What is The Grateful Dead House known for?

It is a purple Victorian house that served as the communal home for the original members of the Grateful Dead from 1966 to 1968. It is iconic for being the site of an infamous 1967 drug bust and for widely circulated photos of the band on its front stoop.

Can I go inside the house?

No, the house is a private residence and is not open for visitors to go inside.

What can I do when visiting?

Visitors can view the house from the street, pose for photos outside the front gate, and see Deadhead art on the nearby sidewalk.

The house is located at 710 Ashbury Street in San Francisco, situated just up the hill from the Haight-Ashbury intersection.

What is the history of the building?

The Victorian-style home was built in 1890 by contractors Cranston and Keenan and is approximately 2,600 square feet.

What should I check before going?

Use Gyde for context, then check official sources for current hours, tickets, construction, and closures.

The Grateful Dead House in San Francisco

The Grateful Dead House

A purple Victorian home at 710 Ashbury Street that served as the communal residence for the Grateful Dead during the peak of the 1960s counterculture movement.

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What to know

Located at 710 Ashbury Street, this purple Victorian home stands as one of the most iconic symbols of California's counterculture heyday. Built in 1890 by contractors Cranston and Keenan, the residence spans approximately 2,600 square feet and is situated just up the hill from the famous Haight-Ashbury intersection. From October 1966 to March 1968, the house served as the communal home for the original members of the Grateful Dead, including Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, and Ron "Pigpen" McKernan. During this era, the property became a central hub for the flower power movement and the burgeoning hippie scene in San Francisco. The residence gained legendary status due to widely circulated photographs of the band members posing on the front stoop. However, it is perhaps most famous for being the scene of an infamous 1967 drug bust during the Summer of Love, an event that made front-page news headlines with the phrase "ROCK BAND BUSTED." Today, the property is a private residence and is not open for interior tours. Despite this, it remains a global pilgrimage site for Deadheads. Visitors can view the architecture from the street, pose for photos outside the front gate, and observe fan-created Deadhead art left on the nearby sidewalk.

Visitor tips

Respect the residents' privacy as this is a private home and not a museum.
Look for the fan art left by Deadheads on the sidewalk outside the property.
Combine this stop with the free self-guided Grateful Dead tour offered by SF Travel.

Nearby context

The house is located in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, which served as the epicenter of flower power, hippie culture, and the birth of various musical genres.