architecture tour of san francisco

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Tours in san francisco, culture and contemporary life.

San Francisco , the second most populous city in the United States, is located in Northern California and offers a variety of art and cultural activities , as well as a booming business and finance center .

This city with its unevennesses and iconic cable cars is characterized by a mixture of Victorian and contemporary architecture , with world-famous buildings such as the Golden Gate Bridge and Coit Tower , but also others that, although not as well known, are equally interesting for any lover of contemporary architecture, such as the New Mexican Museum or The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art , among others, are works by great architects of our era such as Renzo Piano, Studio Gang and Ma Yansong .

Discover San Francisco and its architecture with our tours oriented to urbanism, design and architecture of the city, developed by our professional architects guides. Artchitectours also offers tailor-made architectural itineraries and custom-made trips for students, incentive trips, seniors, etc. Explore our offer of architecture tours in San Francisco and enjoy the guided visits by local architects!

San Francisco – Pacific Heights

San Francisco – Golden Gate, Palace of Fine Arts and Presidio

San Francisco – Financial District

Last posts on our san francisco blog.

M BUILDING BY KENNERLY ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING

With a novel approach to a difficult site, this mixed-use, multi-family project captures the optimistic spirit, craft culture, and quirky contrasts of San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood. The site is a 75-foot sliver alongside the I-280 [...]

COMMUNITY BUILDING IN SAN FRANCISCO

The mixed-use Bill Sorro Community reanimates a tough and abandoned South of Market corner with 67 apartments for low-income families, including 14 apartments for developmentally disabled adults, retail, and community space. Located at a [...]

‘MIRA’ TWISTING TOWER IN SAN FRANCISCO BY STUDIO GANG

Studio Gang is celebrating a significant milestone with the topping out of their twisting high-rise MIRA tower in San Francisco. Construction of the 400-foot-tall tower began in mid-2017, with steady progression leading to projected occupancy [...]

BEST TALL BUILDING WORLDWIDE 2019

The Council on Tall Building and Urban Habitat have announced the winners of the 17th edition of the CTBUH Tall Building Awards. From 65 finalists, winners were chosen from several height ranges including Best Tall Building under 100 [...]

FELDMAN ARCHITECTURE RENOVATES TWIN PEAKS RESIDENCE

Located in the Twin Peaks neighbourhood of San Francisco, this house originally designed in 1964 by architect Albert Lanier was remodeled by Feldman Architecture to suit its new residents' tastes. Overlooking the Mount Sutro Open Reserve, [...]

THE LODGE AT THE PRESIDIO

The Lodge at the Presidio adapts an 1897 two-company enlisted men’s barracks building for use as a contemporary 42-room hotel. The building is centrally located in the former-military-post-turned-national-park, in a row of five identical [...]

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S.F. Architecture Map: A changing city

The treasures of our landscape are wide-ranging, from the obvious towers to such easy-to-miss gems as a snake-like laboratory building set against a forested hillside or an 1888 opera house reborn through a bootstrap restoration.

These are some of the stops added to this interactive map – new ones are marked with stars – that delve into my stories during the past decade. The new additions bring the number of destinations to 77, going beyond recent towers to older pieces like what McLaren Park says about San Francisco’s history and culture.

There’s more to come this fall. But in the meantime – enjoy!

The Exploratorium

My 2013 review of the beloved science institution's move from its ad hoc digs at the Palace of Fine Arts to a $300 million home on a restored pier on the Embarcadero, where I found that "the historic sense of place is squeezed and strained by institutional needs. There's a culture clash going on, as if you were to walk inside the Ferry Building and find a row of food trucks."

Read John King's critique

Salesforce Transit Center

Say what you want about the $2.159 billion pricetag, or the hubris of the software firm that bought naming rights to a public structure. My review emphasizes the intoxicating pleasure of the 5.4-acre rooftop park and the treat of glimpsing the form that vamps above First and Fremont streets in a tight cloak of lustrous white. This is infrastructure with aspirations — all that's missing is high-speed rail.

As much as any new building downtown, this 55-story high-rise embodies the often-clashing ambitions of today’s San Francisco. For instance: Condo prices begin at $1.8 million, yet 150 of the 548 units house lower-income residents. And a tower that meets the skyline as a glittering abstraction of chiseled blue glass rises from what resembles a brick-lined mews. Urbane though perhaps a tad chilly, this complex captures what the high-rise city aspires to be.

Oracle Park

The team this year has been a letdown. Attendance is sagging. We're on the fourth branded name. No matter! The Giants' ballpark remains the popular favorite of this century's crop of changes to the city landscape, and for good reason. Comfy and atmospheric at once, it also excels — as I wrote in an October that held much brighter prospects for Bruce Bochy's band than this one — "as a user-friendly tutorial in urban design."

Mission Bay — the plan

How San Francisco's newest neighborhood came to be — it's a 40-year saga that included visions of tower-lined canals, the participation of a half-dozen mayors and such unexpected cast members as the Golden State Warriors. Part history, part planning analysis, consider this my effort to nail down the DNA of a district that, more than anything else, shows the difficulty of trying to predict how cities will grow.

Bayview Opera House

Nothing happens quickly or easily in this city, and that goes double for the Bayview. But when the neighborhood's happily theatrical opera house from 1888 reopened in 2016, relief was mixed with triumph. Resources were so tight that there was money for neither fresh paint nor new lighting, but it's now accessible and seismically stable. Add top-rate sound, and the result is a great place to catch a show.

Hunters View

The Trump administration is right — San Francisco's public housing projects are troubled. But those troubles go back generations, as I explored in this 2013 piece. Another thing glossed over in barbs from the political right? The city is putting smart design and costly resources into trying to right past wrongs. Cheap shots are easy; repairing the mistakes of a failed national housing strategy is hard.

McLaren Park

From my 2013 series "The Hills of San Francisco," this visit to the city's second-largest park revealed a determinedly compelling landscape that in 1958 was celebrated for its "unspoiled alpine joy" — and ever since has struggled to receive respect and recognition from City Hall. "It was like a forest," one neighbor who grew up nearby recalled. "It was a great place to hide, and kids like to hide."

One Kearny Street

One building in three sections that span 107 years — that's the nutshell description of One Kearny St., an odd but fascinating architectural trifecta that's at once a backdrop to Market Street and a tale unto itself, with facades ranging from florid ebullience to crisp modernity. There's also a cozy rooftop terrace open to the public during the day — check it out some sunny afternoon.

Even by local standards, the 11-year saga of bringing 113 new affordable apartments to a troubled corner of the Tenderloin was an arduous chore. But here's the end result: snug housing that frames a beguiling courtyard. The architectural quality paired with humane shelter bears witness to the determined talent that San Franciscans continue to bring to the task at hand. If only there were more!

SFJazz Center

"The concrete floors were sanded once, then again, then coated with a clear seal." My piece from 2013 on SFJazz Center, a concert venue that strikes a cool, compelling — and compact — tone, combined with a mini-profile of architect Mark Cavagnero, the perfectionist who honed every detail.

Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building

Architectural drama born of necessity! There's no better way to describe a lab building on a steep slope that resembles a 700-foot-long snake of overlapping tiers skinned in corrugated steel and held up by a thicket of trusses connected to 42 seismic isolators. Designed by New York's Rafael Vinoly, it's the architectural highpoint of UCSF's Parnassus Height campus — and one of the boldest structures in the city.

California Academy of Sciences cafe

In the shadow of Renzo Piano's meticulous California Academy of Sciences, a machine-like jewel from 2008, there's a miniature glass cafe of near-equal distinction. But this one has a home-grown architect: Mark Cavagnero, who ran the designs by the Italian master before building the diminutive dining facility, which opened in 2015. Think of it as an exhibition of what local architects can do when given the chance.

Bay Bridge eastern span

As memories of the $6.4 billion cost fade and with the unexpected visual synergy with Salesforce Tower — one steep. light-toned shaft calling out to the other — the eastern span of the Bay Bridge looks better and better. That said, I stick to my take from when it opened in 2013: "The span is an engineered act of architecture that wants to be iconic and it doesn't measure up to the task."

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

Easy come, easy go. In 2016, filmmaking legend George Lucas eyed Treasure Island as a site for his personal art collection. Even though he'd been spurned once before at Crissy Field in the Presidio. Stranger still, the proposed MAD Architects design was an intriguing vision of streamlined futurism (and well-received!). Alas, our man George headed to Los Angeles. Treasure Island, the future awaits.

The west span of the Bay Bridge was strong enough to survive the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and it's strong enough to absorb the addition of "Bay Lights" — a computerized illuminated art installation that, I argued to no avail in 2014, wants to turn the region’s most robust work of architectural engineering into a canvas for the visual equivalent of background music.

Architecturally, this faux fishing village, which debuted in 1978, is no match for the red-brick authenticity of Ghirardelli Square and the Cannery. But long after those two once-seductive attractions lost their luster, Pier 39 still attracts an estimated 10 million visitors a year. I stopped by in 2015 to try and figure out why — and discovered that maybe, just maybe, this woodsy nook of shops and cafes and sea lions fits its bayside setting better than we think.

James R. Herman Cruise Terminal

Once, our Embarcadero was lined with finger piers. Ships from around the world were serviced by longshoremen hustling on and off. The lone. far-flung function now? A superscaled but subdued cruise terminal that opened in 2015. It's no icon, but that's OK: "San Francisco’s newest maritime structure shows how the city’s relationship to the working waterfront has changed — and what the concept of our working waterfront has come to mean."

North Beach Library

Innocuous as it looks, this branch library had to endure a nasty campaign to prevent its construction (and closing off a block of Mason Street). Thank goodness the opponents failed, I wrote in 2014, because "when the public is inside this public building, the effect is magical. You can immerse yourself in books, then look up and see a cable car rolling toward you before it pivots toward Fisherman's Wharf."

A perk of my job is taking strolls with people like Philip Choy, author of "The Architecture of San Francisco Chinatown" and a Chinatown native himself. "Growing up, our aspiration was to get out of here," he told me in 2009. "I was considered lucky by my friends because on our floor we had a bathroom." As for the flourishes that grace a thousand postcards, "You can imagine designers at the time thinking 'How do I make it Oriental'," mused the former architect. "Pop a few canopies on and voila! We've got Chinatown."

288 Pacific Ave.

One of our most satisfying recent buildings is this ultra-lux condo complex that cradles the historic Old Ship Saloon on the edge of Jackson Square and "looks thoroughly modern, but still feels like it belongs." It's also a byproduct of our overheated economy. The good news, urbanistically? "When our long boom tapers out — finally! — the architectural investment will remain."

Piers 1½, 3 and 5

If you've stopped by Hard Water for a bourbon flight or met friends after work at Coqueta — or, like me, lingered on the hidden bayside walkway to watch king tides splash onto the path —you've also experienced an exercise in preservation where "the pilings beneath the piers were rebuilt one at a time, and a steel frame was slid within existing walls for seismic reasons." And here's what's best of all: It feels like nothing much changed.

Ferry Building

The artisinal sheen of many of the vendors within the Ferry Building can make you roll your eyes even as you savor goat cheese on a miniature olive roll followed by hibiscus beet sorbet. But the resurrection of this once-threatened landmark "shows how to breathe life into the city without diluting its essence," I wrote in 2008, and we should not take the landmark's continued success for granted.

Transamerica Pyramid

Sorry, Marc Benioff: The tower associated with San Francisco in popular imagination remains this 853-foot peak across from low-slung Jackson Square. Never mind that when it was proposed, people across the country deplored the idea of what the Washington Post called "a second-class world's fair Space Needle." In fact, "it is a strong architectural vision executed with simplicity and care," I wrote in 2009. "The Transamerica Pyramid is brash and slightly odd, just like the city it calls home."

200 California St.

My 2014 ode to a quirky relic of the postmodern era before its most distinctive feature — a golden clock tower — was lopped off: "No landmark in itself, 200 California's fate is troubling for what it shows about the cavalier treatment doled out to buildings that are yesterday's architectural news. Buildings that suffer the most often are the ones that most strongly reflect their time — structures of cultural value, for better or worse."

San Francisco Mining Exchange

Historic preservation takes a strange form with this fusion of a 19-story glass tower and a faux classical landmark from 1923 that sat empty for decades. The tower is set back far enough that you can imagine how the terra-cotta facade looked in the Jazz Age. Things aren't nearly as convincing inside, where the trading floor was reborn as an ornate hall. But in cities, trade-offs count as triumphs if you gain more than you lose.

100 Montgomery St.

Easy to miss now, this 25-story shoebox on end opened in 1955 as San Francisco's first high-rise since the Great Depression. A decade ago it received a loving restoration that included trading its cracked marble skin for shimmering crystallized glass, while the aluminum panels were buffed to crisp glory. The architects wanted to bring back the luster, and the result looks as sharp as a well-tailored suit.

185 Post St.

You won't find me shopping at Christian Dior. You might find me outside admiring the building, though — no other corner near Union Square pulls off such a dapper fusion of old and new. The remains of a 1908 brick structure were sealed in white paint and then encased in glass. A sharp look, even in this age of untucked plaid shirts. (Trivia note: this is where Rem Koolhaas wanted to put his cheese grater-like Prada store with its walls of bead-blasted steel. This 2008 review goes into that as well.)

Maiden Lane

Gone is the era when Union Square's Maiden Lane was celebrated by legendary urbanist Jane Jacobs as "an oasis with an irresistible sense of intimacy, cheerfulness and spontaneity." What I encountered on a 2016 visit is a pedestrian alley that could be anywhere — "or at least anywhere upscale enough to attract the most vaunted international retailers, those designer boutiques that travel in well-heeled packs."

