• Many San Francisco Victorian homes were destroyed in the 1906 fire caused by the earthquake.a victorian palette image by Stormy Ward from Fotolia.com
  
  San Francisco has many attractions that make the City by the Bay a major objective for American and international tourists. In addition to the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Golden Gate Park, the Redwood Forrest and plenty of other attractions, San Francisco also offers a handful of especially famous, historic homes. These homes are noted for their architecture, age and style.
  
  

The Cliff House

• In 1863, Senator John Buckley and C.C. Butler built the now famous Cliff House. Named for its geographic location overlooking the Pacific ocean, the Cliff House sits in the center of the Sutro Historic Landscape District and in one of the largest national urban parks in the U.S. Butler rented the house to Captain Junius Foster, who opened the Cliff Restaurant. Well-known families like the Stanfords and Hearsts frequented the restaurant. It was completely remodeled by Mayor Adolf Sutro in 1907 only to be destroyed by a fire before its reopening. The house was eventually rebuilt with a two-story dining room with a panoramic ocean view and original neoclassical design.
  
  Though no hotel is located there, the Cliff House offers a casual bistro and upscale restaurant (Sutro's), wedding and special event hosting, historical walking tours around Sutro's "pleasure garden" on the House's grounds, and beach and walking trails.
  
  Cliff House
  
  1090 Point Lobos Ave
  
  San Francisco, CA 94121
  
  415-386-3330
  
  cliffhouse.com
  
  

The Painted Ladies

• Between 1850 and 1900, around 48,000 Victorian homes were built in San Francisco as a response to its population explosion. The 1906 earthquake destroyed some of these homes, and others were torn down for development. A notable group of these homes sits on "Postcard Row". These houses, most built in the 1890s, are frequently photographed and used for film and television sets. The homes are painted with vibrant colors best viewed in the afternoon sun. The Haas-Lilienthal House on nearby Franklin is elaborately designed, furnished with period furniture and open to the public. Pacific Heights also boasts some of the most expensive Victorian mansions in the city. Walking tours are available of these neighborhoods.
  
  Haas-Lilienthal House
  
  2007 Franklin St.
  
  San Francisco, CA‎ 94109
  
  415-441-3004
  
  

Octagon House

• This home pays tribute to the Octagonal house fad that took place in San Francisco during the 1850s. Such houses typically had dormer windows and roof lanterns. A book on healthy living inspired the odd-shaped structures. The Octagon house is the only remaining one in San Francisco. It now serves as a museum, open to the public. Since the home also acts as the home for the National Society of Colonial Dames of America, many colonial items (not relevant to San Francisco's history) furnish the building.
  
  Octagon House
  
  2645 Gough St.
  
  San Francisco, CA 94123
  
  415-441-7512
  
  Unionstreetshop.com