Barbary Coast Trail® Tours

There are several options for touring the Barbary Coast Trail®.

Guided Tours

Periodic tours of each of the four segments of the Barbary Coast Trail® are conducted by San Francisco Museum and Historical Society volunteers. Tours are free for SFMHS members, $15 for non-members. Reservations are required; please call (415) 537-1105 ext 100, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . The upcoming schedule appears below.

Special Group Tours

Special group tours can be arranged through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling the Society at 415-537-1105.

Self-guided Tours

The Barbary Coast Trail® is a self-guided walking tour, using the printable map or a trail guide.

Barbary Coast Trail® Tour Segments

Part 1: Silver Strikes, Earthquakes and Lion Dancers
Meet on the front steps of the Old Mint for a tour through Union Square, Maiden Lane, and the oldest Asian temple in the United States.

Part 2: Gold Rushers, Shanghaiiers and Jazz Dancers
Meet at the Schoolhouse Monument at Portsmouth Square for a tour of Commercial Street, San Francisco's original shoreline, and the Jackson Square historic district.

Part 3: Hipsters, Paesani and Semaphore Hill
Meet in front of the Vesuvio Cafe and City Lights Bookstore on Columbus near Broadway to cover the "beat" era, Washington Square, and the Depression-era murals at Coit Tower.

Part 4: Stevedores, Feluccas and Windjammers
Meet at Kearny and the Embarcadero to explore San Francisco's history as a port city and the era of the longshoremen.

As of January, 2013, regular Barbary Coast Trail® tours are temporarily on hiatus.

We apologize for any inconvenience. We hope to resume regular tours in the coming months.

SFMHS events are sponsored in part by a grant from Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund.