A famous alternative culture epicenter and where Joplin serenaded young hippies.

The tea room that pushed the boundaries of adorable straight into...we can't find the words.

A man-made island in scenic San Francisco Bay.

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

This turn of the century masterpiece has a mysterious goaty interloper.

The only theatre in the world constructed specifically for sound movement.

Not merely a museum – but a whirring powerhouse that offers a subterranean peek into the heart and soul of cable car operations.

The remains of a ruined mansion memorialize the 1906 earthquake.

The largest whiskey stash on the West Coast survived the 1906 fires--but not without heroic effort.

A historic hotel that made a cameo in Hitchcock's classic film has no intention of letting guests forget its fame.

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

Gold Rush ship-turned-hotel buried underneath San Francisco's financial district.

Faceless white figures loom over the city from the rooftop.

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

A creepy steel gremlin has protected the Bay Bridge since 1989.

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

A nondescript building that's been functioning as a speakeasy for nearly a century and a half.

Only hotel where you can legally launder money.

Spiral labyrinth hidden in the hills above Oakland, CA.

A library built during San Francisco's pioneer times is a student's retreat, bibliophile's sanctuary, and chess player's delight.

A mysterious painting of the self-declared Emperor of the United States watches over a local hof-brau.

Recovered from the brink of extinction, at home in the Financial District.

San Francisco's oldest surviving monument and meeting place for 1906 survivors.

These WWII-era murals were initially booed as a libelous portrayal of the American dream but have survived multiple attempts to have them destroyed.