Apple Union Square

We may never get inside Apple's spaceship-like Cupertino headquarters, but the tech icon's fetish for sleek perfectionism is also on view in Union Square. The same bespoke finishes and the same architect, Foster + Partners. The extra value here is the plaza in the back. It includes a quirky, bronze Ruth Asawa fountain dating back to the early 1970s — cast with the help of schoolchildren and featuring cameo appearances by everyone from Willie Mays to Linus van Pelt.

Hotel Vitale

In a less-prominent location, this "post-hip boutique hotel" would just be another innocuous building that pays lip service to the past while serving $15 cocktails. But on the Embarcadero between Mission and Market streets, a stone's throw from the Ferry Building, "Hotel Vitale stands as such a grand opportunity lost ... a clumsy box wrapped in brown brick with vague hints of much better buildings nearby."

100 block, Main Street

Architectural tours don't include this block between Main, Howard, Spear and Mission streets, where eight nondescript buildings are laced by a mismatched maze of planner-dictated footpaths. Their loss! Because the closer you look at the details, from redone lobbies to empty storefronts, it's a crash course in how San Francisco's Financial District continues to evolve.

Epic Steakhouse and Waterbar

It sounds fun to concoct a pair of restaurants as theatrical extraganzas playing the roles of a century-old pumping station and water-distribution facility. Put them on the Embarcadero, in a remarkable setting not far from the Bay Bridge, and the joke rings hollow.

Best known for Chicago's Aqua — an 82-story concrete slab that brings to mind an eroded cliff — architect Jeanne Gang has a tower rising in San Francisco as well. When completed in 2020 it will be a 40-story stack of twisting white metal bays, a blunt corkscrew that should provide an exhilarating counterpoint to all the nearby glass. That's why I felt the need to protest in 2015 when condo owners across the street tried to lop off 100 feet.

Rincon Hill

That thicket of relatively slender glass towers alongside the Bay Bridge didn't sprout by chance: Planners loosened the zoning for Rincon Hill back in 2005 to allow residential high-rises where blue-collar firms once huddled against the northern slope. In terms of adding to downtown's residential population, the initiative is an unquestioned success. Architecturally? Let's just say the results are decidedly mixed.

181 Fremont St.

In terms of height, this 54-story, 802-foot tower plays second fiddle to nearby Salesforce Tower. From what I hear, though, many skyline-watchers prefer this one's brash and nimble ascension — or as I wrote last year, "an architectural lightning rod suggested by the diagonal beams that culminate in a 50-foot spiked spire at one corner." Shame about the mangled plaza behind it, though.

Millennium Tower

"In weird yet undeniable ways, Millennium Tower has come to symbolize the hubris and fragility of today’s San Francisco," I wrote last year, and you all know why — this 2009 entry in the city's ongoing stream of glass towers now is known around the world for a tilt that has thrown its mostly wealthy residents off-balance. Even if you can't pick the faceted shaft out of a structural line-up, you know the name — and no doubt have snickered once or twice.

Salesforce Tower

Maybe you've noticed it on the skyline? Certainly, more people ask me my opinion of San Francisco's tallest building than any other recent structure. The answer is complicated,- which is why I marked the 2018 opening with my review of "a complex bundle of contraditions ... a well-tailored behemoth that seems to hover more than soar."

140 New Montgomery St.

Here's a case study in how the shifting city map can lift a building's stature. This 1925 gem was designed by then-unknown Timothy Pflueger, with J.R. Miller and Alexander Cantin. Striking from the start, it also was tucked south of Market Street on a block that most people ignored. Now, with SFMOMA nearby and this part of town humming, the craggy terra-cotta cliff is a (deservedly) popular favorite.

222 Second St.

Full confession: Since I wrote this 2016 review, my respect has deepened for how design architect Thomas Phifer's meticulous vision shines through in all the materials and details, elongated bottom to shingled black crown. That said, my verdict remains the same: "The newcomer serves as a cautionary tale showing what can happen when out-of-town developers and architects have their own vision of what a city like San Francisco should be."

San Franciscans of a certain age might remember South Park as a raffish, out-of-the-way oval, surrounded by small manufacturers, intrepid artists and low-income residents. Then it became ground zero for the dot-com boom. Then it was redone except for the curbs and a few trees — but how heartening that the 2017 makeover genuinely seeks to be inclusive. You should stop by, despite the sight of venture capitalists scoping out the tech-saturated crowd.

333 Brannan St.

Yes, "it’s possible to add contemporary buildings to established settings in low-key but comfortable ways." That's what I found with three modest office buildings not far from South Park, all dating from 2016 and each one designed with close attention to its surroundings. There's also an emphasis on environmental sustainability that makes this trio, in terms of function as well as looks, "keyed to long-term durability rather than short-term flash."

"For all the attention focused on flashy towers and big-name museums, it’s the cumulative success or failure of more modest buildings that matter most to our cities in terms of design." That's why in 2017 I sang the praises of this compact 15-story hotel that opened across from the Giants' ballpark — it more than holds its own.

Mission Bay — the buildings

The 2017 groundbreaking for the Warriors' Mission Bay arena offered an excuse for me to take stock of the young neighborhood rising from defunct rail yards. Too many buildings remain too sterile, an oddly hollow work in progress. The best new market-rate project is a coupled pair of 12-story concrete-and-glass slabs. That said ... the playground is humming and the storefronts are filling up. Stop by on a sunny weekend, and you might be pleasantly surprised.

How has San Francisco changed since World War II? Consider: These massive but majestic structures where ships were manufactured now hold the politically combustible likes of Uber and Juul. Even so, it's good to see these blue-collar landmarks preserved. What's on the way, including shoreline plazas and brash low-slung housing, looks promising as well.

Gone are the days when low-slung Dogpatch was best known for its Hells Angels club. As downtown's center of gravity shifted to the south and Mission Bay came into its own, this once-scruffy district found itself in the middle of a housing boom. Last year I visited three new complexes by three good, local architects- and found that even if you can't embed new housing with raffish charm, the effort can be fascinating to see.

855 Brannan

As the long regional boom rolls on, blocks in San Francisco that spent decades off the map are being filled with apartment complexes. One of the best recent examples is 855 Brannan: I visited last summer and found a six-story complex wrapped in a variety of facades — from rusted steel to undulating cement board — and enlivened by a palm tree-lined mews and a mid-block retreat that includes a small redwood grove.

Moscone Convention Center

Our fetish for cable cars and legacy bars aside, San Franciscans tends to forget the historic twists and turns of this city by the bay. That's why this 2017 piece includes the back story to the Moscone Convention Center, which began life as "a sunken compound on the south side of Howard Street, because opponents wanted it out of sight and out of mind as much as possible." Now that first phase is all but gone. Buildings evolve; so do shared urban values.

There's a lot to like in the 2016 expansion of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, from generous new gallery spaces to a seventh-floor terrace that offers a rarified perch for ticketholders. Three years later, though, I haven't shaken my underlying reservation: "Major aspects seem forced, like a collection of problems being solved rather than an architectural creation that fits right in."

