San Francisco, a city famed for its iconic landmarks and cultural richness, harbors a wealth of historical sites that paint a vivid picture of its dynamic past.
From the haunting beauty of Alcatraz Island to the architectural splendor of the Victorian-era Abner Phelps House and many others, these landmarks weave together stories of innovation, resilience, and cultural diversity.
Each site, meticulously preserved and cherished, offers a unique lens through which to explore San Francisco’s evolution from a bustling Gold Rush port to a global metropolis rich in history and heritage.
San Francisco has over 200 places listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The map below shows the majority of them, including all the historic houses, buildings, and structures.
The city’s historical canvas is vast and varied. The Administration Building on Treasure Island, listed on February 26, 2008, showcases the area’s significance during the Golden Gate International Exposition and its role in naval history.
Meanwhile, the Alberta Candy Factory on 19th Street, joining the list on September 22, 2021, offers a glimpse into San Francisco’s industrial past and the importance of its manufacturing sector.
Alcatraz Island is not just a notorious federal penitentiary. It symbolizes the struggle for Native American rights following its occupation by activists in the late 1960s. Its listing in 1976 acknowledges its multifaceted history, from military fortress to prison and, finally, a site of protest and change.
The Aquatic Park Historic District, bounded by Van Ness Avenue and Hyde and Polk Streets since January 26, 1984, exemplifies the city’s dedication to leisure, arts, and maritime history that has been pivotal to its development. This area, with its blend of natural beauty and historic buildings, invites locals and tourists alike to explore San Francisco’s relationship with the sea.
Further embracing the city’s maritime heritage, the historic ships like the Balclutha at Pier 41 East, listed on November 7, 1976, and the Eureka at the San Francisco Maritime State Historic Park since April 24, 1973, offer hands-on experiences of seafaring life and the challenges of maritime navigation.
San Francisco’s architectural diversity is also prominent in its residential and commercial structures, such as the intricate designs of the Albert Wilford Houses on Vallejo Street, listed on August 29, 1985, and the significant Art Deco influence on the Pacific Telephone Building on New Montgomery Street, recognized on June 13, 2008.
In addition, the city’s parks and public buildings contribute to its historical landscape. The Golden Gate Park Conservatory, listed on October 14, 1971, stands as a testament to the city’s commitment to preserving natural beauty amidst urban development.
The Coit Memorial Tower, with its listing on January 29, 2008, not only provides panoramic views of the city but also commemorates its volunteer firefighters.
These historic sites in San Francisco, each with its distinct story and contribution to the city’s cultural and architectural heritage, invite exploration and appreciation. They underscore the city’s evolution from a Gold Rush boomtown to a global icon, offering a window into the past that continues to shape its future.
See the table below for a full list of the historical places included in the map above.
Property Name | Street & Number | City | Listed Date |
---|---|---|---|
Abner Phelps House | 1111 Oak St. | San Francisco | 5/23/1979 |
Administration Building, Treasure Island | SE Corner of Avenue of the Palms and California Ave. | Treasure Island | 2/26/2008 |
Albert Wilford Houses | 2121 & 2127 Vallejo St. | San Francisco | 8/29/1985 |
Alberta Candy Factory | 555 19th St. | San Francisco | 9/22/2021 |
