Alamo Square is a hilltop park, but its fame comes from the row of Victorian houses on its eastern edge, on Steiner Street between Hayes and Grove. The six matching Queen Anne houses, built between 1892 and 1896 by developer Matthew Kavanaugh, are known as the Painted Ladies, usually photographed with the downtown skyline rising behind them.
The row appears in the opening of the television show Full House and on countless postcards. The houses are private residences. The best view is from the top of the park’s east slope, especially in late afternoon light. The park was a refuge during the 1906 earthquake.
Part of a self-guided walking tour
