USS Potomac
Step aboard the USS Potomac, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 'Floating White House.' This National Historic Landmark offers a rare glimps…
Source-backed place · History
Women’s Building
A historic Mission District landmark and feminist own-and-operated community center dedicated to social justice, gender equality,…
Source-backed place · Museums
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
A premier multidisciplinary hub for contemporary art, live performance, and social discourse, located within the scenic Yerba Bue…
Source-backed place · Landmarks
Yoda Fountain
A bronze tribute to the legendary Jedi Master, this iconic water fountain serves as the emblematic gateway to the Lucasfilm campu…
Source-backed place · History
Abner Phelps House
Widely believed to be San Francisco's oldest residence, this Gothic Revival cottage at 1111 Oak Street features a mysterious orig…
Source-backed place · History
Alfred E. Clarke Mansion
A stunning four-story Baroque-Queen Anne landmark built in 1891, this eccentric residence survived the 1906 earthquake and evolve…
Source-backed place · History
Archbishop's Mansion
A grand Second French Empire estate built in 1904, this historic residence of Archbishop Patrick Riordan is a surviving architect…
Source-backed place · Museums
Arion Press
A masterclass in traditional bookmaking, Arion Press is the only U.S. printer crafting limited-edition books entirely by hand, fr…
Source-backed place · History
Atkinson House
An architectural treasure on Russian Hill, the Atkinson House is one of San Francisco's oldest surviving residences, featuring a…
Source-backed place · History
Bellaire Tower
Known as the "Jewel" of Russian Hill, this 20-story Art Deco landmark is a masterpiece of structural resilience and early seismic…
Source-backed place · Religious sites
Buddha's Universal Church
A San Francisco City Landmark in Chinatown, this site is the largest Buddhist church in the United States, featuring a unique Dha…
Source-backed place · History
Feusier Octagon House
A rare architectural gem at 1067 Green Street, this 1857 residence is one of the last surviving octagon-plan houses in San Franci…
Source-backed place · Museums
Field Station
A free, interactive curiosity lab at Presidio Tunnel Tops designed for youth to explore the Presidio through art, science, and na…
Source-backed place · Museums
Haight Street Art Center
A nonprofit art space in Lower Haight dedicated to the advancement of poster and graphic art, featuring galleries, a print studio…
Source-backed place · History
Harvey Milk Mural & Former Castro Camera Site
The former site of Harvey Milk's Castro Camera, now a commemorative mural and gallery, marks the spot where the first openly gay…
Source-backed place · History
House of the Flag
A resilient Russian Hill residence and San Francisco Landmark #46, famous for surviving the 1906 earthquake and fire through a da…
Source-backed place · History
Liberty Hill Historic District
An intact enclave of 19th-century middle-class housing, featuring a dense collection of Victorian architecture including Italiana…
Source-backed place · History
McCormick House
A stunning example of High Queen Anne architecture, the McCormick House is a designated San Francisco Landmark featuring a distin…
Source-backed place · History
McLaren Lodge
An 1896 historic landmark at the east end of Golden Gate Park, once the home of superintendent John McLaren and now the administr…
Source-backed place · History
Mission High School
A historic pillar of the Mission District, Mission High School is the oldest high school on its original site in San Francisco, f…
Source-backed place · Religious sites
Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church
A historic Roman Catholic parish in the Castro district known for its radical inclusivity and survival of the 1906 earthquake.
Source-backed place · History
Octagon House
A rare 1861 octagonal architectural treasure in Cow Hollow, serving as a decorative arts museum featuring Colonial and Federal pe…