706 Mission St.

Back in 2012, I warned that the proposal for a 550-foot residential tower across from Yerba Buena Gardens was a bad idea because the scale would overwhelm Jessie Square, a snug space directly to the west. But the tower is allowed to be extra tall as a way to provide a home downstairs for the politically popular Mexican Museum, so the grandly named Four Seasons Private Residences is now on the rise. Which means? I hope that I'm proved wrong.

InterContinental San Francisco

A few years ago I was talking architectural guilty pleasures with a local designer. Another architect joined us. We brought him up to speed and he pontifcated on how no building preference merits an apology, all buildings have value, etc., etc. Then I told him mine — this 32-story popsicle with billowing aqua curves. He burst out laughing despite himself and stared at me in dismay.

Bill Sorro Community

Anyone who encountered Brian Goggins' "Defenestration" remembers the oddity of furniture popping out from the exterior walls of a derelict building at Sixth and Howard streets — an ad hoc installation that teetered above us for 17 years. Now the corner holds a nine-story stack of low-income apartments that is also, I wrote shortly after it opened, "the city’s most architecturally impressive housing complex of 2017."

San Francisco Federal Building

When the San Francisco Federal Building opened in 2007, the 18-story metal-draped slab attracted national attention. Locals either celebrated the swashbuckling bravado of the design or recoiled at the sight. One decade later I took stock of how it has fared — and fallen short of the hype, especially in terms of the public spaces that get little use, inside and out.

Trinity Place

When construction concludes in 2021, the 1,900 apartments at Trinity Place will add up to the city's largest residential development since World War II. That's a lot to pack into 4.5 acres — which is why I applauded city planners in 2016 for not letting the developer cheapen the design of the final phase along Market Street, a 17-story slab that will be punctured by an eight-story passsage lined with shops. This is the structure that will shape the compound's public image, and it needs to excel.

Civic Center

Given all the social problems in the Civic Center area, where some blocks have the squalid feel of drug-infused shooting galleries, it's easy to be skeptical about the desire of San Francisco's Planning Department to redesign 15 acres of public space from City Hall to Market Street. In fact, such aspirations could pay dividends in terms of quality of life for all types of people. Here's the new conceptual plan and why I hope that it proceeds.

St. Joseph’s Arts Society

Part act of heroic preservation, part upscale party palace, the recently completed restoration of a majestic church closed since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake "is nothing less than a resurrection — one that shows us how today’s cultural forces can alter the past, salvaging old treasures yet using them in ways their founders could not have conceived."

Having lived seven years in Boston — the Hub, in Beantown parlance — I'm still wrapping my head around the use of that rarified term for the vastly underwhelming corner of Market Street and Van Ness Avenue. Perhaps that will change with with the city's ambitious plans for a pedestrian-friendly agglomeration of as many as seven new towers —- the first is on the rise right now.

"San Francisco's most highly anticipated residential building so far this decade looks even better in real life than on paper," I wrote when Stanley Saitowitz's eight-story wedge of concrete and glass opened on Octavia Boulevard in 2015. Nor has the novelty worn off. Abstract yet approachable, softened by aluminum blinds of icy blue, this is the building to show visitors when you're trying to convince them that our city's architecture no longer is mired in the past.

Randall Museum

Outside, this children's museum operated by the Recreation and Park Department looks pretty much the same. Which is fine. The supple reimagination inside is what counts, such as the naturalistic spaces for animals and an enticing ramp that leads through basement-level exhibits. Public architecture exists to serve the public, not put on a show, and this 2018 revision makes the city a better place for families.

Hayes Valley

"A half-mile stretch of land once covered by a freeway today serves as an emerging showcase, a test lab of imaginative urban architecture and ground-level innovation," I wrote in 2015. "Though not every newcomer is a classic, the ambitions on view offer a primer that other neighborhoods would do well to follow."

CPMC Van Ness campus

“Hospitals essentially are designed from the inside out,” one architect told me during a tour of this earnest but glum medical compound at the high-profile corner of Geary Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue. The idea is to provide as much in the way of state-of-the-art facilities as a site will allow, which is laudable. But that can make for one big building — and one unsightly box, no matter how carefully it is wrapped.

The Rockwell

There's a case to be made for facadism, where bits of an old building are preserved while a new structure goes up behind it. This one, though, inserts a colorful metal condo tower behind scraps of two nondescript commercial garages — leaving me with the feeling in 2017 that "Rockwell’s juggling act can be judged a success only if you have a fetish for century-old masonry freshened with genuine care."

1645 Pacific St.

Developer Nick Podell says "I love ornamentation — something that moves a building beyond a box,” and I believe him. His 39-unit infill complex from 2015 resembles an overbaked architectural souffle hearkening back to early 20th century Paris. But if you're a style agnostic, as am I, here's what counts: "In an age when too many buildings look formulaic and thin, I’ll take heartfelt over humdrum any time."

San Francisco Art Institute at Fort Mason

One of our most dependable architectural firms is Leddy Maytum Stacy, selected as national firm of the year in 2017 by the American Institute of Architects. In addition to affordable housing, LMS has a knack for preservation projects where an aged structure and a contemporary use are paired with seeming ease — as with this restored pier "that has an unmistakable public, social presence — an aspiration that has defined the South of Market firm from the start."

Lucas Cultural Arts Museum

"It's a generic box gussied up with arches and domes, with no more depth than a street on a Hollywood lot," I wrote in 2013 during the tumultuos battle that followed George Lucas's quest to build a museum housing his personal art collection on eight acres facing Crissy Field. The battle lasted a year and concluded with Lucas setting off for the shores of Lake Michigan Chicago. But that's another story ...

Presidio Visitor Center

The place to start your exploration of the Presidio is on the Main Post parade ground in the former guardhouse, a structure retooled to serve as a thoroughly 21st century visitor center with technological bells and whistles. There's plenty on the park's history and environment. What's missing, I suggested in 2017, are the rough-and-tumble political sagas of how this unusual realm has come into its own.

Walt Disney Family Museum

Truth be told, the idea of a red-brick military barracks being recast as a temple of Walt Disneyiana rubbed me the wrong way a decade ago. Was this an ominous signal that the Presidio Trust would water down the Main Post's potential to get something, anything, restored? But the result is an easygoing delight.

Presidio Officers' Club

For my money, the most provocative historic exhibition in this building, with its adobe bricks dating back to before 1812, is the architectural wrestling match — a faithful restoration of a 1930's "restoration" that itself was more a cinematic evocation of a storybook Spanish mission. Which isn't to fault the architects. Rather, consider it a reminder that "turning back the clock is never as simple as it seems."

Contemporary Art Museum at the Presidio

In an alternate universe, or at least an alternate San Francisco, the invaluable collection of 20th century artwork gathered by Don and Doris Fisher resides not in the new wing of SFMoMa, but in a pristine white edifice at the top of the Presidio's parade ground. Count me among the opposition at the time — not that the likes of Agnes Martin and Richard Serra amid military history wouldn't have been something to see.

