Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States California San Francisco California Historical Society Headquarters

California Historical Society Headquarters

A former hardware store near Yerba Buena is the official home of California's history.

San Francisco, California

Added By
O P
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Exterior of the California Historical Society headquarters.   J Herrington/cc by-sa 4.0
The California Historical Society on Mission Street, near Yerba Buena Gardens.   Ken Lund/cc by-sa 2.0
Exterior of the California Historical Society headquarters.   Beyond My Ken/cc by-sa 4.0
Historic photo of John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt on horseback in Yosemite Valley.   California Historical Society/fair use
Coppa’s Restaurant menu from the historical society’s menu collection.   California Historical Society/free use
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Despite being painted "International Orange"—the same color as the Golden Gate Bridge—it's somehow easy to miss California's official historical society. Founded in San Francisco's financial district in 1871, the California Historical Society, known as "CHS," has survived many hurdles and was finally recognized by the state in 1979.

Now located in what was an E.M. Hundley hardware store in the Yerba Buena neighborhood, the diminutive society is eclipsed as a tourist attraction by its prominent neighbors, such as the giant San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. But it shouldn't be. 

Beyond a small storefront and gallery, the historical society houses a collection befitting the most populous U.S. state, including thousands of rare publications and exceptional photographs, and—most delightfully—California ephemera. Postcards, posters, advertisements, and other glimpses of the past become treasures to behold in your own hands once you have navigated the card catalog of the North Baker Research Library, hidden in the rear of the society building. 

If you love California and history but would rather not spend hours in a research library digging into the collection by yourself, you might prefer to stick to CHS's storefront gallery and Ten Lions Bookstore for a curated experience. The bookstore features local and tourist-friendly selections of San Francisco and Golden State-themed books, clothes, and mementos. It hosts multiple book and art talks each month that can be attended for a small admission fee, which also gives you the opportunity to tour the current gallery exhibition.

Update: As of July 2020, CHS has closed its San Francisco storefront and gallery.

Related Tags

History Local History Libraries Archive Bookstores

Know Before You Go

CHS is best visited by public transit, but there are paid parking garages in the area. Check the Society's website for admission fees and—most importantly—hours, as the operating hours are limited and are not every day of the week. The Society's North Baker Research Library is open to the public, but you'll need to bring a photo ID to access the collection.

Community Contributors

Added By

onoma

Edited By

Britta Shoot, Meg

  • Britta Shoot
  • Meg

Published

March 25, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/art-exhibits/california-historical-society-to-sell-building-and-spread-out-statewide
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_orange
  • https://www.californiahistoricalsociety.org/about/
  • https://californiahistoricalsociety.org/research/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Historical_Society
California Historical Society Headquarters
678 Annie St
San Francisco, California
United States
37.786865, -122.4015
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Lotta's Fountain

San Francisco, California

miles away

Mechanics' Institute Library and Chess Room

San Francisco, California

miles away

Admission Day Monument Octopuses

San Francisco, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of San Francisco

San Francisco

California

Places 213
Stories 50

Nearby Places

Lotta's Fountain

San Francisco, California

miles away

Mechanics' Institute Library and Chess Room

San Francisco, California

miles away

Admission Day Monument Octopuses

San Francisco, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of San Francisco

San Francisco

California

Places 213
Stories 50

Related Places

  • Verona, Italy

    Biblioteca Capitolare of Verona

    One of the oldest libraries in the world is still operating and contains the oldest existing document in the Italian language.

  • The Austrian State Archives building in Vienna.

    Vienna, Austria

    Austrian State Archives

    More than a millennium's worth of municipal records preserve the political history of Austria.

  • An artifact from the Cornell Hip Hop Collection.

    Ithaca, New York

    Cornell Hip Hop Collection

    This rare archive of original recordings and photos uncovers the early days of hip hop culture.

  • Womyn holding a banner for the Lesbian Herstory Archives during the 2007 LGBT Pride March in New York

    Brooklyn, New York

    Lesbian Herstory Archives

    The world's largest collection of materials relating to lesbian history is housed in a Brooklyn townhouse.

  • Where did the giant cat go?

    Kamakura, Japan

    Nekonoike Tunnel

    This unassuming tunnel’s name recalls a storied "cat pond" that has now been lost.

  • A popular meeting place, Smith Drug Co. became a hotbed for the Civil Rights Movement in Hattiesburg.

    Hattiesburg, Mississippi

    Smith Drug Co.

    This historic drug store-turned-museum served an important role in the Civil Rights Movement.

  • Heritage Street.

    Henderson, Nevada

    Heritage Street

    Clark County Museum has created an entire street of historically important buildings relocated from various other locations within the county.

  • The historic Haarer Building.

    Ann Arbor, Michigan

    West Side Book Shop

    For books about travel, whether factual or fictional, the perfect antiquarian does exist.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.