A winding path built in secret on the edge of the continent.

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

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

An overlooked and unassuming engineering marvel.

In all of the 29 years it was in operation, no prisoners ever escaped successfully... or so they claim.

This concrete tangle of square pipes has stood as a proud thorn in the city's side since the '70s.

The century-old bell and clock tower at UC Berkeley is the third-tallest in the world, and has fossils.

This subtle Berkeley paving stone actually marks off a lawless tube of air that extends into space.

An art collective teaching the more fiery, metal-y art forms.

Dive bar built out of the remains of a whaling ship.

Oakland's beautiful monumental cemetery.

A massive ultra-modern church presents a science-fiction view of Catholicism's inclusive future.

This Oakland fairytale kingdom, fiercely devoted to childlike whimsy, was an early inspiration for Disneyland.

A 1914 beaux arts auditorium that sat shuttered for 20 years, restored and reopened in 2026

A restored 1920s cascade stairway provides one of the best views of Oakland's Lake Merritt.

The memorial to the victims of the Jonestown Massacre carries the names of 918 lost, including one name people wish wasn't there.

Odd stone and concrete monuments in the "Poet of the Sierras" eclectic folly garden.

Concrete strongholds stand guard over the Golden Gate.

Relics of the 1894 Midwinter Exposition continue to delight visitors today.

An elaborate gift from Claus Spreckels is now a piece of San Francisco history.

This shop specializes in oddities and Victorian-inspired wonders.

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

The giant pair of sexy legs sticking out the window of this costume store have become its main draw.

A shining, cold, black organ lies in San Francisco's financial district.