Alcatraz | Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay | San Francisco | 6/23/1976 |
ALMA (Scow Schooner) | 2905 Hyde St. | San Francisco | 10/10/1975 |
APOLLO (Storeship) | NW corner of Sacramento and Battery Sts. | San Francisco | 5/16/1991 |
Aquatic Park Historic District | Bounded by Van Ness Ave., Hyde and Polk Sts. | San Francisco | 1/26/1984 |
Armour & Co. Building | 1050 Battery St. | San Francisco | 12/22/2009 |
Atherton House | 1990 California St. | San Francisco | 1/31/1979 |
Audiffred Building | 1 Mission St. | San Francisco | 5/10/1979 |
Baker and Hamilton | 601 Townsend St. | San Francisco | 2/9/2005 |
Balclutha | Pier 41 East | San Francisco | 11/7/1976 |
Bank of Italy | 552 Montgomery St. | San Francisco | 6/2/1978 |
Beach Chalet | 1000 Great Hwy. | San Francisco | 7/22/1981 |
Belt Railroad Engine House and Sandhouse | Block bounded by Lombard, Sansome, and the Embarcadero | San Francisco | 2/13/1986 |
Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation Hospital | 331 Pennsylvania Ave. | San Francisco | 12/29/2022 |
Building at 1813-1813B Sutter Street | 1813-1813B Sutter St. | San Francisco | 3/8/1973 |
Building at 1840-1842 Eddy Street | 1840-1842 Eddy St. | San Francisco | 3/8/1973 |
Building at 33-35 Beideman Place | 33-35 Beideman Pl. | San Francisco | 3/8/1973 |
Building at 45-57 Beideman Place | 45-57 Beideman Pl. | San Francisco | 3/8/1973 |
Building at 465 Tenth St. | 465 10th St. | San Francisco | 6/4/1999 |
Building at 735 Market Street | 735 Market St. | San Francisco | 7/27/2004 |
Buon Gusto Sausage Factory | 535 Green St. | San Francisco | 2/1/2021 |
Burr House | 1772 Vallejo St. | San Francisco | 6/8/2015 |
Bush Street-Cottage Row Historic District | 2101-2125 Bush St., 1-6 Cottage Row, and 1940-1948 Sutter St. | San Francisco | 12/27/1982 |
C. A. Belden House | 2004-2010 Gough St. | San Francisco | 8/11/1983 |
C.A. THAYER | San Francisco Maritime State Historic Park | San Francisco | 11/13/1966 |
Calvary Presbyterian Church | 2501-2515 Fillmore St. | San Francisco | 5/3/1978 |
Camera Obscura | 1096 Point Lobos Ave. | San Francisco | 5/23/2001 |
Central Embarcadero Piers Historic District | Piers 1, 1 1/2, 3 and 5, The Embarcadero | San Francisco | 11/20/2002 |
Chambord Apartments | 1298 Sacramento St. | San Francisco | 9/20/1984 |
City of Paris Building | 181-199 Geary St. | San Francisco | 1/23/1975 |
Coffin-Redington Building | 301 Folsom St. and 300 Beale St. | San Francisco | 2/2/2001 |
Coit Memorial Tower | 1 Telegraph Hill Blvd. | San Francisco | 1/29/2008 |
Coit Memorial Tower | 1 Telegraph Hill Blvd. | San Francisco | 8/13/2018 |
Colombo Building | 1-21 Colombus Ave. | San Francisco | 1/31/2008 |
Dallam-Merritt House | 2355 Washington St. | San Francisco | 4/19/1984 |
Daniel Gibb & Co. Warehouse | 855 Front St., and 101 Vallejo St. | San Francisco | 10/10/1997 |
Delano House | 70 Buena Vista Terr. | San Francisco | 10/29/1982 |
Delia Fleishhacker Memorial Building | Zoo Rd. and Sloat Blvd. | San Francisco | 12/31/1979 |
Don Lee Building | 1000 Van Ness Ave. | San Francisco | 10/28/2001 |
Dr. Martin M. Krotoszyner Medical Offices and House | 995-999 Sutter St. | San Francisco | 8/15/1985 |
Drydock 4 Hunters Point Naval Shipyard | SE. of jct. of Spear Ave. & Morrell St. | San Francisco | 7/25/2012 |
Engine House No. 31 | 1088 Green St. | San Francisco | 1/7/1988 |
Eureka | San Francisco Maritime State Historic Park, 2905 Hyde St. | San Francisco | 4/24/1973 |
Fairmont Hotel | 950 Mason St. | San Francisco | 4/17/2002 |
Federal Office Building | 50 United Nations Plaza | San Francisco | 6/5/2017 |
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco | 400 Sansome St. | San Francisco | 7/31/1989 |
Ferry Station Post Office Building | Embarcadero at Mission St. | San Francisco | 12/1/1978 |
Feusier Octagon House | 1067 Green St. | San Francisco | 3/24/1974 |
