San Francisco
Since 1899, this has been Golden Gate Park's home where the buffalo roam – though technically, they're bison. SF's mellow, well-fed herd rarely moves –…
Must-see attractions in San Francisco
California College of the Arts
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
A generous endowment and whip-smart curators allow the Wattis Institute to take on ambitious, sweeping shows – for example, an exhibition reimagining…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
'If, as they say, God spanked the town/For being over-frisky/Why did He burn His churches down/And spare Hotaling's whiskey?' This saloon-goers' retort…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Your chariot awaits to whisk you and the kids past the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and other SF landmarks hand-painted on this Italian carousel twinkling…
San Francisco
The scenic route down from Ina Coolbrith Park – via steep stairs, past gravity-defying wooden cottages – is so charming, it looks like something from a…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Two blocks of Lyon St, between Broadway and Green St, are flanked by forests and glamorous mansions – including Senator Dianne Feinstein's – and offer jaw…
Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
San Francisco's Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District became official in June of 2018. District boundaries include Howard St (northwest), 7th St (northeast)…
San Francisco
Flower power is alive and well at San Francisco's Conservatory of Flowers. This gloriously restored 1878 Victorian greenhouse is home to freaky outer…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Explore a restored WWII submarine that survived six tours of duty while you listen to submariners' tales of stealth mode and sudden attacks in a riveting…
San Francisco
Art nouveau stained-glass windows and a dome skylight illuminate more than 8000 niches honoring dearly departed San Franciscans and their beloved pets…
San Francisco
The only Nob Hill mansion to survive the 1906 earthquake and fire is this neoclassical brownstone. Today it's a private men's-only club with an exclusive…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
If there was a time that Salesforce employees could have a night on the town without thinking about work, that time is over. The top nine stories of the…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
The plaza across from the Ferry Building isn't much to look at – the Vaillancourt Fountain has run dry, the walkways sag and the pavers are cracked. But…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
San Francisco's infamous, secretive men's club was originally founded by bonafide bohemians – but they couldn't afford the upkeep and allowed the ultra…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Today upscale Jackson Sq is framed by Washington, Columbus, Pacific and Sansome Sts – but before the gold rush filled in the area with abandoned ships,…
North Beach & Chinatown
Back when the red lights of Commercial St could be seen from the waterfront, this strip provided many provocative answers to the age-old question: what do…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Shrink the Guggenheim, plop it inside a yellow-brick box with a round Romanesque entryway and put it where you'd least expect it: on a shady SF alley that…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
This brick-paved triangle with an often-dry fountain awkwardly commemorates the signing of the UN charter in San Francisco. Most days, UN Plaza offers…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Lotta Crabtree made fortunes as San Francisco's diminutive opera diva, and she never forgot the city that paid for her trademark cigars. In 1875 she…
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Take a ride on dazzling mosaic serpent-god Quetzalcoatl, who raises his fierce head from the rubberized ground of this pioneering pocket park…
San Francisco
Surfers aiming for Ocean Beach keep in sight these twin landmarks on Golden Gate Park's extreme western edge. The 1902 Dutch windmill at the northwestern…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Meandering the Marina, you'll pass Mexican-inspired art deco buildings, Victorian mansions, generic bay-windowed boxes – and, hello, what's this? A…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
The groundbreaking green design of this government-office building by 2005 Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Thom Mayne means major savings in energy –…
Excelsior
See that hill with the sci-fi forked radio tower at its summit? That's Twin Peaks, with a 925ft summit that's the highest point in SF. A giant pink…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Crafty architects are always trying to cut corners on clients, and architect William C McElroy has done so splendidly with this house. This is among the…
San Francisco
This tiny cottage on a quiet alley was the source of major drama from 1951 to 1952, when Jack Kerouac shacked up with Neal and Carolyn Cassady and their…
Fillmore Center Waterfall & Plaza
Japantown, Fillmore & Pacific Heights
This patch of green flanked by apartment towers is open to the public and a welcome break from Fillmore sidewalks. Walk past the fountain at O'Farrell…
San Francisco
The prize for SF's steepest street is shared by this street and Filbert St (between Hyde and Leavenworth). Both have 31.5% grades (17-degree slopes), but…
San Francisco
Off the beaten path on the western side of Twin Peaks, these 163 mosaic-tiled steps depicting local wildlife were a community effort involving 300…
San Francisco
Although membership is reserved for Master Masons, visitors can freely access this prime specimen of Scottish Rite architecture, and take a peek at its…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
You'd expect to see this rustic Arts and Crafts–style building on the slopes of Tahoe, not Pacific Heights, but this Episcopal church is full of surprises…
San Francisco
See what the Castro's creative community has been dreaming up lately at this art space showcasing local neighborhood talent. Gallery shows here are the…
San Francisco
Built in 1892 by an attorney who wanted sunnier weather than swanky Nob Hill afforded, this gorgeous Queen Anne mansion went uninhabited after its…
San Francisco
Sonnets dot the flower beds in this romantic gated garden, home since 1928 to more than 200 flowering plants mentioned in Shakespeare's writings. With all…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
A quiet alternative to adjacent Lyon St's social and fitness scene, Baker St's 200 steep, narrow steps between Broadway and Vallejo St are dense with…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
For great Market St views of old and new SF, enter through Crocker Galleria, take the elevator to the top and then ascend the stairs, or enter Wells Fargo…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Enjoy knockout vistas of the Financial District and Transamerica Pyramid from atop a slender art deco skyscraper. Take the elevator to the 15th floor.