Golden Gate Bridge

"Critics depicted the bridge as financially unsound, legally dubious, an aesthetic blight and an engineering hazard in the decade before the start of construction in 1933," I wrote on the eve of this truly iconic structure's 75th anniversary. "Things were moving too fast. There were too many unanswered questions. The numbers couldn't be trusted." Sound familiar?

Fort Winfield Scott

This story is still a work in progress — there's a well-connected team pitching a WeWork-managed "campus for change" — but this piece from last summer lays out the challenge at hand: How do you revive a remote but alluring landscape into a transit-friendly, sustainable compound dedicated to a higher mission? Oh, and the expected pricetag is at least $200 million.

The Presidio, 2013

Neither a review nor a news feature so much as an exploration of the complexity found within the Presidio's green calm — a self-contained world of roughly 1,300 residential units, 433 historic buildings, re-engineered "natural" landscapes, a military graveyard and many other elements that together "tell a story of how the past adjusts to the present, setting the stage for a future we do not know."

"Good environmental art .. sharpens our sense of perception. This steep spike in the Presidio was assembled from 37 cypresses felled as part of the national park's ongoing reforestation, a carefully arranged bundle lodged in concrete and linked by hidden bolts." That was my short 2010 tribute to Andy Goldsworthy's first Presidio creation, now slowly being swallowed by the young trees rising around it.

Lands End Lookout

My favorite architectural addition to San Francisco during the past decade may be this visitor center for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area on a perch above Sutro Baths. Instead of presenting faux history, it opened in 2012 as a rugged and confident collage of concrete walls and massive windows. Tough enough to withstand the salty elements, focused on immersive views rather than visual flourishes. The design firm is EHDD, and the building's worth a visit even if you're afraid of heights.

Congregation Beth Sholom

After I reviewed this unusual religious building designed by Stanley Saitowitz, the responses likened it to an upside-down igloo. Or a watermelon slice. Or a skateboard park half-pipe or half a wheel of cheese. I saw something different in the fusion of concrete and zinc — "a synagogue that suggests nothing so much as a giant menorah in a silvery frame." A decade later, I'm still a fan.

Strawberry Hill, Golden Gate Park

One of the wonders of Golden Gate Park is that it feels so detached from real life, yet it is wholly a creation of the city around it — "a triumph of theatrical landscape design, shaped from dunes and arranged as a procession of attractions," I wrote in 2013. This includes Strawberry Hill above Stow Lake, now little visited but topped by a concrete observatory until the 1906 earthquake had its say.

De Young Museum

More than a decade ago, Golden Gate Park welcomed two significant works of cultural architecture: the de Young Museum by Switzerland's Herzog & de Meuron and the California Academy of Sciences by Renzo Piano. Both have endured as popular attractions. Each has signature features (A bulbous green roof! A copper-clad observation tower!) A few years later, in this column, I explained which one I preferred.

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San Francisco Architecture Tours: Guides, Walks

San Francisco walking tours, Californian building guides, Bay Area architectural walks, US architects visit

San Francisco Architecture Tours

Californian Architecture Guides – Exclusive Bay Area Architectural Walks, USA, tailor made for groups.

post updated March 29, 2024

Contact us for your walking guide in California on [email protected]

San Francisco Architecture Tour: Exclusive Guided Walks

Our San Francisco guided tours are all tailored to suit each booking, we do not allow for bookings to be joined. Our guided tours in North California are all exclusive to each client.

San Francisco Walking Tours

Should you be planning an architectural trip in Northern California please contact us at e-architect.

San Francisco Architecture Introduction

San Francisco is located in the northwest of the United States of America. Celebrated Bay area buildings include the Contemporary Jewish Museum San Francisco by Studio Libeskind, the V. C. Morris Gift Shop by Frank Lloyd Wright, the de Young Museum San Francisco by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, SFMOMA Expansion by Norway’s Snøhetta, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art by Mario Botta / HOK, Federal building by Morphosis Architecture and of course the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.

Famous architects with buildings in the city include Snøhetta, Daniel Libeskind and Foster + Partners. Famous 20th Century architects to build in the Bay Area include Frank Lloyd Wright and Mario Botta. Other significant architects offices with work in the city include Ennead Architects, Gensler, Rafael Viñoly Architects, CCS Architecture, NBBJ, AECOM and Page & Turnbull.

Other recent important buildings to visit include the Bing Concert Hall , Stanford, south of San Francisco, Contemporary Jewish Museum by architects Studio Libeskind, the Congregation Beth Sholom Synagogue by Stanley Saitowitz / Natoma Architects and 25 Lusk by CCS Architecture.

Northern Californian architecture projects to look out for in future – i.e. still at design or construction stage – include Golden State Warriors Sports and Entertainment Arena designed by Snøhetta + AECOM Golden State Warriors Arena San Francisco ; Facebook Campus Expansion, Menlo Park, by California-based Canadian architect Frank Gehry ; Google Bay View Complex, Mountain View, Clara County, by NBBJ Architects.

San Francisco Architectural Designs – chronological list

San Francisco Architecture Walking Tours

San Francisco Architectural Tours can focus on contemporary Bay area buildings or traditional buildings, or a mix of both. e-architect would be glad to help with your itinerary preparations ahead of your visit to the Bay Area.

Naturally our SF architectural tours can extend out to Oakland, San Jose and Berkeley. Let us know please if there are specific buildings your group wishes to visit in the Bay Area.

San Francisco Architecture

Contact e-architect to arrange your San Francisco architectural tour on isabelle(at)e-architect.com or mob. +44 (0)7952 149814

Architecture Tours

Other than San Francisco , e-architect organise Architecture Walking Tours in other cities such as Los Angeles, Vancouver, Chicago, New York, Boston. We also offer architectural city walks across the globe, for example in cities such as Edinburgh, London, Mexico City and Paris.

Location: San Francisco, Northern California, United States of America

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New Northern Californian Architectural Designs – recent selection on e-architect:

Bing Concert Hall , Stanford, south of San Francisco Design: Ennead Architects with Fisher Dachs Associates and Nagata Acoustics

SFMOMA Expansion Design: Snøhetta

Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building Design: Rafael Viñoly Architects

Stanford University Building Design: Ennead Architects

Golden Gate Bridge Design: Irving F. Morrow / Gertrude C. Morrow

The shop was used by Wright as a physical prototype, or proof of concept for the circular ramp at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

All of the built-in furniture is constructed out of black walnut, and is original to the renovation. This furniture was designed by Manuel Sandoval, who apprenticed and worked with Frank Lloyd Wright

Xanadu Gallery closed in 2015. They had spent around a million dollars to restore the building to FLW’s vision. Aaron Green led the property restoration. He had worked with Frank Lloyd Wright on other projects such as the Marin Civic Center, San Rafael, California.

The building was apparently sold to a high-end designer fashion boutique as of July 2015 by the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy. In August 2017, ISAIA Napoli, an Italian men’s fashion store, moved into the building.

