The Stanford Court Hotel sits atop Nob Hill, occupying the precise ground where railroad tycoon Leland Stanford built a two-million-dollar mansion in eighteen seventy-six. On the eastern edge of the property, you can find a basalt and…
Nob Hill Mansions and Views
Walk the crest of San Francisco's most exclusive hill to see where the Gilded Age railroad and silver barons built their colossal estates. This route guides you past historic luxury hotels, imposing Gilded Age clubs, and towering cathedrals while offering spectacular views of the city below.
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1. Stanford Court San Francisco
2. InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco by IHG
The nineteen-story InterContinental Mark Hopkins rises from the crest of Nob Hill with a blend of French chateau and Spanish Renaissance architecture. It opened on December 4, 1926, on the site where railroad magnate Mark Hopkins once…
3. Fairmont San Francisco
The Fairmont San Francisco is a sprawling granite and white terra cotta structure that occupies an entire block at the crest of Nob Hill. Its most distinct feature is the juxtaposition between the ornate, seven-story Beaux-Arts main…
4. The Brocklebank Apartments
The Brocklebank Apartments sit at the summit of Nob Hill, identifiable by the tower’s L-shaped massing that pulls back from the corner of Mason and Sacramento streets. Built in nineteen twenty-six and designed by the firm Weeks and Day,…
5. Pacific-Union Club
The Pacific-Union Club occupies a massive, three-story mansion of reddish-brown stone that fills an entire city block on Nob Hill. Built in eighteen eighty-six for the silver magnate James Clair Flood, it holds the distinction of being the…
6. Huntington Park
Huntington Park is a square city block defined by its central Fountain of the Tortoises and its location atop Nob Hill. Bordered by California, Taylor, Sacramento, and Cushman streets, the park occupies the site where the elaborate white…
7. Grace Cathedral
Grace Cathedral is defined by massive French Gothic architecture, featuring two soaring towers and a facade that mirrors the proportions of Notre Dame in Paris. Perched atop Nob Hill, the building consists of poured concrete and serves as…
8. Cable Car Museum
The Cable Car Museum is housed within the brick walls of the historic Washington and Mason powerhouse, marked by the large, operational sheaves and winding machinery visible through its windows. While it functions as a museum, this…