STUNNING, STUNNING, STUNNING!…read more This stunning French chateau is a must see . . . IF you're lucky enough to be selected from their lottery. Check their official website, there were four weeks displayed and I was fortunate to get the week of my birthday. Wednesdays only from 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. We were divided into two groups. The docent led us indoors and we were able to see the "downstairs" (staff area). We proceeded throughout the first floor and saw a variety of rooms: library, dining area, lacquer room, loggia, and ended at the backside of the mansion (must see pool). The docent was knowledgeable, humorous and passionate sharing stores about the owners of the mansion, the history, furnishings and such. I HIGHLY recommend.

This is the best kept secret in California - A Docent lead 2+ hour tour into one of the grandest…read moreand most beautiful historic mansion and it is absolutely free! It doesn't even have a gift shop for you to buy anything! The downside - the tours are conducted only once a week on Wednesday - and due to high demand, it is by lottery only. Consider yourself winning the jackpot if you got selected to go on the tour. Allen, the Curator personally lead us to a wonderful tour. They are all volunteers, doing it because they love the house and nothing else! Allen is witty, funny, extremely knowledgeable and absolutely the best. The house is beautiful, the grounds are well kept, everything is authentic as if you are going back in time to the turn of the 20th century. Highly recommend visiting this wondeful mansion- absolutely the best value you can ever get from a tour!

Who knew there was a castle in Pacifica? A nice visit if you're into history, architecture and want…read moreto see some views. Built in 1908 by the San Francisco rail magnate Henry Harrison McCloskey by the sea as a safe haven after his San Francisco home was severely damaged in the 1906 earthquake. It was later sold by his wife after her husband's death in 1914 Up until 1959, it had a reputation as a speakeasy, an illegal abortion clinic, a brothel and Coast Guard barracks during World War II. The castle was purchased and restored in 1959 by the late Sam Mazza, commercial painter and real estate magnate filled it with items from old theaters (fixtures, props) and items he purchased at garage sales...so a lot of kitschy items can be found. Place was never used as a residence but hosting parties and used as an event space. The place isn't as grand as I had imagined but definitely back in the day when Pacifica wasn't quite developed. A bit worn on the outside with no greenery and can see it providing a creepy backdrop at night. The docents (dressed as Mr and Mrs McCloskey) and Jeanette Cool, Executive Director of the Sam Mazza Foundation provided rich history that made it interesting and fun. The tour is 1.5 hours with a 10min video from 2000 of Sam Mazza at age 94...energetic and a bit quirky, eccentric with unique taste. All his real estate holdings, including the castle, and his art was left to his foundation after he passed in 2002. So now the castle provides tours, afternoon tea, holiday events and even a Halloween event with a medium...yeah friend bought tickets for that! An enjoyable visit with light refreshments after so grab a bite to eat before or after your tour

Visited the Mazza Castle (aka Sam's Castle) on a Sunday evening for the Castle Music Salon. We were…read moreable to enjoy the extraordinary sounds of the Musical Art Quintet, talented musicians playing a wide range of tunes on string instruments including the cello, bass, violin, and viola (x2). The entire group was in good spirits and focused on their performance, yet also carefree as they spoke to the audience of their music and history. Refreshments were included with the ticket price, including various wine offerings. And guests were able to roam around the inside of the castle and explore a few of the different rooms before the show and during intermission. There was a steep hill on the drive up, but it wasn't too scary. The castle itself is beautiful, the structure simpler on the outside, but the inside, restored by Sam Mazza, is covered in quirky decor, furnishings, instruments, and artifacts collected from throughout the bay area (a lot of interesting paintings and sculptures, and even a suit of armour on the lower level). There's much to learn about this monument's incredible history, including its past as an illegal abortion clinic, its days as a speakeasy (Chateau Lafayette), and even its origin as a safe haven for Henry Harrison McCloskey's family when it was first built following the 1906 earthquake. Castle tours are available by reservation, organized by the Sam Mazza Foundation. They also hold a number of special events here occasionally, including the amazing Castle Music Salon that I recently attended. It's certainly worth a visit, I think moreso when you can view the castle in conjunction with an event.

The Emperor's tour is informative, fun, funny, and memorable…read more He is a delightful, knowledgeable gentleman.

All hail Emperor Norton and his Fantastic Time Machine! One of the best things I've ever done in…read moreSan Francisco -- and the way I came across this tour was by total chance! I happened to be walking through Union Square one weekend morning and saw a gentleman dressed as Emperor Norton. I thought he was a street performer, but boy was I surprised to find out he was about to lead a walking tour! Being a history nerd and someone who was already familiar with the Emperor, I bought a ticket for the downtown tour on the spot, and had such a good experience the next day I bought a ticket for the waterfront tour. It's an enjoyable, leisurely stroll through San Francisco -- full of fun facts and trivia about the city, and Joseph is a delightful host and guide. I feel he lives up to the ideals and sentiments of both Emperor Norton and the city of San Francisco itself, and this is my #1 recommendation whenever a friend tells me they're going to visit SF (although, of course, I'm always sure to NEVER refer to it as "Frisco").

