History
About Financial District of San Francisco
The Financial District of San Francisco was the City’s first commercial district, and is one of the largest and oldest financial districts in the Western United States. A quilt of architectural artifacts, styles and structures, FiDi has a history of maritime trade, finance, shipping, law, and world class shopping and fine dining. The district employs over 220,000 office workers. Situated next to the San Francisco Bay, FiDi defines a section of the City’s edge with key landmarks like the famous Transamerica Building making the city’s skyline one of the most recognizable by many visitors from around the world.
About Jackson Square
Jackson Square has a history with an edgy past, known as the Barbary Coast --- once home to brothels, bars and gambling dens during the height of the Gold Rush era. Largely established in the mid-1800s, the neighborhood was built along the original eastern shoreline of the city. Jackson Square was the first central business district of early San Francisco. Today, the neighborhood offers alleys with historic low-rise brick buildings lining the street, and is home to unique boutiques, art and antique galleries, architectural offices and interior designers.
History Tours
The ground beneath your feet is steeped in pioneering history. From buried ships left as modern day ghosts of the 1849 Gold Rush to architectural diversity found nowhere else in the region, San Francisco's historical treasures await you.
Self Guided Tours
Unfolding the Financial District: Design adventures in San Francisco's hub
If you love architecture, San Francisco’s most surprising landscape may be the historic Financial District. You'll discover a neighborhood inhabited by gargoyles and walruses where redwood trees hug an 850-foot pyramid, past collides with present, and busy streets pass by an alleyway lined with outdoor cafes. Allow John King, the San Francisco Chronicle’s design critic, to guide you through the truly unique architecture of Downtown SF.
Barbary Coast Trail
The Barbary Coast Trail® is a San Francisco walking tour that connects the City’s most important historic sites.
Bronze medallions and arrows set in the sidewalk guide you along the trail, drawing you into a world of gold rushers and railroad barons, writers and visionaries, shanghiers and silver kings.
Guided Tours
City Guides Financial District Tour
Learn about the kingmakers and titans of the Financial District, and how they’ve dictated the trajectory of San Francisco history. We’ll follow the money — and learn some curious facts about the city’s skyscraper hotbed.
City Guides Tour
Scandalous Murals of Rincon Center Tour
Explore a collection of art that shocked, challenged and enthralled 1950s America. It’s an exclusive walk through a hidden gem, featuring the egregious details of the panic these murals once incited.
City Guides Tour
Emperor Norton's Fantastic San Francisco Time Machine
Emperor Norton's Fantastic San Francisco Time Machine is a lively, informative, and entertaining walking tour of historic San Francisco led by Emperor Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico.
Emperor Norton Tour
Drag Me Along Tours
Enjoy a special one-of-a-kind walking tour with a historic and fun perspective through the eyes of the infamous Countess Lola Montez.
Drag Me Along Tours
The Haunt Ghost Tour
Haunted SF is San Francisco’s only real ghost hunting excursion. Get ready to travel through Gold Rush-era neighborhoods after dark, seeking out paranormal activity while learning of the city’s haunted past.
The Haunt Ghost Tour
Secrets, Scandals, and Scoundrels Tour
On the Secrets, Scandals and Scoundrels tour, you'll learn about a war that was fought over breakfast food, you'll meet the most powerful homeless man in the world, you'll hear about one of the largest robberies ever committed in California, and more!
Secrets, Scandals, and Scoundrels Tour