This 1940s building is one of seventeen American buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that the AIA has designated to be retained as an example of his architectural contribution to American culture. The building was listed in 2007 at number 126 on the American Institute of Architects’ list of the 150 favorite buildings in America.

Website: Visit San Francisco

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San Francisco Architecture Walking Tour

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San Francisco Architecture Walking Tour - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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• An Architectural Walking Tour Of...

An Architectural Walking Tour Of San Francisco

Even though San Francisco is essentially only seven by seven square miles, what it lacks in space, it makes up for in its architecture. From the small residential homes to the tall skyscrapers of downtown, San Francisco’s architecture also varies in size, stylistic era, and materials. Here is a guide for a DIY walking tour of San Francisco architecture in and around the Financial District.

*Begin this walking tour on the southwest corner of Market Street and First Street. Here is part one and part two of the walking tour’s path put together on Google Maps. The total walking time without stops is about 40 minutes – breaks are encouraged though at numerous locations. Did you know – Culture Trip now does bookable, small-group trips? Pick from authentic, immersive Epic Trips , compact and action-packed Mini Trips and sparkling, expansive Sailing Trips .

Shoreline Plaque

What To Do Here: Look for the plaque to discover where the shoreline reached in 1848.

The California Historic Landmark 83 in San Francisco contains two shoreline markers, one of which is located on the corner of Market Street and First Street. Look for the plaque on the southwest corner of the intersection that marks where the shoreline was in 1848. If you’re standing on or around the plaque and facing down Market Street towards the Ferry Building , everything from that point on is built on top of landfill or sunken ships. The other shoreline marker is located north on First Street on the corner of Market Street, Battery Street, and Bush Street.

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Shell Building

The Shell Building is an office building constructed in 1930 with 28 floors. The building’s design is Art Deco inspired and created by George Kelham with a shell motif and terra cotta exterior. In 1994, the Shell Building won the San Francisco Architectural Heritage Award for architectural preservation. The three-story lobby is the highlight of this building’s interior, which is also decorated with marble and bronze. *Continue west on Bush Street. Destination on the right.

The Heineman Building

Across the street is The Heineman Building at 130 Bush Street, which is the narrowest building in San Francisco at less than 20 feet wide. In 1910, the Heineman Building was originally a belt, tie and suspender factory. With ten floors, the Heineman is no longer a factory but still holds true to its Gothic-style architecture with copper ornamentations. *Continue west on Bush Street and make the first left on Sansome Street.

One Bush Plaza

What To Do Here: Walk through the outdoor plaza.

One Bush Plaza , or the Crown-Zellerbach Building, is a 19-story building designed by Edward Charles Bassett that opened in 1959. The Crown-Zellerbach Building was the first International Style curtain-wall tower in San Francisco, excluding the Hallidie Building (mentioned later on the tour), which only obtained a curtain-wall façade. Each floor within the building has approximately 15,000 square feet without the intrusion of columns. The Crown-Zellerbach Building is surrounded by a public POPOS garden, or walk-through sunken into the ground 12 feet below street level, which is most commonly referred to as One Bush Plaza, taking up two-thirds of the site. One Bush Plaza was designed by the same architect with a Japanese minimalist style. There are rocks, a fountain sculpture, various plant life, but no seating. The building stands on pilotis to allow a walk way below it and cantilevers 11 feet. *Continue South on Sansome Street and turn right onto Sutter Street. Continue West on Sutter Street.

Hunter-Dulin Building

What To Do Here: Walk into the lobby to enjoy the interior’s architecture.

The Hunter-Dulin Building , or 111 Sutter Street, is a spin on a French chateau building with a terra cotta exterior. Designed by Shultze and Weaver , a New York architecture firm, in 1927, the Hunter-Dulin Building was the fourth tallest building in San Francisco at the time with 22 floors. The building is equipped with a 38-foot mansard roof, or four-sided sloping roof, and a vaulted lobby. During construction, the concrete foundation was continuously poured in just under two days for faster results. Lastly, from 1999 to 2001, the Hunter-Dulin Building was contemporary renovated with a budget of 23 million dollars. The copper spires on the roof were removed at this time for cost-efficiency, but then restored in 2005 in its proper locale amongst the French Romanesque building. *Continue west on Sutter Street. Next location will be immediately across the street.

Hallidie Building

What To Do Here: Admire the building’s façade from below or on the POPOS across the street at the Crocker Galleria mentioned next.

Like the Hobart Building, the Hallidie Building was also designed by Willis Polk and built in 1917, making the Hallidie Building Polk’s last major work. The seven-story building was originally an investment for University of California, Berkeley and was named after Andrew Smith Hallidie , the inventor of San Francisco’s famous cable car. The Hallidie is one of the world’s first glass curtain-walled buildings. The Gothic-style façade is blue with ornate gold metalwork and zinc panels embellished with birds and flowers. The façade was renovated for two years and completed in 2013 with more structural support without disrupting the exterior’s much-admired look. The building is home to AIA San Francisco, AIGA, the U.S. Green Building Council, Charles M. Salter Associates, and Coordinated Resources, Inc. *Continue left on Sutter Street and then take the first left into the next location.

Crocker Galleria

What To Do Here: Enjoy the POPOS and a meal or some retail shopping at this galleria – you can even connect to Wi-Fi.

Located in Union Square, the Crocker Galleria is an indoor-outdoor shopping mall filled with eateries. The galleria is three floors with ample seating and an elegant glass pavilion above. Free Wi-Fi is available as well as outdoor seating. Here is a list of their shops, restaurants and services, which entails everything from cafés to Mexican or Asian cuisine to jewelry and clothing shops. On the third floor of the Crocker Galleria is a POPOS, Privately Owned Public Open Spaces. From there, you can view the previous building on the tour across the street, the Hallidie Building, or if you’re enjoying the POPOS, there is another POPOS with access from the historic Wells Fargo Bank to the east of the Crocker Galleria, just next door, on Montgomery Street and Post Street. *Continue south to exit and turn left on Post Street. Take the first left on Montgomery Street then make an immediate right turn towards Market Street on a pedestrian pathway. Continue towards Market Street and the destination is on the left.

Hobart Building

What To Do Here: Gaze at the beautiful building from below.

The Hobart Building contains office spaces that can be leased for one to three years. The building was constructed in 1914 by the architect Willis Polk. The exterior is composed of terra cotta, and the interior’s materiality consists of handcrafted brass and Italian marble, creating a classical revival-style architecture. That being said, the building has been renovated to modern days with changes such as operable windows. *Take a right on Market Street to head southwest. Then take the first left turn onto New Montgomery Street. Destination on the right.

Palace Hotel

What To Do Here: Have brunch or tea or relax in the lounge.

The Palace Hotel opened in 1875 and was designed by architect and engineer John Painter Gaynor. The hotel was severely damaged due to the fire that followed the 1906 earthquake, but the Palace Hotel was restored in 1909, making it the oldest surviving hotel in San Francisco. There is a vibrant lounge, two restaurants and dining area for afternoon tea or brunch on Sundays – reservations can be made here . *Continue southeast on New Montgomery Street. Take the third right onto Mission Street. Continue Southwest on Mission Street. Destination will be on the left.

