List of San Francisco Designated Landmarks facts for kids

Three San Francisco Designated Landmarks along Montgomery Street: the Golden Era Building (left), the Genella Building (center), and the Belli Building (right). The Transamerica Pyramid, not a Designated Landmark, is in the background

San Francisco is a city full of amazing history, and some of its most special buildings and places are called San Francisco Designated Landmarks. These are important spots that the city wants to protect so they don't get changed too much. In 1967, San Francisco started a special rule, Article 10 of the Planning Code, to help keep these landmarks safe.

By February 2019, San Francisco had officially named 288 different buildings or areas as Designated Landmarks. Many of these places are also recognized by the whole country, appearing on lists like the National Register of Historic Places or even as National Historic Landmarks. This means they're super important not just for San Francisco, but for all of the United States!

Famous San Francisco Landmarks
San Francisco Landmark Districts
Images for kids
See also

Famous San Francisco Landmarks

San Francisco has many incredible landmarks, each with its own story. Here are some of the most well-known and interesting ones:

#	Name	Address	Date Designated	What Makes It Special
1	Mission Dolores	320 Dolores Street	April 11, 1968	This is the oldest building in San Francisco. It was built in 1791 and is a beautiful example of early California history.
2	Old Saint Mary's Cathedral	660 California Street	April 11, 1968	This historic church was built in 1854. It was the first Catholic cathedral in California.
3	Bank of California Building	400 California Street	September 3, 1968	This grand building was finished in 1908. It was designed by Walter Danforth Bliss and William Baker Faville.
4	Saint Patrick's Church	756 Mission Street	September 3, 1968	A beautiful church with a long history in the city.
5	Saint Francis of Assisi Church	610 Vallejo Street	September 3, 1968	Another important and historic church in San Francisco.
7	Audiffred Building	1–21 Mission Street	October 13, 1968	This commercial building was built in 1889. It has a unique Parisian style.
8	South San Francisco Opera House	1601 Newcomb Avenue	December 8, 1968	Also known as Bayview Opera House, this building was constructed in 1888.
9	Belli Building (Langerman's Building)	722 Montgomery Street	February 3, 1969	This building was once owned by the famous lawyer Melvin Belli.
10	Genella Building (Belli Annex)	728 Montgomery Street	February 3, 1969	This building is connected to the Belli Building.
17	Colonial Dames Octagon House	2645 Gough Street	February 3, 1969	This unique eight-sided house is also known as the McElroy Octagon House.
18	Palace Hotel and Garden Court Room	2 New Montgomery Street and 633 Market Street	March 9, 1969	A very famous and historic hotel in San Francisco.
21	San Francisco City Hall	1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place	March 13, 1970	This grand building is where the city's government works. It covers a whole block.
30	Ghirardelli Square	Block bounded by North Point, Larkin, Beach, and Polk Streets	May 3, 1970	Once a chocolate factory, now a popular shopping and dining area.
32	Abner Phelps House	1111 Oak Street	May 31, 1970	This house is a historic example of early architecture.
33	Columbus Tower (Sentinel Building)	916–920 Kearny Street	June 13, 1970	This building was completed in 1907 and famously survived the 1906 earthquake and fire.
34	Original United States Mint and Subtreasury	608 Commercial Street	June 14, 1970	This was the first place where money was made in San Francisco.
35	Stadtmuller House	819 Eddy Street	December 5, 1970	A historic house with unique design.
36	Feusier Octagon House	1067 Green Street	December 5, 1970	Another interesting eight-sided house in the city.
37	Hallidie Building	130 Sutter Street	April 4, 1971	This building is famous for its glass curtain wall, one of the first in the United States.
43	Cable Car Barn and Power House	1201 Mason Street	October 10, 1971	This is where San Francisco's famous cable cars are stored and powered. It's now the San Francisco Cable Car Museum.
44	Donaldina Cameron House	920 Sacramento Street	October 10, 1971	This building was the home of Donaldina Cameron, who helped many Chinese immigrant women and girls.
50	Conservatory of Flowers	100 John F. Kennedy Memorial Drive	December 4, 1972	Located inside Golden Gate Park, this beautiful greenhouse is full of amazing plants.
56	Roos House	3500 Jackson Street	August 6, 1973	A notable house designed by a famous architect.
59	Haslett Warehouse	680 Beach Street	February 4, 1974	This large warehouse was important for maritime trade.
62	Mish House	1153 Oak Street	July 6, 1974	Another historic house in San Francisco.
64	Flood Mansion (Pacific Union Club)	1000 California Street	August 2, 1974	A grand mansion built by James C. Flood, a wealthy businessman.
69	Haas-Lilienthal House	2007 Franklin Street	January 4, 1975	This Victorian-era house is a museum and a great example of San Francisco's past.
71	Goodman Building	1117 Geary Boulevard	February 28, 1975	A significant building with historical importance.
