Painted Ladies – San Francisco’s colorful skyline

Picture San Francisco. You’re probably thinking of the Golden Gate Bridge, steep hills and colorful wooden houses. Those might well be the Painted Ladies – a series of elegant pastel-colored houses lining Alamo Park.

The Painted Ladies have become the city’s ‘Postcard Row’, an essential photo stop on our San Francisco Bus Tour. Hop off to get the tightly squeezed Victorian houses framed perfectly on your camera – with the city’s skyscraping skyline in the background for the ultimate SF photo.

Explore Alamo Square

Around the square there’s even more stunning architecture to take in. Along the north side you’ll discover more Barbary Coast mansions in the Baroque style, complete with wooden shingle scales and high peaked rooftops.

There’s no better spot to kick back on the lush grass of the park, soak up some sun and simply let the incredible views of the city sink in.

Other interesting facts about the Painted Ladies

  • The term ‘Painted Ladies’ was first used by Elizabeth Pomada and Micheal Larson in their 1978 bookPainted Ladies – San Francisco’s Resplendent Victorians
  • The houses were built between 1892 and 1896 by developer Matthew Kavanaugh, who lived nextdoor at 722 Steiner Street
  • The Painted Ladies of Postcard Row have appeared in more than 70 movies, TV shows and advertisements
  • There are roughly 14,000 Victorian houses in the city, many of them painted bright colors, but the examples in Alamo Park are the most well-known
  • The best views are from the edge of the park at the junction of Steiner and Hayes Streets