San Francisco guide
Things to do in San Francisco
Things to do in San Francisco: start with Alcatraz Island, Asian Art Museum, and California Academy of Sciences. Use the 246 places below to build a plan around this theme; each place has source-backed details behind its description.
246 places
Places to start with
Source-backed place · Viewpoints
Inspiration Point Overlook
An iconic Presidio vista offering panoramic views of Alcatraz, Angel Island, and the Palace of Fine Arts, perched atop the Tennes…
Source-backed place · Public art
La Chiffonniere
A towering, stainless steel sculpture by French artist Jean Dubuffet, this abstract piece known as "Rag Woman" stands as a modern…
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 · Parks and outdoors
Lloyd Lake
A serene clay-lined lake in Golden Gate Park, featuring the regal Portals of the Past marble columns and serving as a peaceful sa…
Source-backed place · Parks and outdoors
Lobos Creek Valley
A serene boardwalk through restored native sand dunes in the Presidio, featuring the last free-flowing stream in San Francisco an…
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 · History
Octagon House
A rare 1861 octagonal architectural treasure in Cow Hollow, serving as a decorative arts museum featuring Colonial and Federal pe…
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 · Public art
R-Evolution
A towering 45-foot-tall sculpture by Marco Cochrane, R-Evolution is a breathtaking monument to feminine strength and liberation,…
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 · Parks and outdoors
Shakespeare Garden
A romantic, literary-themed sanctuary in Golden Gate Park featuring plants and flowers mentioned in the works of William Shakespe…
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 · Public art
Spire
A towering 95-foot wooden sculpture by British artist Andy Goldsworthy, crafted from 35 recycled Monterey cypress trunks to symbo…
Source-backed place · Parks and outdoors
St. Mary’s Square / nearby Chinatown approach
A modernist rooftop oasis in the heart of Chinatown, this unique park blends urban utility with artistic design, featuring a stri…
Source-backed place · Viewpoints
Strawberry Hill
The highest point in Golden Gate Park, this wooded island hill offers panoramic city views and the haunting ruins of a 19th-centu…
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 · Public art
Sun Yat-sen statue at Saint Mary's Square
A striking stainless steel and red granite monument to Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the Father of the Chinese Republic, standing in the peace…