Yerba Buena Gardens

What To Do Here: Picnic on the grass, enjoy a stroll through the landscape, or check out a neighboring museum.

Yerba Buena Gardens is an open grass field with public art. In the surrounding area, there is the Children’s Creativity Museum, Contemporary Jewish Museum, SFMOMA Museum Store, Museum of the African Diaspora, Cartoon Art Museum, California Historical Society, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and Society of California Pioneers.

Xanadu Gallery

What To Do Here: Walk into Frank Lloyd Wright’s circle gallery.

The Xanadu Gallery was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1940; it is a small circle gallery that currently houses Asian artifacts such as masks, furnishings, sculptures, textiles, and more. There are also accessories for sale, like jewelry and scarves. *Continue west on Maiden Lane through Union Square (or around it by turning right on Stockholm Street and then first left on Post Street). Once exhibited, turn right on Powell Street and continue north on Powell Street until California Street. Turn left at California Street. Destination is on the left. (This location can be switched for the last location if drinks are desired as a final stop).

InterContinental Mark Hopkins

What To Do Here: Stay for a drink on the top floor for a fantastic view.

The InterContinental Mark Hopkins is a hotel that opened in December of 1926. With a combined French chateau and Spanish Renaissance architecture, the hotel has ornate terra cotta decorations on its exterior. Due to the unique three-fold shape, the hotel has outstanding views, which you can experience from the Top of The Mark – a glass-to-glass cocktail lounge created in 1939 by the hotel owner, George D. Smith – on the 19th floor of the hotel. Many famous guests have stayed at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins such as Herbert Hoover, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Elizabeth Taylor, Prince Philip, Queen Juliana, Elvis Presley, Judy Garland, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones, and more. In 1987, ten million dollars was used to renovate the ballroom and restore all 391 rooms of the hotel in a neoclassical style with custom furniture. More restorations were completed in 1996 to the Top of The Mark and a general repair in 2002. *Continue west on California Street. Final destination is on the Right. (This destination can be switched with the previous one if drinks are desired as a final stop).

Grace Cathedral

What To Do Here: Walk along either of the two labyrinths.

Grace Cathedral was built from 1927 to 1964 after the previous church was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire. The following year, in 1965, Martin Luther King, Jr. preached at the cathedral. Even though the building is constructed from concrete and steel, the cathedral still maintains a traditional French Gothic-style architecture. There are 68 stained-glass windows designed by five different artists that when combined, cover 7,290 square feet, and there are also 44 English bells located in the right tower. Both inside the cathedral and outside is a walking labyrinth created in the 1990s. You can also enjoy the various sculptures, murals, paintings, altarpieces, tapestries, needlepoint, three organs, and other items inside.

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Our 1.5 to 2 hour tours are always free, but we welcome donations to support our mission of keeping San Francisco’s history accessible.

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We offer over 80 different tours – allowing you to learn about the diverse ways that San Francisco became the vibrant city it is today.

City Guides, founded in 1978, is an independent 501c3 non-profit organization with more than 300 trained volunteers who lead FREE historical and architectural walking tours in San Francisco for over 35,000 locals and visitors each year. We are a program of the San Francisco Public Library. Join us for a walk along the streets, sidewalks, and byways of America’s most beautiful – and fascinating – city!

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Truly one of the greatest treasures of San Francisco! City Guide tours never disappoint, always full of interesting stories, anecdotes, and fun- facts! Google Review – Jan ’24

The guides are well trained and enthusiastic to share their knowledge and love of the greatest city on earth! I have done numerous tours and am always delighted! Google Review – Jan ’24

The tour was fabulous! I’ve lived in SF for over 40 years but learned so much! And I saw so many places that I now can appreciate their significance. I can’t wait to do more. Google Review – Jan ’24

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Our guide was warm, friendly, funny, and full of interesting facts and stories. What a great way to get to know The City by the Bay! Google Review – Jan ’24

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Festival Gallery

The annual Architecture + the City Festival has come to an end as we celebrated 20 years! This year we added new programs while offering some of our greatest hits over the years of behind-the-scenes programs, tours, lectures, film presentations, and more that provided an opportunity for all communities to experience architecture and design in a myriad of ways throughout the city.

Since 2003, we have worked to enrich these core events and have collaborated with countless design and community partners, firms, and organizations to further creative ideas and advance the conversation surrounding our local built environment, to celebrate accomplishments, and together work towards building a more sustainable future.

Below are highlights from the 20th Annual Architecture + the City Festival programs — we thank all the volunteers, partners, presenters and all our friends and family who made this year a successful and memorable one!  See you in 2024!

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September 12-23, 2022

House of Light and Shadow: Captivating San Francisco Residential Transformation

San Francisco’s House of Light and Shadow , designed by acclaimed architects William Duff Architects , is a captivating transformation that seamlessly blends traditional and modern elements. This 3,758-square-foot residential gem showcases a harmonious interplay of light, shadow, and meticulous attention to detail, creating a truly exceptional living experience.

About House of Light and Shadow

Nestled in the heart of San Francisco, the captivating House of Light and Shadow is a remarkable transformation by William Duff Architects. Initially, this 3,758 square foot (348 square meters) Victorian home lacked any original details, save for its historic façade. However, the design enthusiasts who purchased the property sought a home that would seamlessly blend period elegance with modern family living .

A Harmonious Fusion of Styles

The resulting design is a harmonious interplay of traditional and contemporary aesthetics, where light and shadow dance in perfect harmony. The rear façade underwent a stunning transformation, transitioning from a flat, nondescript structure to a modern gem with a vaulted upper-level space , clad in custom Western Red Cedar siding and oversized glazed units. This blend of materials brings warmth and modernity that permeates throughout the house, creating a captivating juxtaposition to the historic front façade.

Thoughtful Distribution of Space

The home’s three main programs are carefully distributed across the floors, with the first-level entry showcasing period details that connect to the iconic front façade. The transition between design styles is marked by the interruption of ornate trim at the bedroom door alcoves, where framed blackened steel wraps and modern chevron flooring create a dynamic visual experience.

Embracing Light and Airiness

The top-floor “great room” embodies the concept of a light and airy space, with tall vaulted ceilings and expansive sliding glass doors that connect to the captivating city skyline. Sleek casework, stone boxes, and HenryBuilt Black Walnut cabinetry, all wrapped in blackened steel, contribute to the aesthetic, while technology seamlessly integrates into the design with discreet lighting, hidden heating vents, and custom-shaped brass electrical outlet covers.

Sustainability and Modern Comforts

Sustainability is a priority, with the incorporation of solar panels, a Tesla Powerwall, and a radiant heating system. The lower-level in-law unit, bathed in natural light, hosts recreation activities and utilities, while every detail, from the primary suite walk-in closet to the top-floor guest room transformation, has been carefully considered to cater to the family’s needs.

