Bite-Sized Review: The Only Victorian House in SF That Operates as a Museum
By Katherine Castillo
Located on 2007 Franklin Street in San Francisco, the Haas-Lilienthal House is the only intact Victorian house in the city that operates as a museum complete with original furniture and artifacts. This magnificent Victorian architecture is a must-visit place to every resident of the city.
This Queen Anne style residence is ideal to visit during a weekend, and it only takes about one hour to tour. The house is full of items from the date and the original owners.
San Francisco, California. Feb. 23. Katherine Castillo/The Guardsman
The bedrooms, kitchen and bathrooms have original pieces such as handmade tablecloths, wooden toys and books from the 1700’s. What surprised me the most when I visited the museum was the enormous amount of intact crockery that they had on display. Since this house survived the 1906 earthquake, you can also appreciate some cracks in the larger walls of the house when going to the second floor.
The museum offers audio tours in several languages, which makes the visit more informative and enjoyable.
On Halloween the museum recreates the house as a haunted mansion, decorating its interior and offering a spooky audio tour. Is an ideal plan for a Halloween night.
The museum also offers a Christmas special season, which I personally have attended and can recommend. Their Holiday Teas are a true sensory delight, with a fully furnished house of Christmas decorations, the experience is ideal for kids and family.
The guided tours for the museum are offered on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 3 p.m. You can buy the tickets on-site and reservations are not required unless the group size is 10 or more people. The price varies depending on age: general entry is $10, seniors (60+) and youth (6-12) is $8, and SFH members or children aged 5 and under are free.