Best Bay Area tours was awesome. We really enjoyed our charter trip and experience to Reno. Above…read moreand beyond that will leave an unforgettable memory that I and my family will forever cherish ! Thank you Best Bay Area Tours !!

Greatest tour I've ever taken. Our tour guide "Big C" was awesome. He was super informative and…read moreaccommodating. Our whole group were in the best hands possible. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone. Can't wait for our next adventure. Loved it!

My husband and I took Rick's walking tour on Oct. 12 and it was even better than expected! We both…read morelearned so much about buildings we'd passed by often and not realized were symbolic to the architecture of the era. We also loved how Rick pointed out the privately owned public spaces (POPOs) nearby that we never knew about. He also provides lots of information about how to find these in every city. I highly recommend this tour to SF locals and tourists alike- you won't be disappointed.

This was so interesting!! We took my in-laws when they were in town visiting, but us locals learned…read morejust as much. You tell Rick is very passionate about what he does. We were shown buildings we walk by regularly in a whole new light and loved being shown all the privately owned public parks hidden throughout the city!!! He even sends a map of all the parks after the class. Highly recommend for tourists and locals alike!

I chose Evan because his Thumbtack profile set very high expectations for detailed, efficient,…read moreorganizing and packing, and he fully lived up to those expectation and thoroughly he worked!

My boyfriend booked Evan to take our family around Solano county area. He was very friendly,…read moreprovided water for us if we needed it, opened our doors for us, and even offered to take us to see the sunset! He let us explore around the area for a bit and also took pictures for us. Most importantly he got us to our destination safely for every stop we had (we had a total of 3 rides & 6 stops with Evan that day). Thank you Evan!

Filoli is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I've visited. The gardens are immaculately…read moremaintained, with stunning seasonal flowers, perfectly designed landscapes, and countless picturesque spots at every turn. The staff and volunteers are warm, welcoming, and incredibly knowledgeable, which adds so much to the experience. You can truly feel the care and pride that goes into maintaining the property. Whether you're going for a relaxing walk, taking photos, or just looking to unwind, Filoli is a must-visit. It's a hidden gem that never disappoints.

Came for Mother's Day…read more Beautiful weather with gorgeous blooms! Bring a picnic blanket to enjoy the afternoon. They have wonderful popsicle flavors at the bars and some food trucks. $49/adult now

On the plane exiting at SFO and the girl in front of us was talking about the blue painted lady…read moretour by George Horsfall. It is his private residence and tours are given everyday he is home at 4:00 for $30. George is an notable figure in the area walking his 2 golden retrievers daily. His family has owned the house for years and he hosts charity events, music recitals, movie set cast parties and dinner parties for his friend in his historical home. The decor downstairs is a blast from the past with in tact stenciling, wall paper, and turn off the century original detail. He freely shares so much history and detail of the area, historical development and decline in the area. The wealth of knowledge here is abundant. If you want to be enchanted by really good stories told by an interesting educator and learn historical information of the area, invest time in the 90 minutes with George and the magical stories about the blue painted ladies. It is time really well spent. A GREAT TOUR!

I would like to be positive about this but it's hard. Yes, fun to be inside one of the famed…read morePainted Ladies but we did not learn very much about the home. There were some discrepancies in what we were told and what public records will tell you about this house. But overall, this "tour" really is about George's life and his mother's life. He finds a way to find some minute thing in the home that he can then go on a 10-minute story about that has nothing to do with the home. Lots of name dropping. Even showing a video of him on the Austrian Alp that Julie Andrews was on for the Sound of Music. It has absolutely nothing to do with the house. We were ushered through the living room, dining room and kitchen in about a minute and a half. I would have liked more details about those rooms. All of the rooms, for that matter. But this is really a story about George's life while you happen to be in one of the Painted Ladies.

So clean and so fresh. Everyone here was so helpful and its basically all volunteer based…read more Come during the week because is closed on weekends Hard to find parking but the garage always has spots

I was born with a Japanese experience in USA..schoolmates and Kristi Yamaguchi..eating Japanese…read morefood..Japanese and Chinese etc.. Read some reviews about this San Francisco organization...in Japantown. I was visiting the Presidio on the weekend..found a notecard..it's quaint and nice...I didn't know about this organization until I visited the Presidio within the last month..I had to Google to find the address..showed up and had a nice visit on a Saturday.. read some posts and you will feel more acquainted with the community in Japantown Showed regional artwork and served refreshments..held a meeting..inside..brings you back to 1990...first time for things Bye Bye Yelp.com---So Long Farewell Auf Wedersehn Goodbye...My father's birthday today and I am 40...this concludes my Yelp notes...Japanese Historical Society in San Francisco, CA. Goodbye folks...that's my story and I am sticking to it...bless you The end..goodbye...

Came there late night on Saturday the 10th. Was a gift for my 16 year old son. We loved it and the…read moreguide Alilyi (?) was remarkable. I will tell everyone I know locals (like me) or others asking what to do in SF!

I've been on a lot of ghost tours, and this one was fantastic! Great mix of history and light ghost…read moreinvestigating. Not gimmicky or fake. Aliya was our tour guide and very knowledgeable about the area and tools for ghost hunting. Definitely recommend this tour!