73	Lotta's Fountain	Pedestrian Island, at Intersection of Market, Geary and Kearny Streets	July 19, 1975	This fountain is a famous meeting spot and a symbol of the city's resilience after the 1906 earthquake.
75	California Historical Society (Whittier Mansion)	2090 Jackson Street	November 8, 1975	A beautiful mansion that now houses the California Historical Society.
76	Mills Building and Tower	220 Montgomery Street and 220 Bush Street	November 8, 1975	A historic office building in the heart of the financial district.
82	Geary Theater	415 Geary Street	July 11, 1976	This theater is the home of the American Conservatory Theater.
83	St. John's Presbyterian Church	25 Lake Street	September 12, 1976	A church with unique architecture and history.
84	San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center	401 Van Ness Avenue	January 9, 1977	This center includes important buildings like the War Memorial Opera House.
87	Jessie Street Substation	220 Jessie Street	July 9, 1977	This building now houses the Contemporary Jewish Museum.
88	Palace of Fine Arts	3301 Lyon Street	July 9, 1977	A stunning building originally built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition.
90	Ferry Building	1 Ferry Building	July 9, 1977	Located on the Embarcadero, this iconic building is a major transportation hub and marketplace.
95	Koshland House	3800 Washington Street	July 9, 1977	A beautiful and historic residence.
100	Castro Theatre	429 Castro Street	September 3, 1977	A famous movie palace in the Castro neighborhood.
103	Calvary Presbyterian Church (Sanctuary)	2501 Fillmore Street	January 10, 1978	A significant church building.
106	Chambord Apartments	1298 Sacramento Street	April 23, 1979	A historic apartment building.
107	Rincon Annex	101–199 Mission Street	February 10, 1980	This building was once a large post office.
108	State Armory and Arsenal	1800 Mission Street	February 10, 1980	A large, historic building that served as an armory.
110	Italian American Bank	460 Montgomery Street	April 6, 1980	An important building in the financial history of the city.
114	Beltline Railroad Roundhouse Complex	1500 Sansome Street	October 5, 1980	This complex was part of the city's railway system.
120	St. Joseph's Church	1401 Howard Street	October 5, 1980	A beautiful and historic church.
123	John McMullen House	827 Guerrero Street	January 4, 1981	A notable historic house.
135	Westerfeld House	1198 Fulton Street	December 6, 1981	This house is famous for its unique architecture and history.
142	PG&E Old Station J	569 Commercial Street	December 6, 1981	This was an important power station for Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
143	Fire Department Old Station No. 2	466 Bush Street	December 6, 1981	An old fire station for the San Francisco Fire Department.
147	Dutch Windmill	Golden Gate Park	December 6, 1981	A beautiful windmill located in Golden Gate Park.
154	Flood Building	870–898 Market Street	July 10, 1982	A large, historic building on Market Street.
157	Hills Bros. Coffee Plant	2 Harrison Street	November 7, 1982	This was the factory for Hills Bros. Coffee.
158	Federal Reserve Bank Building	400 Sansome Street	January 7, 1983	A significant building that once housed the Federal Reserve Bank.
165	Lillie Hitchcock Coit Tower	1 Telegraph Hill Boulevard	January 1, 1984	This famous tower on Telegraph Hill offers amazing views of the city.
166	Trinity Presbyterian Church	3261 23rd Street	March 30, 1984	A historic church building.
170	Grace Cathedral Close	1051 Taylor Street	August 5, 1984	The area around the beautiful Grace Cathedral.
179	Beach Chalet	100 Great Highway	February 22, 1985	A historic building near the beach with murals and a restaurant.
180	S.F.& S.M. Railway Co. Office Building	2301 San Jose Avenue	January 26, 1986	An old office building for the railway company.
183	Crown Zellerbach Building	1 Bush Street and 523 Market Street	May 17, 1987	This building is now known as One Bush Plaza.
184	Mark Hopkins Hotel	999 California Street	May 17, 1987	A famous luxury hotel on Nob Hill.
185	Fairmont Hotel	950 Mason Street	June 13, 1987	Another grand and historic hotel on Nob Hill.
189	Frank G. Edwards House	1366 Guerrero Street	December 17, 1988	A historic house in the city.
192	Southern Pacific Company Hospital Complex	1400 Fell Street and 1509, 1555, 1599 Hayes Street	March 8, 1989	This hospital complex was built in 1908.
199	Jackson Brewery Complex	1475, 1477, 1479, 1479A, 1489 Folsom Street and 301–05, 315–319, 333 11th Street	January 5, 1991	A historic brewery complex.
200	Path of Gold Light Standards	1–2490 Market Street	July 26, 1991	These decorative streetlights light up Market Street.
204	Our Lady of Guadalupe Church	906 Broadway	November 14, 1993	A significant church in San Francisco.
205	Balboa High School	1000 Cayuga Avenue	February 19, 1995	A historic high school in the city.
209	Odd Fellows Columbarium	1 Loraine Court	March 3, 1996	A beautiful and peaceful place where people's ashes are kept.
210	Murphy Windmill and Millwright's Cottage	2100 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive	July 2, 2000	Located at the west end of Golden Gate Park, this large windmill is a landmark.
211	Madame C.J. Walker Home for Girls and Women	2066 Pine Street	December 12, 1999	This home was important for supporting African American women and girls.