Fillmore-Pine Building | San Francisco | 1/11/1982 | |
Folger Coffee Company Building | 101 Howard St. | San Francisco | 6/21/1996 |
Fort Mason Historic District | Portion of Fort Mason N and E of Franklin St. and McArthur Ave. | San Francisco | 4/25/1972 |
Fort Mason Historic District (Boundary Increase) | Bounded by Van Ness Ave., Bay and Laguna Sts. | San Francisco | 4/23/1979 |
Fort Miley Military Reservation | Off CA 1 | San Francisco | 5/23/1980 |
Fort Point National Historic Site | N tip of San Francisco Peninsula on U.S. 101 and I 480 | San Francisco | 10/16/1970 |
Four Fifty Sutter Building | 450 Sutter St. | San Francisco | 12/22/2009 |
Frank G. Edwards House | 1366 Guerrero St. | San Francisco | 10/29/1982 |
Frederick Griffing's (ship) | San Francisco | 2/1/1982 | |
Fuller Company Glass Warehouse | 50 Green St. | San Francisco | 10/11/2001 |
Geary Theatre | 415 Geary St. | San Francisco | 5/27/1975 |
Geneva Office Building and Power House | 2301 San Jose Ave. | San Francisco | 3/31/2010 |
Girls Club | 362 Capp St. | San Francisco | 11/6/1979 |
Glen Park BART Station | 2901 Diamond St. | San Francisco | 10/21/2019 |
Glide Memorial Church | 330, 302 Ellis St. | San Francisco | 3/14/2022 |
Golden Gate Park Conservatory | Mount Link, N of John F. Kennedy Dr. at E end of Golden Gate Park | San Francisco | 10/14/1971 |
Goodman Building | 1117 Geary Blvd. | San Francisco | 6/18/1975 |
Grabhorn Press Building | 1335 Sutter St. | San Francisco | 5/2/1997 |
Haas Candy Factory | 54 Mint St. | San Francisco | 1/8/2001 |
Haas-Lilienthal House | 2007 Franklin St. | San Francisco | 7/2/1973 |
Hale Brothers Department Store | 901 Market St. | San Francisco | 12/18/1986 |
Hale Brothers Department Store (Boundary Increase) | 36 Fifth St., 423-27 and 429 Stevenson St. | San Francisco | 5/10/2001 |
Hall of Transportation, Treasure Island | SE Side of California Ave. between Aves. D & F | Treasure Island | 2/26/2008 |
Hallidie Building | 130 Sutter St. | San Francisco | 11/19/1971 |
Haslett Warehouse | 680 Beach St. | San Francisco | 3/28/1975 |
Henry Geilfuss House | 811 Treat Ave. | San Francisco | 7/24/2017 |
Herald Hotel | 308 Eddy St. | San Francisco | 10/29/1982 |
Hercules (tugboat) | Maritime Unit, Hyde St. Pier, National Maritime Museum | San Francisco | 1/17/1975 |
Hobart Building | 582-592 Market St. | San Francisco | 9/10/2021 |
Hotel Californian | 403 Taylor St. | San Francisco | 9/25/1998 |
House at 1239-1245 Scott Street | 1239-1245 Scott St. | San Francisco | 3/8/1973 |
House at 1249-1251 Scott Street | 1249-1251 Scott St. | San Francisco | 3/8/1973 |
House at 1254-1256 Montgomery Street | 1254-1256 Montgomery St. | San Francisco | 1/31/1979 |
House at 1321 Scott Street | 1321 Scott St. | San Francisco | 3/8/1973 |
House at 1331-1335 Scott Street | 1331-1335 Scott St. | San Francisco | 3/8/1973 |
House at 584 Page Street | 584 Page St. | San Francisco | 9/12/1985 |
Hunter-Dulin Building | 111 Sutter St. | San Francisco | 4/17/1997 |
Hunters Point Commercial Drydock Historic District | E. of jct. of Fisher Ave. & Robinson Dr. | San Francisco | 7/25/2012 |
International Hotel | 848 Kearny St. | San Francisco | 6/15/1977 |
Irving Murray Scott School | 1060 Tennessee St. | San Francisco | 4/11/1985 |
Jackson Brewing Company | 1475-1489 Folsom St. and 319-351 11th St. | San Francisco | 4/8/1993 |
James C. Flood Mansion | 1000 California St | San Francisco | 11/13/1966 |
Japanese YWCA | 1830 Sutter St. | San Francisco | 1/10/2020 |
Jessie Street Substation | 222-226 Jessie St. | San Francisco | 9/6/1974 |
John A. Whelan House | 1315 Waller St. | San Francisco | 11/16/2020 |
John McMullen House | 827 Guerrero St. | San Francisco | 9/15/1983 |
John Spencer House | 1080 Haight St. | San Francisco | 4/14/2005 |