An Outdoor Oasis

A signature highlight of the House of Light and Shadow is the expanded balcony, equipped with lighting, electrical outlets, and a hose bib, providing an outdoor oasis envisioned by the clients. This architectural masterpiece is a testament to thoughtful design, modern living, and a harmonious blend of the past and present.

Photography by Matthew Millman Visit William Duff Architects

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The Masonic Temple in Philadelphia

Hours updated 1 month ago

Updates From This Business

We've updated our hours!

One-hour GUIDED public tours are offered Wednesday –… read more

Free Admission Categories

Did you know that Pennsylvania Masons, active… read more

Celebrating 150 Years!

The Masonic Temple is celebrating 150 years, Stay… read more

Portfolio from the Business

Hourly Public Tours Available

Highlights from the Business

Large group friendly

Private events

Available by appointment

Discounts available

Established in 1873

Walk-ins welcome

Review Highlights

“ The Masonic Temple in Philadelphia is the headquarters for the Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Pennsylvania. ” in 3 reviews

“ The Masonic temple is a historic building, built before Philadelphia's City Hall across the street. ” in 3 reviews

“ Did the 2 1/2 hour tour on 1//19/20. ” in 2 reviews

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1 N Broad St

Philadelphia, PA 19107

Market East, Penn Center, Avenue of the Arts North

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About the Business

A National Historic Landmark in the heart of Philadelphia, The Masonic Temple, located at One North Broad Street in Philadelphia, is home to The Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania and the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, the governing body of Pennsylvania Masons. Weddings and corporate events are also hosted within the building through the branded events department known as ONE North Broad. The Masonic Temple contains artwork, frescos, stained glass, murals and sculptures which connect Freemasons and non-Freemasons to an inspirational world of art, architecture and history. Our exhibit hall features a wide assortment of artifacts related to the history of the Masonic fraternity in Philadelphia and beyond, including letters from George Washington and Past Grand Master of Pennsylvania Mason Benjamin Franklin, along with other items associated with Philadelphia Masons Stephen Girard and John Wanamaker, among others. …

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You can visit the museum and the museum gift shop for no charge. To go anywhere else in the building you must take one of the five daily tours.

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Lion was asked to deliver a presentation at the Masonic Temple, open to the public. After his talk, the organizer offered a "quick tour" of the Temple, which we eagerly accepted. The Masonic temple is a historic building, built before Philadelphia's City Hall across the street. It's a marvel of engineering and design, with meticulously designed and decorated themed meeting rooms, a large open library and museum, offices and a large dining conference room. That wood you see in the Norman room? It's hand painted plaster! Those tiles are hand cut glass. Even the coat racks match the theme of the room they adjoin. Throughout you will see portraits of Freemasons, some quite famous, sculptures, murals, and a stunning set stained glass windows. During that COVID shutdowns, the Masons used their time painstakingly restoring, maintaining, and updating the rooms. The Temple is open to the public for tours most days ($13 per person). They also are available for event rentals. The day we were there crews were setting up for a wedding that evening. Definitely worth a visit.

See all photos from Regina M. for The Masonic Temple in Philadelphia

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Jan 26, 2023

Thank you for visiting us. We hope to see you back again soon!

This was one of the more interesting tours we did while visiting Philly. Our guide was great at providing some insight into the mysterious Freemasons. Also had a great sense of humor. The building itself is beautiful inside.

I came here by bus on a Tuesday morning in late June 2022. You're only allowed access to the building through a guided tour. I would only recommend this place if you have an interest in the Masonic Fraternity or the building. I found it fascinating. The entire tour was less about the history of the organization and more an advertisement of the dinner rooms and banquet halls they have for rent. Don't get me wrong, they were amazing, but I had to ask all the pressing questions I had in order to get the answers I was seeking - they did not offer it. I came in not knowing anything about the Free Masons. The architecture is really grand and at times jaw-dropping. They provide an hour-long tour each hour (see times online). Bring your student ID for a discount.

See all photos from Osula L. for The Masonic Temple in Philadelphia

Are the Free Masons trying to overtake the world? Is this club the most mysterious club in existence? Free Masons total over six million members ; some of which were once the most powerful people in the world (including fourteen of our Presidents.) Have I got your attention yet? If you like intrigue, mystery and just beyond gorgeous pieces of art / architecture this is a must see experience. I was lucky enough to explore the Temple with a book club that just finished Dan Brown's third book which blended some non-fiction and fiction including the Masonic temple worshipping demons and other liberties that the author had taken on the subject. To say the group that I accompanied on the tour gave the tour guide the third degree on questioning would be to put it mildy! I throughly enjoyed every minute of it and at the tour guides request who has also been a member of the Masonic Temple for over twenty-seven years he stated if you really want to learn more the Dummies Guide Series to books actually does a very good job detailing the club, you should go out and buy it if you want to learn more LOL. Well, I might just do that! Make the time to come here and explore the City of Philadelphia a bit, I doubt you will be disappointed. As always people SYOY!!!!

See all photos from Mike C. for The Masonic Temple in Philadelphia

Apparently I'd never written a review of this place which surprises me considering this was my third visit.It is a wonderful place to go to. It's quite beautiful with different rooms embodying Masonic visions of Egypt, the middle ages, Greece etc. You go with a group on a tour . The guides are good and informative. There is a small historical museum. It takes around an hour. I think it's $15 if you don't have any kind of discount. The building is impressive.If you haven't been ,go! Oh and there is no need to be into the Masons . I'm not.

Thank you so much for visiting us. We hope to see you again soon!

Really nice staff, and a very nice tour. There is a great staircase, but also elevators that have been there since the 19th century. The tour covers the main rooms by architectural style.

Statues out front

Amazing building with so much history. Tour is great and informative. A must see in Philly

Really cool behind the scenes experience. Tour is lead by local members that are knowledgeable about the organization and the temple itself. You will get to see many of the halls and the tour leader is great answering questions.

See all photos from Cesar R. for The Masonic Temple in Philadelphia

The Masonic Temple is an impressive building the interior of which can only be seen with a guided tour. It's decidedly more eccentric and quirky than Constitution Hall or the Liberty Bell. Especially during the busy summer months, making reservations before setting out to visit is a really good idea :-) The building is immense, and it sits on quite a lot of prime downtown Philadelphia real estate; it's also dripping with Masonic secrets. Visitors are allowed in some rooms, but not in others; some questions you might ask during your visit will be readily answered; others will not... Learning about Masonic history can be quite fascinating and it's worth visiting this Temple just for that purpose. Of additional interest is the building itself. The two taken together can be an intriguing diversion; if you're looking for something that's quite a bit off the cultural beaten path, then consider checking this place out!

This temple is right next to the City Hall. Beautiful architecture. There is admission fee for visiting this temple. Inside is gorgeous and well maintained historic site. There are so many tourist attractions places in that area. They are all walking distance.

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