This modern theatre is housed inside a convent constructed more than 300 years ago.

In this century-old literary safehouse, print is alive and well.

A pair of mutilated bronze octopuses slump at the base of the monument honoring California's admission to the U.S.

A quiet nook at the top of a little-known hilltop park named after California's first poet laureate.

This concrete tangle of square pipes has stood as a proud thorn in the city's side since the '70s.

One of few lasting examples of the brief octagon craze that developed into folly.

This residential door allows San Francisco muggles a glimpse at the wizarding world.

Noble beasts perhaps, but not the Emperor's dogs.

An art supply shop holds the secrets of this quiet neighborhood's raucous Barbary Coast past.

A collection of memorabilia from the Beat era in the back of a San Francisco bookstore.

With the touch of a button, you can read a randomly selected short story.

This tall and trim architectural oddity is one of the skinniest buildings in San Francisco.

Faceless white figures loom over the city from the rooftop.

The stones that traveled from Spain to eventually become a holy place for San Francisco's nature worshippers.

Alleyway plaque commemorating the death of a fictional character in The Maltese Falcon, not far from the author's home.

Nestled in the heart of San Francisco’s bustling Financial District stands a unique homage to the Mayan and Beaux Arts.

A favorite haunt of dinosaur loving children and hallucinogen loving hippies alike.

A brooding mansion of clinker brick stands out among the Victorian houses of Pacific Heights.

The rustic cabin-like decor of this Arts and Crafts-style church reflects the love of nature central to its little-known theology.

The restored and active Victorian-era final resting place of San Francisco.

The longest continuously operating Elk's Lodge in the country.

Longtime headquarters of controversial boys' club for the world's wealthiest and most powerful.

The second building of its name to occupy this location might be the finest flatiron building in San Francisco.

An overlooked and unassuming engineering marvel.