San Francisco Historical Society facts for kids

The San Francisco Historical Society is a special group that helps keep the history of San Francisco and the nearby Bay Area alive. It's a nonprofit organization, which means it's not trying to make money. Instead, its main goal is to save, understand, and share stories from the past.

This society has many members and does lots of cool things. They hold monthly talks about history, lead fun walking tours around San Francisco, and create learning materials for schools. They also publish new research about the city's past. The society even owns the Barbary Coast Trail walking tour, which helps people explore historic parts of San Francisco. They also publish a history magazine called Argonaut twice a year. In 2021, the society had almost 2,000 members.

How the Society Started

Founding the Society

The San Francisco Historical Society was created in 1988. A historian named Charles A. Fracchia started it. He wanted to make sure San Francisco's rich history was remembered and shared.

Joining Forces with Another Museum

In February 2002, the San Francisco Historical Society joined together with the Museum of the City of San Francisco. They formed a new group called the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society. The city government of San Francisco officially recognized this new group as the city's main historical museum.

One big reason for this merger was to work together on a plan. They wanted to fix up and run the Old San Francisco Mint building. Their idea was to turn this historic building into a history museum.

Challenges with the Old Mint Building

The San Francisco Museum and Historical Society began managing the Old Mint building in 2004. They hoped it would become the museum's permanent home. The organization spent about $14 million to make the building safe and start some repairs.

However, the building still needed a lot more work, about $60 million worth. After 11 years, by 2015, the City of San Francisco felt the organization wasn't making fast enough progress. So, the city asked the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society to leave the building.

Returning to Its Original Name

In 2019, the San Francisco Historical Society went back to its original name. In October of that same year, the society found its very first museum space. This new home was located at 608 Commercial Street in San Francisco.