Julian Waybur House | 3232 Pacific Ave | San Francisco | 3/28/2011 |
King Philip (ship) and Reporter (schooner) Shipwreck Site | San Francisco | 5/8/1986 | |
Koshland House | 3800 Washington St. | San Francisco | 1/5/1984 |
Lewis Ark (Houseboat) | Hyde St. Pier | San Francisco | 11/8/1979 |
Lotta Crabtree Fountain | Market, Geary, and Kearny Sts. | San Francisco | 6/20/1975 |
Matson Building and Annex | 215 Market St. | San Francisco | 11/29/1995 |
McElroy Octagon House | 2645 Gough St. | San Francisco | 2/23/1972 |
Mills Building and Tower | 220 Montgomery St. and 220 Bush St. | San Francisco | 4/13/1977 |
Mish House | 1153 Oak St. | San Francisco | 5/21/1979 |
Mission Cultural Center | 2868 Mission St. | San Francisco | 12/29/2020 |
Mission Dolores | 320 Dolores St. | San Francisco | 3/16/1972 |
Moss Flats Building | 1626 Great Hwy. | San Francisco | 2/24/1983 |
Mutual Savings Bank Building | 700 Market St. | San Francisco | 1/22/2014 |
Myrtle Street Flats | 234-248 Myrtle St. | San Francisco | 6/14/1976 |
National Carbon Company Building | 599 8th St. | San Francisco | 8/25/1983 |
New Mission Theater | 2550 Mission St. | San Francisco | 11/9/2001 |
Niantic (Storeship) | NW corner of Clay and Sansome Sts. | San Francisco | 5/16/1991 |
Ohlandt Newlyweds House | 1260 Potrero Ave. | San Francisco | 8/19/1994 |
Old Ohio Street Houses | 17-55 Osgood Pl. | San Francisco | 5/31/1979 |
Old U.S. Mint | 5th and Mission Sts. | San Francisco | 10/15/1966 |
One Lombard Street | 1 Lombard St. | San Francisco | 2/3/2010 |
Otis Elevator Company Building | 1 Beach St. | San Francisco | 10/21/1999 |
Pacific Gas and Electric Company General Office Building and Annex | 245 Market St. | San Francisco | 11/29/1995 |
Pacific Gas and Electric Company Substation J | 565 Commercial and 568 Sacremento Sts. | San Francisco | 12/29/1986 |
Paige Motor Car Co. Building | 1699 Van Ness Ave. | San Francisco | 2/24/1983 |
Palace of Fine and Decorative Arts, Treasure Island | SE Side of California Ave. between Avenue F and Avenue I | Treasure Island | 2/26/2008 |
Palace of Fine Arts | 3301 Lyon St. | San Francisco | 12/5/2005 |
Park View Hotel | 750 Stanyan St. | San Francisco | 8/11/1983 |
Pier One | Pier One, The Embarcadero (at Washington St.) | San Francisco | 1/5/1999 |
Pioneer Trunk Factory-C. A. Malm & Co. | 2185-2199 Folsom and 3180 18th Sts. | San Francisco | 3/5/1987 |
Pioneer Woolen Mills and D. Ghirardelli Company | 900 N. Point St. | San Francisco | 4/29/1982 |
Pumping Station No. 2 San Francisco Fire Department Auxiliary Water Supply System | N end of Van Ness Ave | San Francisco | 5/13/1976 |
Quarters 1, Yerba Buena Island, Naval Training Station | 1 Whiting Way, Yerba Buena Island | San Francisco | 9/10/1991 |
Quarters 10 and Building 267, Yerba Buena Island | Yerba Buena Island | 2/26/2008 | |
Rialto Building | 116 New Montgomery St | San Francisco | 1/3/2011 |
Richard P. Doolan Residence and Storefronts | 557 Ashbury St./1500-1512 Haights St. | San Francisco | 5/11/2011 |
Rincon Annex | 101-199 Mission St. | San Francisco | 11/16/1979 |
Roos House | 3500 Jackson St. | San Francisco | 10/8/2009 |
Russell Warren House | 465-467 Oak St. and 368 Lily St. | San Francisco | 12/12/1983 |
Russian Hill-Macondray Lane District | Roughly 900-982 Green, 1918-1960 Jones, 15-84 Macondray & 1801-1809 Taylor | San Francisco | 1/7/1988 |
Russian Hill-Paris Block Architectural District | Roughly 1017-1067 Green St. | San Francisco | 1/7/1988 |
Russian Hill-Vallejo Street Crest District | Roughly 1020-1032 Broadway, 1-49 Florence, 1728-1742 Jones, 1-7 Russian Hill Pl., 1629-1715 Taylor, & 1000-1085 Vallejo | San Francisco | 1/22/1988 |
Sacred Heart Parish Complex | 546 and 554 Fillmore, 735 Fell & 660 Oak Sts. | San Francisco | 9/28/2017 |
Saint John's Presbyterian Church | 25 Lake St. and 201 Arguello Blvd. | San Francisco | 1/22/1996 |
