Find Your Tour
Friday December 12
- 9:30 am
After the successful 1894 Midwinter Exposition San Francisco decided to keep the Japanese Village exhibit. Makoto Hagiwara was hired to be the new manager of the Garden and immediately set about expanding the Garden three-fold to its size today. An impressive variety of flora greets you as you enter a Japanese inspired wonderland of small scenes created throughout the Garden. The peace and quiet of the Garden encourages one to slow down and be mindful of the surroundings - A perfect walk for those seeking a peaceful afternoon...
- 10:00 am
The 1985 Downtown Plan was one of the most important piece of red tape in San Francisco history. With accelerating downtown development, city officials laid down some ground rules: If you’re going to build here, you’re going to have to pay a little extra to cover the necessary infrastructure improvements. Oh — and you have to devote a portion of your project to a publicly accessible open space. Thus, Privately-Owned Public Open Spaces (POPOS) were born.
- 10:00 am
Fisherman's Wharf: A Hidden History
It may not look like it now, but underneath the sleek, commercial facade of today’s redeveloped Fisherman’s Wharf, hundreds of Italian immigrants built an entire industry on the backs of Dungeness crab. Not everything on this tour happens on the water. We'll look at Ghirardelli Square, once the factory of San Francisco's most beloved chocolatier. Passing the Hyde Street Cable Car Turnaround we discuss San Francisco's cable cars and we'll explain the stories of many of the historic ships anchored at the Hyde Street Pier. Discover a new side of the Wharf, featuring stories of the Bay that locals themselves don't know.
- 10:30 am
Chinatown Family Associations, Tongs and Gangs
Pulled and pushed from the far southeast part of China from 1849 onward, young Chinese men went to the gold fields only to find that discrimination forced them to either work as laborers or return to San Francisco, but not to look for gold. Settling in San Francisco's Chinatown many joined the Family Associations, Tongs, and Gangs that largely controlled the neighborhood. Walk along Chinatown's streets and alleys and dive into the colorful and sometimes violent history of this period Note: Content may not be appropriate for children under 14 years of age.
- 11:00 am
Murals first appeared in the Mission in the 1970s and soon became central to the area's identity. Over the decades artists have used the walls of the Mission, its buildings and even entire alleyways to give voice to matters of social and political importance to the neighborhood. You'll start in beautiful Precita Park and be moved by the stories that inspired the murals and finish in Balmy Alley where you will see a display of powerful works expressing feelings about immigration, war, gentrification, as well as healing and the celebration of women. This is an unforgettable walk, both visually dazzling and emotionally impactful.
- 1:00 pm
Architectural Gems South of Market
Join us for a captivating stroll through one of our most intriguing and often overlooked neighborhoods. Delve into 150 years of urban evolution, and an array of architectural styles, from Victorian Gothic to 21stc Contemporary. See the juxtaposition of historic landmarks with modern skyscrapers, each witnessing the city's past and present. Learn about transformation through massive redevelopment projects, while discovering protected hidden gems. Stunning open spaces offer panoramic views. This flat, leisurely walk shows a rich tapestry of architectural, socio-economic and cultural history. Explore the soul of the city, here, one step at a time.
- 1:00 pm
The 1985 Downtown Plan was one of the most important piece of red tape in San Francisco history. With accelerating downtown development, city officials laid down some ground rules: If you’re going to build here, you’re going to have to pay a little extra to cover the necessary infrastructure improvements. Oh — and you have to devote a portion of your project to a publicly accessible open space. Thus, Privately-Owned Public Open Spaces (POPOS) were born.
- 1:00 pm
After the successful 1894 Midwinter Exposition San Francisco decided to keep the Japanese Village exhibit. Makoto Hagiwara was hired to be the new manager of the Garden and immediately set about expanding the Garden three-fold to its size today. An impressive variety of flora greets you as you enter a Japanese inspired wonderland of small scenes created throughout the Garden. The peace and quiet of the Garden encourages one to slow down and be mindful of the surroundings - A perfect walk for those seeking a peaceful afternoon...
- 1:00 pm
Presidio: From Military Base to National Park with Tunnel Tops
From Spain, to Mexico, to the United States — The Presidio has been home to more militaries than almost any other fortress in America. When the military left lawmakers transformed the space into a National Park in 1996, and since then the Presidio has become one of the greatest (and greenest) places to explore in all of San Francisco. Join us on a walk through San Francisco’s panoramic, luscious park, with wooded areas and scenic views as far as the eye can see including the newly-created Tunnel Tops.
- 1:30 pm
"Gold! Gold from the American River!", shouted San Francisco businessman Sam Brannan, as he ran down Montgomery Street in May,1848, waving a jar filled with gold over his head, sparking the Gold Rush. As word spread rapidly around the world, the tiny village of San Francisco, tucked amidst massive sand dunes by the Bay, and frequented by grizzly bears and mountain lions, was transformed virtually overnight into a booming instant city.
- 1:30 pm
See one of San Francisco’s oldest and most colorful neighborhoods, the Mission, where you’ll trace a history beginning with Indigenous peoples through waves of immigrants to today’s concerns of gentrification. Begin at the famous golden fire hydrant where locals successfully fought to save the area during the 1906 earthquake. Gaze at a spectacular view of SF’s skyline from gorgeous Dolores Park. Wander through a historic district, get a mini-course about Victorian styles, go down the hip Valencia Street corridor, see and understand the importance in the Mission of its murals, while learning about the area’s Indigenous peoples and the colonization by Spain and Mexico at the oldest building in San Francisco, Mission Dolores, the church of Saint Francis of Assisi.
- 2:00 pm
Can you imagine San Francisco without the Bay? It connects us to the world, shapes our climate, and feeds and entertains us. On this tour, we explore the saltwater lifeblood of the city. From ancient shores to today’s maritime bustle, where history and real-time drama meet, you’ll see how the Bay has powered it all. Along the way, you’ll get a front-row view of what’s unfolding on the water right now. Bring your curiosity—we’ll supply the view.
- 2:30 pm
San Francisco’s Chinatown rose from the ashes of the 1906 earthquake to evolve into a Chinese community holding fast to its traditions amid a rapidly changing cityscape. Discover the local alleys where this community has continued to flourish for over 150 years, in spite of harsh racial discrimination. Family associations and temples, dim sum, herbal apothecaries and jade jewelry shops built by the local community, all contribute to the vibrancy of this place, one of the oldest Chinese communities outside of China.
