San Francisco Guide to Sightseeing
Name: Mission District Murals
Address: 2981 24th St.

San Francisco is known for its diverse culture, and there is no better example of this than the dozens of murals in the Mission district. Off the beaten tourist path, this hidden gem of past and present Hispanic, Latino, and Chicano culture in San Francisco is one of the most beautiful sights of the city. And what’s best, these murals are ever changing—no matter how many times you will go back to visit (and you will), there will always be new murals to see, a new piece of culture to learn about.

Since the mid-70’s, local artists have painted murals all over the neighborhood, on all different mediums: Fences, garage doors, and sides of buildings. The murals, which at their conception attempted to call attention to the injustices and atrocities in Central America, now reflect the joy, strife, acvitivism, and pride of current Latin Americans living in San Francisco. While Balmy Alley the best known spot to view the murals—over 40 in the equivilent of a half-block—there is a six-block radius which showcases at least 30 more.

Precita Eyes Center (2981 24th St), which oversees much of the painting of the murals, offers guided walking tours through the Mission District streets on the weekend. The tour covers over 70 of the district’s murals. Since there are so many murals in such a closed area, the tour doesn’t take long—only about 10 blocks worth of walking—but the indelible impression these murals will have on you will be well worth the price on your feet. There is one Saturday tour (at 1:30) and two Sunday tours (at 11:00 and 1:30), and the general admission is $12.