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Painted Ladies, San Francisco, CA

Photo: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingIconicFree

Painted Ladies

710-720 Steiner St, across from Alamo Square · San Francisco, CA

Why you should go…

The Painted Ladies are the Victorian houses at 710 to 720 Steiner Street, built between 1892 and 1896 by developer Matthew Kavanaugh and known as Postcard Row. You view them from the hilltop lawns of Alamo Square park across the street, which looks out over downtown San Francisco. The row appears in the opening credits of Full House. These are private homes where people live, so you look from the park and do not go inside.

  • #victorian houses
  • #photo spot
  • #alamo square
  • #full house

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Painted Ladies, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Theatre & Events
    Iconic

    The Fillmore

    $25–$50

    Catch a concert in the 1912 ballroom where Bill Graham booked the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and Jimi Hendrix.

    0.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Theatre & Events

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Haight-Ashbury

    Free

    Stroll past Victorian houses, boutiques and record stores in the San Francisco neighborhood of the 1967 Summer of Love.

    0.9 mi awayMore like this

  • Eat & Drink
    Foodie Favorite

    Dandelion Chocolate

    Under $25

    A Mission District bean-to-bar chocolate factory offering guided tours and single-origin tastings.

    0.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Eat & Drink

  • Museums
    Rainy-Day Pick

    Asian Art Museum

    Under $25

    See galleries of art from across Asia, some of it 6,000 years old, inside the former main library at Civic Center.

    1.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Chinatown

    Free

    Walk through the Dragon's Gate onto Grant Avenue for lantern-lined streets, temples, markets and dim sum parlors.

    1.9 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    San Francisco Cable Cars

    Under $25

    Ride an open-sided cable car up and over the hills on three historic lines pulled by underground cables.

    1.9 mi awayMore like this