215	Victoria Theatre	2961 16th Street	March 3, 1996	This theater was formerly known as Brown's Opera House.
217	Alhambra Theater	2320–2336 Polk Street	March 3, 1996	A historic movie theater.
219	Mount Davidson Monument	At the top of Mount Davidson	January 16, 1997	A large cross monument at the highest point in San Francisco.
220	Former Engine House No. 31	1088 Green Street	April 8, 1998	An old fire station that is now a landmark.
222	Golden Gate Bridge	At the Presidio, U.S. Highway 101 and California Highway 1	May 21, 1999	One of the most famous bridges in the world, connecting San Francisco to Marin County.
223	Carmel Fallon Building	1800 Market Street	November 8, 1998	This building now houses the San Francisco LGBT Community Center.
226	Washington Square	600 Columbus Avenue	January 22, 1999	A popular park in the North Beach neighborhood.
227	The Castro Camera and the Harvey Milk Residence	573–575 Castro Street	July 2, 2000	This was the home and business of Harvey Milk, a famous civil rights leader.
228	City Lights Bookstore	261–271 Columbus Avenue	August 26, 2001	A very famous independent bookstore, known for its history with the Beat Generation writers.
231	Laguna Honda Station / Forest Hill Station	390 Laguna Honda Boulevard	September 23, 2004	This is now known as Forest Hill station for the Muni Metro train system.
234	Carnegie Mission Branch Library	300 Bartlett Street	September 23, 2004	One of the many libraries built with money from Andrew Carnegie.
235	Carnegie Chinatown Branch Library	1135 Powell Street	May 2, 2002	Another Carnegie library, important to the Chinatown community.
236	Old San Francisco Mint	88 5th Street	February 21, 2003	This historic building was once where U.S. coins were made.
237	Colombo Building	1–21 Columbus Avenue	August 23, 2002	Also known as Drexler-Colombo Building, it's a notable commercial structure.
238	Labor Temple-Redstone Building	2926–2948 16th Street	January 16, 2004	This building has a strong connection to the history of labor unions in San Francisco.
245	New Mission Theater	2550 Mission Street	May 27, 2004	A historic movie theater that has been restored.
249	Golden Gate Park Music Concourse	Tea Garden Drive	December 16, 2005	A large open area in Golden Gate Park used for concerts and events.
252	Saint Brigid Church	2151 Van Ness Avenue	October 24, 2006	A historic church building.
254	Doggie Diner sign	Median strip of Sloat Boulevard and 45th Avenue	August 11, 2006	This giant spinning hot dog sign is a fun and quirky landmark!
255	Mission High School	3750 18th Street	February 9, 2007	A historic public high school in the Mission District.
259	Carnegie Noe Valley Branch Library	451 Jersey Street	March 10, 2008	Another branch of the San Francisco Public Library system, built with Carnegie funds.
260	Tobin House	1969 California Street	October 30, 2008	A historic house.
264	Twin Peaks Tavern	401 Castro Street	February 6, 2013	A historic bar in the Castro neighborhood, known for its importance to the LGBTQ+ community.
267	Swedish American Hall	2168–2174 Market Street	May 8, 2015	A historic building that serves as a cultural center.
275	Third Baptist Church Complex	1399 McAllister Street	November 15, 2017	A significant church complex in the city.
282	Hotel Utah	500–504 4th Street	November 2, 2018	A historic hotel and bar.
285	Theodore Roosevelt Middle School	460 Arguello Boulevard	March 15, 2019	A historic middle school.
286	Sunshine School	2728 Bryant Street	March 15, 2019	A historic school building.
288	Kinmon Gakuen	2031 Bush Street	November 1, 2019	A historic Japanese language school.
291	Japanese YWCA/Issei Women’s Building	1830 Sutter Street	April 30, 2021	This building was important for Japanese immigrant women.
293	Ingleside Terraces Sundial and Sundial Park	Within Entrada Court	October 8, 2021	A large sundial and park area.
294	"The Making of a Fresco Showing the Building of a City" fresco	800 Chestnut Street	October 15, 2021	This amazing wall painting by Diego Riviera is in the Diego Rivera Gallery at the San Francisco Art Institute.
295	San Francisco Eagle Bar	396–398 12th Street	October 29, 2021	A historic bar important to the LGBTQ+ community.
297	Crocker National Bank Building	1–25 Montgomery Street	March 14, 2022	A grand bank building.
298	"Allegory of California" fresco	155 Sansome Street	March 14, 2022	Another incredible fresco by Diego Rivera inside The City Club of San Francisco.
300	Golden Gate Valley Carnegie Library	1801 Green Street	March 22, 2022	A historic library branch.
302	Clay Theatre	2261 Fillmore Street	May 6, 2022	A historic movie theater.
303	Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts	2868 Mission Street	June 3, 2022	A vibrant center for Latino arts and culture.
304	Mother’s Building	Within the San Francisco Zoo	September 16, 2022	A historic building located inside the San Francisco Zoo.
307	Site of the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot	Turk and Taylor Streets intersection, with portions of 101 Taylor Street	November 29, 2022	This site is important for LGBTQ+ history, as it was where a riot for transgender rights happened.
308	St. James Presbyterian Church	240 Leland Avenue	December 13, 2022	A historic church.
310	Parkside Branch Library	1200 Taraval Street	July 25, 2023	A branch of the San Francisco Public Library.

