The Atlas Obscura Guide To

Hidden San Francisco

Discover 161 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in San Francisco, California

Community Picks Recently Added

The Wave Organ, San Francisco Bay

San Francisco, California

The Wave Organ

A huge musical instrument played by the ocean.

37.8085, -122.4398

Added by mbison

San Francisco, California

Secret Tiled Staircase

An artsy hidden staircase leads to breathtaking views of San Francisco.

37.7563, -122.4735

Added by rebeccaclara

San Francisco, California

Seward Street Slides

Bring your own cardboard to the slippery slopes of concrete hidden in a neighborhood park.

37.7576, -122.4400

Added by Annetta Black

Underground fresh water cisterns

San Francisco, California

Albion Castle

A 140 year old castle with underground caves hidden in San Francisco.

37.7315, -122.3756

Added by Annetta Black

Magowan's Infinite Mirror Maze.

San Francisco, California

Magowan's Infinite Mirror Maze

A psychedelic labyrinth on the San Francisco bay.

37.8100, -122.4104

Added by GuttersnipeRebecca

Alcatraz from the Bay 2012

San Francisco, California

Alcatraz Island

In all of the 29 years it was in operation, no prisoners ever escaped successfully... or so they claim.

37.8267, -122.4230

Added by AllisonEng

(Audium press photo)

San Francisco, California

Audium-Theatre of Sound-Sculptured Space

Only theater in the world constructed specifically for sound movement.

37.7883, -122.4239

Outside of the store. (Loved To Death)

San Francisco, California

Loved To Death

Storefront that specializes in Oddities, Victorian antiques, taxidermy and Jewelry. Home of The Articulated Art Gallery.

37.7695, -122.4502

Added by Facebook_1206914613

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Stories About San Francisco

Partier Wayne (surname unknown) dressed in drag at the Castro Café on Halloween 1976.

See Two Decades of San Francisco’s Wildest Queer Halloween Parties

The rise and demise of the night of the living dead.

by Natasha Frost

October 16, 2017

Emperor Norton, during his reign.

A New Map Tracks the Life of San Francisco's Emperor Norton

Walking tour, anyone?

by Sarah Laskow

February 21, 1985: The first MacWorld at Brooks Hall in San Francisco.

How San Francisco Chronicled Its Own Tech Boom

A look back at Silicon Valley's adolescence.

by Anika Burgess

Meet San Francisco Airport's New Welcome Pig

LiLou was hired for "her overall cuteness."

December 08, 2016

The blimp crash of August 16, 1942, in Daly City California.

The 1942 Ghost Blimp That Bewildered a California Town

The remains of the missing crew were never found.

October 17, 2016

Places You Can No Longer Go: Doggie Diner

The storied Bay Area restaurant has been reduced to a giant dog's head.

The Story Behind the Most Baffling Photo Taken on the Golden Gate Bridge

Why San Francisco’s mayor brought a blowtorch to open the city's new bridge.

by Erik Shilling

Escape Plan SF: A Tour of Tech History

This excursion is a fascinating glimpse into the rich lore of Silicon Valley.

Sponsored by Zipcar

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