This small, lovingly crafted wood-and-brick chapel, officially named the Church of the New Jerusalem, is better known as the Swedenborgian Church after Swedish scientist, philosopher and religious writer Emanuel Swedenborg, whose doctrines inspire th..

A hugely successful renovation, completed in 2003, has brought this long-neglected landmark back into the spotlight as an airy gourmet retail and restaurant complex. Designed by A. Page Brown of Colusa sandstone, the building was hailed at its dedica..

One of the finest examples of San Francisco's dedication to preserving its historic buildings, this famed redbrick shopping and dining complex, once the home of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory, is being converted into time-share condominiums and a ..

These two high points dominate the horizon west of downtown and are visible from more areas of the city than Mt. Davidson, highest point in San Francisco at 929ft. The two distinct but adjacent peaks reach 904ft (north peak) and 922ft (south peak). M..

The historic ships and maritime artifacts on display at the Hyde Street Pier evoke the era when San Francisco was an active and bustling port, with the sea its most important avenue of trade and transportation. Built as a ferry terminal in the years ..

San Francisco's vibrant and colorful maritime legacy survives in this bustling and extremely popular district on the northeastern tip of the peninsula. A carnival atmosphere prevails on the rowdier east end of the wharf, especially at the Pier 39 Fes..

A World War II, Balao-class submarine built in the Portsmouth naval shipyard in 1943, this deep-diving, 311ft vessel made a half-dozen patrols during her two years of service in the Pacific, sinking six Japanese ships and damaging four others. The ha..

Ranking among San Francisco's best-known landmarks, this grand rotunda and peristyle were replicated from structures designed by renowned architect Bernard Maybeck to house art exhibits for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The origin..

Located in the cavernous, semicircular structure behind the Palace of Fine Arts rotunda (plans are afoot, however, to move to a larger space on the Embarcadero in coming years), this innovative museum of science, art and human perception has served a..

This garden has 70 acres of rolling terrain with 6,000 species of plants from all over the world, arranged according to region of origin. Housed in Golden Gate Park, it was started with WPA funds supplemented by local donations in 1937. New projects ..

Harboring a delightful maze of winding paths, stone lanterns, ornamental ponds, bonsai, a wooden pagoda, a Zen garden and a teahouse, this tranquil, five-acre garden has been a premier attraction since it was built for the Midwinter Fair of 1894. Aft..

Covering 70 acres of rolling terrain, this outstanding botanical collection comprises 6,000 species of plants from all over the world. Arranged around a large, central lawn, its varied gardens shelter secluded benches and gentle pathways that invite ..

For more than two centuries, the Presidio's privileged setting on 1,480 acres overlooking the Golden Gate earned it a reputation as the most beautiful military installation in North America. Residents and visitors are drawn to the lushly forested exp..

A total of 950,000 pounds of copper was used to sheath the building and over the course of the next decade it will fade from bright copper to cinammon, then to a rich green that will blend in with the surrounding trees. The interior is centered on a ..

This 1,480-acre former military reservation is now part of the Golden Gate Recreation Area. Establish in 1776, it remained an army base through most of the US eras, through an angry shot was never fired. A brick barracks on the historic Main Post has..

A gift to San Francisco from Alma de Bretteville Spreckels, the spirited wife of sugar magnate Adolph Spreckels, this museum houses Alma's collection of great sculptures by Auguste Rodin; a treasury of European art spanning some 4,000 years; and a sp..

Opened in 1996, San Francisco's new $137 million Main Library (James Ingo Freed & Cathy Simon) was built next door to the "Old Main," now the Asian Art Museum. The main facade, facing City Hall, reveals an updated version of Beaux-Arts clas..

Flanked by a historic cemetery and a lavishly ornamented 20C basilica, San Francisco's oldest extant structure serves as a distinct reminder of the city's Spanish heritage and a repository of early European history.The sixth mission in the Alta Calif..

This 2.6-acre parcel was landscaped in the early 1850s and was named on the eve of the Civil War, when it hosted numerous rallies in support of the Union. Today it is the hub of the city's most popular shopping district. The slender, 97ft granite Cor..

The third-largest Episcopal cathedral in the US anchors the crest of Nob Hill, its French Gothic spires soaring majestically over the city. Grace's cornerstone was laid in 1910 but construction did not begin until 1928; work was halted by the Great D..