San Francisco Landmark Districts

Besides single buildings, San Francisco also protects entire areas as "Landmark Districts." These are neighborhoods or groups of buildings that have special historical or architectural importance. Since 1972, the city has named thirteen of these districts.

#	Name	Size	Year Designated	What Makes It Special
1	Jackson Square	8 Blocks, 82 Parcels	1972	This is one of the oldest commercial areas still standing in San Francisco. It has buildings from the 1850s and 1860s.
2	Webster Street	3 Blocks, 25 Parcels	1981	A residential area in the Western Addition known for its Italianate style houses.
3	Northeast Waterfront	9 Blocks, 52 Parcels	1983	This area shows the history of San Francisco's waterfront, from the Gold Rush to World War II.
4	Alamo Square	16 Blocks, 281 Parcels	1984	Famous for its "Painted Ladies" houses, this neighborhood has many beautiful Victorian and Edwardian homes.
5	Liberty Hill Historic District	10 Blocks, 298 Parcels	1985	This district in the Mission area features Victorian-era homes in Italianate, Stick, and Queen Anne styles.
6	Telegraph Hill	6 Blocks, 90 Parcels	1986	This unique hillside area has many older buildings and is known for its narrow pedestrian lanes and staircases.
7	Blackstone Court	1 Block, 4 Parcels	1987	A small residential area in the Marina District with buildings from before the 1906 earthquake.
8	South End	6 Blocks, 84 Parcels	1990	This area has many industrial and warehouse buildings built between 1906 and 1929.
9	Bush Street–Cottage Row	2 Blocks, 23 Parcels	1991	Residential buildings with Italianate and Stick designs in Japantown.
10	Civic Center	15 Blocks, 61 Parcels	1996	This district features grand, classical buildings like City Hall, arranged around an open space.
11	Dogpatch	9 Blocks, 131 Parcels	2003	This is one of the oldest areas in San Francisco with housing for industrial workers.
13	Duboce Park	4 Blocks, 90 Parcels	2013	This residential area has well-preserved Victorian and Edwardian homes, many in the Queen Anne style. It also includes Duboce Park.