SF City Guides

Carlton Watkins often took photographs of San Francisco and in Yosemite Valley. Since we are under stay in place orders, we thought we’d bring you a different view of the Cliff House from the sea that Watkins took.

The Lands End: Sutro Heights Walking Tour sfcityguides.org/tour/lands-e...

For over 30 years, a towering freeway buried San Francisco’s Embarcadero, cutting the city off from the bay and shrouding the Ferry Building in smog.

The 1989 earthquake destroyed the freeway, and tore it down.

The Ferry Building takes walkers there. sfcityguides.org/tour/ferry-b...

In 1859, Joshua Norton declared himself “Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico.”

Wearing a blue uniform, Emperor Norton, issued his own currency, & envisioned the Bay Bridge before they existed.

When he died in 1880, 10,000 people attended his funeral.

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Market & California 1908
View east toward Ferry Building. Get outside & see the city this weekend.

Historic Market Street: Path to Gold walking tour
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Special thanks to OpenSFHistory for pics from their archives.

Oakland Bay Bridge under construction in 1934.

Special thanks to California Historical society.

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Old SF City Hall at Market and 8th streets roughly. The old city hall was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire. The SF Public Library is located today there. #sanfran

The City Hall & Civic Center walking tour shares the history of this popular town square. sfcityguides.org/tour/city-ha...

James Clair Flood made his fortune from Nevada’s Comstock Lode. In 1902, his son James L. Flood commissioned architect Albert Pissis to design a twelve-story building in his honor. Completed in 1904 at a cost of $1.5 million, it was then San Francisco’s largest building.

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One of the many early photos of the Ferry Building.

Ferry Building free walking tour.
sfcityguides.org/tour/ferry-b...

#ferrybuilding

1935 photo showing both the Bay Bridge & Golden Gate Bridge under construction.

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#sanfrancisco

Golden Gate Park map from 1892. Note the sand dunes in the park.

The #GoldenGatePark: American History, Memories in Trees, Stone & Bronze takes walkers past monuments and statues both well known and obscure in Golden Gate Park.

RSVP your spot here: sfcityguides.org/tour/golden-...

Mount Olympus, once thought to be San Francisco’s center, was topped by Adolph Sutro’s Triumph of Light statue—now lost. Sutro, the city’s 24th mayor, also gave us Sutro Baths, the Cliff House, and donated the land.

The Corona Heights Stairways Walking Tour RSVP: sfcityguides.org/tour/corona-...

The Court of Abundance at night from the 1915 Pan Pacific International Exhibition.

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#sanfrancisco

Donaldina Cameron House, founded in 1873 as a refuge for trafficked women, saw Donaldina rescue over 3,000 girls. After the 1906 quake, it was rebuilt with a basement hideout—where a later fire tragically trapped some girls. The house is said to be haunted by their spirits.

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Swimsuit fashion at Sutro Baths: Visitors rented 25¢ swimsuits (with towel) to enjoy pools of varying temperatures. The Baths held 10,000 people and had 500 changing rooms.

The lands end walking tour shares the Sutro Bath history. sfcityguides.org/tour/lands-e...

In 1985, San Francisco’s Downtown Plan reshaped development: new buildings had to fund infrastructure and include public open space. Thus, POPOS—Privately-Owned Public Open Spaces—were born.

Cityscapes & PoPos Free Walking Tour
RSVP: sfcityguides.org/tour/citysca...

Old St Mary’s Cathedral built in 1854. It was once the tallest building west of the Mississippi.

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#sanfrancisco

The Castro was originally known as Eureka Valley, and part of a large rancho owned by Jose de Jesus Noe, a Mexican land baron. He began selling it off in 1852. #sanfrancisco
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The Castro: Tales of the Village walking tour shares the history of the Castro. sfcityguides.org/tour/castro/...

Named for William Davis Merry Howard, an early city councilman who helped supply San Francisco after the 1848 gold discovery. His quick action brought food, goods, and even prefab houses to a booming city where half the population lived in tents.

Find your favorite street: www.sfcityguides.org

In 1985, San Francisco’s Downtown Plan reshaped development: new buildings had to fund infrastructure and include public open space. Thus, POPOS—Privately-Owned Public Open Spaces—were born.

#sanfrancisco

Cityscapes & PoPos Free Walking Tour
RSVP: sfcityguides.org/tour/citysca...

Share Your Love for San Francisco — Become a Volunteer Guide!

Help others discover the city’s history and charm. Training runs Feb 28–May 30, 2026. Apply by Dec 1. Learn more at Become a San Francisco City Guide.

sfcityguides.org/about-us/bec...

In 1916, #SanFrancisco added Path of Gold lights to the Market Street triangle at Kearny, Sutter, and Powell. Leo Lentelli’s 19-foot iron lamps, making the area seven times brighter and inspired other cities.

Historic Market Street: Path to Gold walking tour. sfcityguides.org/tour/histori...

Kearny Street, 1957. Folks moving about in SF getting to work.

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Sunnyside played a key role in launching San Francisco’s first electric streetcar in 1890, replacing horse-drawn and cable cars with electric transit and paving the way for the city’s future streetcar lines.

Muni Heritage Weekend is Sept 20 & 21. Join us. sfcityguides.org/muni-heritag...

Harbor View Baths: #SanFrancisco First Seaside Resort. In the 1860s, Rudolph Herman turned Strawberry Island into a resort, opening Harbor View Baths in 1864. It featured baths, a sandy beach, gardens, and later attractions like a dance pavilion, hotel, restaurant.

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Construction began in 1971, & on July 4, 1973, Sutro Tower had broadcast its first signal. San Francisco had terrible television reception. The solution was to build a giant tower on the top of a hill so it could broadcast signal to the homes throughout the city. #sanfrancisco

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Fort Point prior to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Golden Gate Bridge walking tour sfcityguides.org/tour/golden-...

The triangular building, now owned by Francis Ford Coppola, is where “The Godfather” was edited. But it also has a darker past — it was built in 1906 by political boss Abe Ruef, whose power collapsed when he was sent to San Quentin. The 1906 quake destroyed all but its steel frame, and rebuilt.

San Francisco’s northern waterfront has long driven innovation—from Gold Rush pioneers to inventors of jeans & TVs. On this walking tour, explore historic sites / hidden parks that shaped the city’s modern spirit.

Making Waves On The Waterfront Tour
sfcityguides.org/tour/making-...

#sanfrancisco

September 9, 2025 is the 150th anniversary of Lotta’s Fountain. Lotta’s Fountain, gifted by vaudeville entertainer Lotta Crabtree in 1875, became a cherished landmark & vital meeting place after the 1906 earthquake and fire. #sanfran

The Historic Market Street. sfcityguides.org/tour/histori...

Ocean Beach / Great Highway in 1910s from a biplane. Thanks to Hiller Aviation Museum for allowing us to repost.

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#oceachbeach