The Painted Ladies and Victorian Homes of Alamo Square Tour

Explore historic Alamo Square park and get up close and personal with the beautiful Painted Ladies of Postcard Row.

Take the ultimate Painted Ladies and Alamo Square walking tour with Go City® 

• Your pass includes a walking tour in and around San Francisco’s historic Alamo Square.
• Just pitch up at to the meeting point with your pass and you’re good to go.
• Your San Francisco pass also includes dozens of other top attractions, tours and experiences, all for one money-saving price. 

About this experience 

San Francisco is blessed with some truly photogenic neighborhoods, and the area around Alamo Square park has become something of a mecca for Instagram addicts. We’re talking elevated views of the San Francisco skyline, plus lovely old Victorian mansions like Chateau Tivoli and the historic William Westerfeld House. 

Not only that: Steiner Street, which runs adjacent to Alamo Square is home to one of the city’s most photogenic attractions. Step forward the fabulous Painted Ladies of Postcard Row, a descending chorus line of eye-candy Victorian houses decorated in pastel pinks, baby blues, mellow yellows and sage greens. It’s here that your neighborhood walking tour begins, taking in fine views of the ‘ladies’ and their attendant backdrop of financial district skyscrapers and the spindly legs of the Sutro Tower.

As you continue your stroll, your guide will regale you with tales of the role Alamo Hill played in fighting the 1906 earthquake fires, and how the neighborhood rose rejuvenated from the ashes afterwards. You’ll also take in views of the City Hall’s dramatic Beaux-Arts dome and get a chance to step inside Chateau Tivoli, another of the district’s most celebrated Painted Ladies.

Pause at William Westerfeld House, a grand confection built for German candy magnate Westerfeld in the 1880s and, last but by no means least, pay a visit to the historic Third Baptist Church in the Western Addition District, the city’s first African-American church.

Why choose Go City®?  

• Customers save money on sightseeing with our pass vs. buying regular walk-up tickets.
• Our app makes sightseeing easy – your pass, plus all the info you’ll need is right there in the palm of your hand.  
• No need to worry about buying tickets on the day, this Alamo Square walking tour is included with your pass.

Painted Ladies and Alamo Square tour highlights

Painted Ladies – snap the colorful Painted Ladies of Postcard Row to your heart’s content and step inside the splendid Chateau Tivoli.

William Westerfeld House – once the home of a German confectionery magnate, this grand residence later housed Russian czarists, earning it the nickname ‘the Russian Embassy’.

City Hall – admire the grand dome of the City Hall and discover what makes it so special.

Third Baptist Church – explore other key landmarks in the Western Addition neighborhood, including the city’s first Black church.

Painted Ladies and Alamo Square tour facts

• The Painted Ladies of Postcard Row are the most famous of these Victorian homes, which can be found throughout the Western Addition and Haight-Ashbury districts; the row’s pink house sold for a reported $3.5m in 2020.
• Former residents of William Westerfeld House include African-American jazz legend John Handy and avant-garde filmmaker Kenneth Anger; members of The Grateful Dead and Big Brother and the Holding Company are also said to have been regular visitors in the late 1960s.
• The Third Baptist Church was founded in 1852 and occupied many locations in its history before finding a permanent home in the Western Addition in 1952.
• The 1990s American sitcom Full House featured Alamo Square park and the Painted Ladies in its opening sequence.

Go City is the best choice for maximum savings and flexibility when sightseeing in San Francisco. Your pass includes the Painted Ladies and Alamo Square walking tour, plus admission to dozens more top San Francisco attractions.

Getting in

Meet your guide on the stone steps at the intersection of Hayes Street and Pierce Street (575 Pierce St.). You should plan to arrive 15 minutes before the tour start time.

Painted Ladies and Alamo Square tour FAQs

How much walking does the tour involve? The tour covers about half a mile at a leisurely pace over a roughly 90-minute period. We recommend wearing comfortable shoes.

What happens if it rains? Tours go ahead rain or shine and will only be canceled in extreme weather conditions. Bring an umbrella or waterproof jacket if rain is forecast.

For more information, visit the Experience First website.