Weird History 1896 UFO 127 years ago, a mysterious phantom in the night sky had the San Francisco Bay Area buzzing.
San Francisco Zoo Storyland From 1959 to the 1990s, kids could step into fairy tales at the San Francisco Zoo.
Paid-members only Grab Bag Grab Bag #024 Newly discovered Kodachrome slides of the 1939–1940 Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island, the elephant train, and a sailor's liberty options in 1945.
Sunset District Secret Ice Rink Remembering the San Francisco Ice Arena, once hidden in the the middle of a Sunset District block.
Paid-members only Grab Bag Grab Bag #023 Real pyramids, faux antiquities, hoodlums, and San Francisco's "Crabville-by-the-Sea."
Mission District Hot Air Sundays In the 1860s and 1870s, balloon mishaps were a weekly draw in San Francisco's Mission District.
Paid-members only Grab Bag Grab Bag #022 Moving picture on a moving streetcar, roller-skate stunts, and return of the SF time machine.
Lone Mountain Lone Mountain Today the site of the University of San Francisco, in 1892 Lone Mountain was a scrubby cross-crowned hill.
Van Ness Auto Row The Buick Bug An important early racing car lost, found, donated to a museum, lost again, and found again in a different museum.
Paid-members only Grab Bag Grab Bag #021 Change, Kodachrome, an Egyptian temple, and a fire house ditty.
Chinatown Telephone Temple A mash-up architectural style helped save San Francisco's Chinatown and made a utilitarian building a tourist attraction.
Elephants Seeing the Elephant The world's largest land mammals, metaphorical and real, in San Francisco history.
Paid-members only Grab Bag Grab Bag #020 The latest ruminations and admiration sent from a fogged-in outpost of San Francisco.
Russian Hill Jobson’s Folly In the 1860s, San Francisco's Russian Hill was where one could get above it all thanks to one man's failed scheme.
Visitacion Valley Visitacion Valley Mile Houses Water for the horse, something stronger for the driver at these 19th century San Francisco roadhouses.
Paid-members only Grab Bag Grab Bag #019 The Spreckels legacy in San Francisco: sugar factory, skyscraper, museum, my nephew's band name...
Richmond District Corner Store In the Richmond District you can still get milk, beer, or a candy bar at the neighborhood market.
Civic Center The Queen of California and the Booster Ball All a sluggish San Francisco needed in 1921 was some pageantry and one killer dance party.
Sunset District The Milk Punch Janitress Reading, 'riting, and rum? An 1895 conflict between an Inner Sunset roadhouse and a San Francisco school.
