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 · History
Old Chinatown alley network
Explore the hidden arteries of North America's oldest Chinatown, a labyrinth of historic passages that reveal the resilient cultu…
Source-backed place · History
PacBell Building
A towering 1925 Art Deco masterpiece in San Francisco's South of Market district, once the city's tallest building and the former…
Source-backed place · Landmarks
Pershing Square
A historic heart of the Presidio's Main Post, marking the site of a tragic fire and the legacy of General John J. Pershing, featu…
Source-backed place · Landmarks
Prayer Book Cross
A towering 57-foot Celtic cross in Golden Gate Park, commemorating Sir Francis Drake's 1579 landing and the first Anglican servic…
Source-backed place · History
Presidio Pet Cemetery
A touching, tiny cemetery for the animal companions of U.S. Army families, featuring 424 handmade headstones enclosed by a white…
Source-backed place · Landmarks
Rainbow Falls
A scenic 1930s waterfall in Golden Gate Park, once famous for its multi-hued light displays and now known for its unique geologic…
Source-backed place · History
Sharon Building
A 1912 Chicago School commercial building on New Montgomery Street, famous for housing the House of Shields bar and facing the hi…
Source-backed place · History
Sing Fat Building
A landmark of the post-1906 reconstruction, this tall pagoda-style building at Grant and California once served as a leading orie…
Source-backed place · Religious sites
St. Patrick Catholic Church
A historic landmark in South of Market, St. Patrick Catholic Church is the longtime spiritual home of San Francisco's Irish popul…
Source-backed place · Religious sites
St. Stephen’s Church / Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia building
A striking Russian Orthodox cathedral in San Francisco, tracing its roots back to the first Orthodox parish in North America foun…
Source-backed place · Museums
Studio Gallery
A dedicated space for local San Francisco artists, STUDIO Gallery focuses on showcasing the creative output of the city's residen…
Source-backed place · Religious sites
Third Baptist Church of San Francisco
Founded in 1852, the Third Baptist Church is San Francisco's oldest African-American church, serving as a historic pillar of the…
Source-backed place · History
U.S. Post Office and Courthouse
A stunning example of Beaux-Arts architecture, this National Historic Landmark has survived two major earthquakes to remain one o…
Source-backed place · History
Vallejo Street Crest Historic District
A serene, rural-seeming residential enclave on the southeastern crest of Russian Hill, featuring pioneering First Bay Area Tradit…
Source-backed place · History
Waverly Place
Known as the soul of Chinatown, Waverly Place is a historic byway home to the city's oldest Taoist temple and unique architecture…
Source-backed place · History
William Westerfeld House
A stunning Stick-style Victorian mansion on the corner of Fulton and Scott Streets, built in 1889 for a German-born candy baron.