Lotta’s Fountain

What you need to know

San Francisco’s Oldest Monument

The cast-iron fountain at the intersection of Market, Geary, and Kearny was dedicated on September 9, 1875, a gift to the city from actress Lotta Crabtree. The ornate Victorian ironwork stands on a traffic island in the heart of downtown. It’s painted gold today.

On April 18, 1906, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck San Francisco at 5:12 AM. The fires that followed burned for three days and destroyed about 80% of the city. The fountain survived. In the aftermath, with streets impassable and communication infrastructure gone, Lotta’s Fountain became a gathering point where people pinned notes looking for family members.

An annual earthquake commemoration started here in 1919 and still happens every April 18 at 5:12 AM. City officials, historians, and (in earlier decades) survivors have attended.

Visiting

Hours: Always accessible (it’s on a public sidewalk)

Cost: Free

Best time to go: April 18 at 5:12 AM for the annual commemoration. Otherwise, any time during a downtown walk.

What to know: The fountain is on a traffic island at a busy intersection. Look for the gold-painted column.

Getting There

Transit: BART or Muni Metro to Montgomery Station. The fountain is steps away. Every Market Street bus and streetcar passes it.

Parking: Union Square garage or Sutter-Stockton garage nearby.

Walking: At the junction of Market, Geary, and Kearny, near Union Square, the Financial District, and the Theater District.