Golden Gate Bridge
June 10, 2019 by
This tour has everything. Soaring design, stunning engineering, terrifying geology, ripping currents and tides, famous fog, sailboats, ships and marine mammals, fearless ironworkers, cowardly bankers … and then there’s the view!
Golden Gate Heights Stairways
June 10, 2019 by
On this hearty walk, a multitude of stairways connects comfortable Inner Sunset residential streets with dramatic chert outcroppings offering magnificent views of San Francisco, the Pacific Ocean, and the Marin Hills.
City Hall and the Civic Center
June 10, 2019 by
After the original City Hall perished in the 1906 earthquake, San Francisco had a chance to think bigger the second time around. The brainchild of local architects led by John Galen Howard, the Civic Center is a massive campus that houses some of the city’s most important governmental and cultural institutions.
You’ll see — and be swept away by — the beautiful architecture, including imposing structures like the Asian Art Museum, War Memorial Opera House and the State Building. We’ll explore the vast open space that’s been home to civil protests ever since it was unveiled: from anti-war demonstrators during the Korean War to the longstanding national Gay Rights Movement headquartered in San Francisco. Hear the fascinating stories of those who have made the Civic Center a shining example of speaking truth to power.
Minimal walking — but maximum awe.
American History in Golden Gate Park
June 10, 2019 by
Here are statues, plaques, monuments and trees in Golden Gate Park that commemorate events in American history. This two hour walk takes you to sites familiar and unfamiliar to most visitors. Come for a nice walk in the Park as we review American history.
Art Deco Marina
June 10, 2019 by
Admire the stylish and elegant buildings in the Marina District while learning to recognize the Art Deco style made popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Chevrons, zigzags, speed lines and stylized floral forms decorate the facades of the commercial buildings along Chestnut Street and apartment buildings in the residential Marina neighborhood. The 1925 Worlds Fair in Paris featured art and artifacts inspired by King Tut’s Egypt, the Mayans and Cubism. The other layers of history in the Marina include the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition and the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
Billionaires’ Row: Outer Broadway Architecture
June 10, 2019 by
Explore the most exclusive corner of Pacific Heights; where, since the late 19th century, San Francisco’s wealthiest families have built mansions with spectacular views of the bay. Find out which rehab program had its headquarters in this unlikely setting and visit a humble church that ignited a new architectural movement.
Cityscapes And Public Places
June 10, 2019 by
The 1985 Downtown Plan was one of the most important pieces of red tape in San Francisco history. With rampant downtown development just around the corner, city officials wanted to lay 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 dedicate 1% of your project to a publicly accessible open space. Thus, Privately-Owned Public Open Spaces (POPOS) were born.
Join us as we gallivant between several exotic outdoor spots, featuring hidden parks, rooftop gardens, and views of nearly every building in San Francisco. Hear the real story of the Financial District while hanging out in some of the city’s most comfortable lookouts. Plus, we’ll discuss all the distinctive architecture that you’ll be face-to-face with.
Cow Hollow
June 10, 2019 by
The tolling of historic bells cast halfway around the world, a rare building type from 1861, a grand Italiante manor house, and San Francisco’s most exotic building. These and other unique experiences await you on the Cow Hollow tour.
