San Francisco Historical Society

04/29/2026

Get ready for May! Sign up for our upcoming walks, docent tours, or History Live! through link in bio or sfhistory.org

04/18/2026

As San Francisco marks 120 years since the 1906 earthquake and fires, we look into our archives at the temporary hospitals and relief camps in the aftermath of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire in stereograph format. Stereographs consist of two almost identical photographs, paired to produce the illusion of a single three- dimensional image, usually when viewed through a stereoscope. Stereographs were collected by many middle class families in the late 19th century. In this stereograph, the large building is the temporary hospital at Fort Mason where wounded and sick refugees are being cared for. Tents show the homes of many who formerly had great riches.
Doctors and nurses worked days and nights without rest or sleep to care for the sick and injured.

04/14/2026

Now on view- Small World, Big City: Scaled Stories of San Francisco’s Neighborhoods

Discover San Francisco- one neighborhood at a time through richly detailed, three dimensional models drawn from Mark McGowan’s personal memory and lived experience as a third generation San Franciscan.

“The first group of models I created focused on the Market Street theaters. As a child, my grandmother and aunt would take me on the streetcar downtown to see movies. I was captivated by the lights, the marquees, the signage and the crowds. That sense of excitement stayed with me—and you can probably see my love of movies reflected in the number of theaters I’ve built. Along the way, I discovered that I also loved the process itself: the research, the remembering, the constructing, and the graphics.”
- Mark McGowan

On view Thursday- Saturdays 10am- 4pm. Free admission.

04/09/2026

Join us by purchasing tickets at sfhistory.org

03/31/2026

Just in time for the opening of baseball season!
Join us for History Live! “The History of Baseball in San Francisco: From the Eagles and Red Rovers to Logan Webb and Buster Posey on April 17th at 6:30 PM.

Long before the arrival of the San Francisco Giants in 1958, San Franciscans were playing ball in makeshift fields during the Gold Rush. Join author and professor, Lincoln Mitchell as he traces the game’s evolution from 19th-century amateur clubs and the beloved San Francisco Seals to the dramatic move west by the New York Giants in 1958, forever changing the city’s sports landscape.

Livestream tickets available at https://www.sfhistory.org/sfhsevents

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03/20/2026

Such an incredible Member Preview last night celebrating the opening of Small World, Big City: Scaled Stories of San Francisco Neighborhoods

Exhibit now on view to the public: March 21 - September 5, 2026

Discover San Francisco—one neighborhood at a time. In this exhibition, third-generation San Franciscan Mark McGowan brings the city’s history, culture, and transformation to life through richly detailed, three-dimensional models drawn from personal memory and lived experience. These intimate works invite you to slow down, look closely, and see familiar streets in new ways. Come experience the city not as an image, but as a place remembered, shaped, and lived.

This exhibition was supported, in part, by grants from the California Natural Resources Agency and Grants for the Arts.

02/26/2026

Please join us for our next History Live! on March 10th.
San Francisco native Timothy Pflueger designed some of the Bay Area’s most iconic structures of the Art Deco era, from movie palaces (the Castro Theatre and the Paramount in Oakland); to skyscrapers (the Telephone Building and 450 Sutter); and the I. Magnin flagship store. This talk will cover the highlights of Pflueger’s productive career, from his humble origins to his rise as a major San Francisco architect.

**livestream tickets available at link in bio

02/18/2026

SFHS kicked off the Year of the Horse in grand style with our History Live! Lunar New Year- Culture and Cuisine San Francisco Style last Tuesday. Special thanks to our fabulous moderator, Rodney Fong, President ; podcaster Freesia Lee ; entertainment entrepreuneur Steven Lee and historian David Lei for sharing personal stories, family traditions and of course favorite dishes of Lunar New Year celebrations. Our in person audience enjoyed delicious dim sum from and our 200 person online audience shared watch party photos!

02/05/2026

Our summer camp registration is officially OPEN! Give your middle schooler a memorable summer experience as a “Victorian Historian."

Dates are: June 22- 25 OR July 27-30

The “Victorian Historians” campers will explore, design, and discover San Francisco’s iconic Victorian architecture through hands-on activities at the Museum of San Francisco and also on a field trip at Alamo Square. In addition to learning about the history of Victorian homes, the different styles of Victorians, and the names of architectural features, guest speakers provide a deeper dive into career exploration such as historic preservation, museum curation, color design, and architecture. Campers will produce a final project to share and take home. This four day camp is led by staff and board members of the San Francisco Historical Society and The Victorian Alliance of San Francisco.

Spots will go fast! Register at https://www.sfhistory.org/victoriancamp

The San Francisco Historical Society operates the City Museum, historic walking tours, youth education programs, and the popular History Live! monthly broadcast. The organization also prints several historical publications about San Francisco’s history, including, The Argonaut, a semiannual public...

02/02/2026

Get your livestream ticket and MAKE IT A WATCH PARTY! Be a WINNER!

Invite family and friends and host a Watch Party on February 10th.

Share your Watch Party photos to win prizes!

Prizes include:
🍽 $500 gift certificate to Michelin-rated
🍷Gift certificate from
🎟 Four tickets to the
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Membership to the Chinese Historical Society of America
👨‍👩‍👦 Family Membership to the San Francisco Historical Society

for tickets or sfhistory.org/events