San Francisco Art Institute | 800 Chestnut St. | San Francisco | 1/5/2016 |
San Francisco Central YMCA | 220 Golden Gate Ave. | San Francisco | 4/9/2018 |
San Francisco Fire Department Engine Co. Number 2 | 460 Bush St. | San Francisco | 4/17/2002 |
San Francisco Juvenile Court and Detention Home | 150 Otis St | San Francisco | 4/8/2011 |
San Francisco Maritime National Historic Site | fort Mason, Bld. 201 | San Francisco | 6/27/1988 |
San Francisco National Guard Armory and Arsenal | 1800 Mission St. | San Francisco | 11/14/1978 |
San Francisco Port of Embarkation, US Army | Ft. Mason | San Francisco | 2/4/1985 |
San Francisco Public Library North Beach Branch | 2000 Mason St. | San Francisco | 8/8/2011 |
San Francisco State Teacher's College | 55 Laguna St. | San Francisco | 1/7/2008 |
Schoenstein and Company Pipe Organ Factory | 3101 20th St. | San Francisco | 11/14/1978 |
Senior Officers Quarters Historic District, Yerba Buena Island | Whiting Way at Northgate Rd., North shore of Yerba Buena Island | Yerba Buena Island | 2/26/2008 |
Sinton House | 1020 Francisco St. | San Francisco | 12/22/2011 |
Six-Inch Rifled Gun No. 9 | Baker Beach | San Francisco | 2/7/1979 |
South San Francisco Opera House | 4701-4705 Third St and 1601 Newcomb Ave | San Francisco | 3/21/2011 |
Southern Pacific Company Hospital Historic District | 1400 Fell St. | San Francisco | 5/5/1989 |
SS Jeremiah O'Brien | Pier 3, Fort Mason Center | San Francisco | 6/7/1978 |
St. Joseph's Church and Complex | 1401-1415 Howard St. | San Francisco | 1/15/1982 |
St. Joseph's Hospital | 355 Buena Vista Ave. East | San Francisco | 5/9/1985 |
Stadtmuller House | 819 Eddy St. | San Francisco | 7/19/1976 |
Swedenborgian Church | 3200 Washington St. | San Francisco | 8/18/2004 |
Swedish American Hall | 2168-2174 Market St. | San Francisco | 9/20/2019 |
Temple Sherith Israel | 2266 California St. | San Francisco | 3/31/2010 |
The Lydia | San Francisco | 7/16/1981 | |
The Real Estate Associates (TREA) Houses | 2503, 2524, 2530 and 2536 Clay Sts. | San Francisco | 4/4/1985 |
The Women's Building | 3543 18th St. | San Francisco | 4/30/2018 |
Theodore F. Payne House | 1409 Sutter St. | San Francisco | 6/11/1980 |
Timothy L. Pflueger House | 1015 Guerrero St. | San Francisco | 9/30/2022 |
Tobin House | 1969 California St. | San Francisco | 10/5/2009 |
Torpedo Storehouse-Torpedo (Mine) Assembly Building & Long Range Accuracy Storage Building | N. of I80 | Yerba Buena Island | 6/11/2008 |
Trinity Presbyterian Church | 3261 23rd St. | San Francisco | 3/2/1982 |
Tubbs Cordage Company Office Building | Hyde St. Pier | San Francisco | 11/6/1979 |
U.S. Appraisers Stores and Immigration Station | 630 Sansome St. | San Francisco | 8/13/2013 |
U.S. Customhouse | 555 Battery St. | San Francisco | 1/29/1975 |
U.S. Post Office and Courthouse | NE corner of 7th and Mission Sts. | San Francisco | 10/14/1971 |
Union Ferry Depot | Embarcadero at Market St. | San Francisco | 12/1/1978 |
Union Iron Works Historic District | E. of Illinois between 18th & 22nd Sts. | San Francisco | 4/17/2014 |
US Mint | 155 Hermann St. | San Francisco | 2/18/1988 |
USS Pampanito (submarine) | Fisherman's Wharf-Pier 45 | San Francisco | 1/14/1986 |
Veterans Affairs Medical Center | 4150 Clement St. | San Francisco | 4/20/2009 |
Vollmer House | 1735-1737 Webster St. | San Francisco | 3/8/1973 |
Whittier Mansion | 2090 Jackson St. | San Francisco | 4/26/1976 |
William Westerfeld House | 1198 Fulton St. | San Francisco | 3/16/1989 |
Woman's Athletic Club of San Francisco | 640 Sutter St. | San Francisco | 9/10/2004 |
Yerba Buena Island Lighthouse | Yerba Buena Island | San Francisco | 9/3/1991 |
YMCA Hotel | 351 Turk St. | San Francisco | 2/6/1986 |
Have you been to any of these historic places? Which are your favorites?