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San Rafael

The Atlas Obscura Guide To San Rafael

3 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in San Rafael, California

Updated February 17, 2025

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Unusual Attractions in San Rafael

The statue is at San Rafael High School in northern California.

San Rafael, California

420 Louis Pasteur Statue

Of all the origin stories for weed's secret code, this one likely has the goods.

Marin County Civic Center.

San Rafael, California

Marin County Civic Center

Frank Lloyd Wright died a year before construction on his largest public project even began.

Front window display.

San Rafael, California

Museum of International Propaganda

Built from one couple’s vast personal collection, this free museum showcases a century’s worth of state-sponsored agitprop.

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Statue of Yoda.

San Anselmo, California

Imagination Park

George Lucas donated this park to honor the birthplace of his two biggest movie franchises.

1 mile from San Rafael

40 trees line the avenue, and you have to drive around them

Larkspur, California

Dolliver Park

At night, a grove of towering redwood trees growing through the pavement block out all light from the so-called “Dark Park” of Madrone Avenue.

2 miles from San Rafael

Vintage bikes such as this 1941 Schwinn were key to the development of mountain biking.

Fairfax, California

Marin Museum of Bicycling and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame

Centuries of biking history are nestled in the shadow of the birthplace of contemporary mountain biking.

3 miles from San Rafael

The gates of San Quentin

San Quentin, California

San Quentin Prison Gift Shop

This infamous prison has a store where you can buy goods crafted by incarcerated people.

3 miles from San Rafael

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore San Rafael, California

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Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.

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