Standing at the symbolic entry to the Wall Street of the West, this grand banking hall rose in the aftermath of the 1906 quake as the headquarters of First National Bank (later merged with Crocker Bank). The original section along Post Street, once a..

This weathered brick building on the steep north slope of Nob Hill offers an up-close look at the nerve center of San Francisco's renowned cable-car system, the only one of its kind in the world. Besides serving as a powerhouse and car-storage barn, ..

The largest building in the state at the time of its dedication in 1854, this handsome Catholic church began as a cathedral, the first seat of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The Gothic Revival structure was redesignated a church following construc..

Built in 1927, this 31-story Gothic Revival landmark (George Kelham) was the tallest tower west of Chicago for 30 years. Filling an entire block of Montgomery Street, it is still a prime business address. A two-story give archway entrance leads to a ..

Concord coaches of Wells Fargo & Co. began carrying freight and passengers in 1852, and the company's gold-shipping and storage services complemented its growth as a bank. In this modern two-level gallery, Wells Fargo's inherent links to California h..

This 14-story office building (1903, Willis Polk) was the focal point of commerce in c.1900 San Francisco. Signals from its rooftop belvedere announced the arrival of ships through the Golden Gate. Badly damaged in the 1906 fire, it was quickly resto..

This brightly attractive and very accessible temple honors the Queen of Heaven, using her title as known in China's coastal Fujian and Guangdong provinces and Taiwan. The central statue is guarded by figures of two ferocious warriors-the blue-faced S..

Overlooking San Francisco Bay, this former US Army fort was used during the Civil War and as the command center for battling Native American uprisings in the late 19C. It was converted to civilian use in 1972. A path leads from the western end of Fis..

This stepped-back glass silo (1982, Johnson & Burgee) has a three-story glass atrium that slices into the base of the building, acting as the main entrance. A triangular plaza runs south to Market Street.

This multistory shopping and residential complex (1989), a block south and west of the Ferry Building, boasts a panoply of stores and cafes. The former Rincon Annex Post Office (1940, Gilbert S. Underwood), which now functions as the center's lobby, ..

Built in Gothic Revival style with Italianate details, this handsome, twin-spired church (1924) fronting Washington Square is fondly known as the Italian Cathedral. Lawrence Ferlinghetti dubbed it the marzipan church on the plaza, a description parti..

This ornate Victorian glass palace shelters more than 20,000 rare and exotic plants under an octagonal central dome and two flanking wings. Golden Gate Park's oldest structure, the lacy white wood-frame building was prefabricated in Dublin, Ireland, ..

The city's largest office and commercial complex, this series of four slab-like office towers, completed in 1982, and the adjoining Hyatt Regency Hotel (1973) cover nearly 10 acres between the Embarcadero and the heart of the Financial District. A th..

Founded in 1871, this prestigious fine-arts college occupies a Spanish Colonial Revival-style building (1926, Arthur Brown, Jr.), expanded in the béton brut style by English-born architect Paffard Keatinge Clay in 1969. A cultural center as well as a..

Built over a dilapidated c.1900 pier, this festive, bilevel marketplace of more than 100 shops, 13 restaurants, and numerous rides and games ranks among the top tourist destinations in the state. A brightly painted, two-tiered carousel anchors the fa..

This noble gray vessel formed part of the 5,000-ship armada that stormed Normandy Beach on D-Day in 1944. Launched on June 19, 1943, she was one of a fleet of 2,751 Liberty Ships that served as the backbone of the supply line to US armed forces in Eu..

Walt Disney’s daughter spent five years of her life working on this imposing museum which pays tribute to her father, presenting the life of the man who was awarded a total of 26 Oscars. Several galleries are dedicated to the great man himself, telli..

Tucked beneath a steel arch at the southern anchorage of the Golden Gate Bridge, this impressive, multistoried brick-and-granite fort (1861) stands as a fine example of Civil War-era masonry and military architecture. Designed to guard the entrance t..

The grounds of Adolph Sutro's former estate occupy a striking promontory overlooking Cliff House and Ocean Beach. Although the residence was demolished in 1939, the property remains a paradise of well-tended lawns and stately groves of distinctive tr..

Renovated to the tune of $19 million in the early 2000s, the historic Cliff House offers both casual and upscale drinking and dining, as well as panoramic views, from its perch atop a high bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.This is the third cliff h..