Historic sites in California

Heritage and History

California’s heritage spans from maritime history at Fisherman’s Wharf and the iconic San Francisco Cable Cars to the golden age of cinema at Paramount and Warner Brothers Studios. This collection features architectural landmarks like the Art Deco Coit Tower and the Roman-inspired Getty Villa. It also preserves somber history at the Manzanar National Historic Site and engineering milestones such as the 19th-century Knight’s Ferry Bridge and the Old Mission Dam.

Wes Blevins / CC BY-SA 2.5

Fisherman's Wharf

Historic waterfront district featuring seafood restaurants, museums, shopping, and entertainment along scenic bay views.

San Francisco Cable Cars

Historic manually operated cable car system providing scenic rides on steep city hills. Recognized as a National Historic Landmark.

Kyle Harmon / CC BY 2.0

Coit Tower

64-meter high Art Deco observation tower built in 1933, featuring murals and panoramic views of the city and bay.

Coolcaesar / CC BY-SA 4.0

Paramount Studios

Historic film studio offering guided tours of movie and TV production facilities with family-friendly cinematography experiences.

Jllm06 / CC BY-SA 4.0

The Hollywood Museum

This museum of Hollywood memorabilia is a must-see for all fans of the silver screen.

MikeJiroch / CC BY-SA 3.0

Hollywood Forever Cemetery and Funeral Home

The final resting place of many Hollywood stars and celebrities. Famous people like George Harrison, Jean Howard, Pauline Hemingway, Dee Dee…

Junkyardsparkle / CC BY-SA 3.0

Warner Brothers Studio

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros.

Bobak Ha'Eri / CC BY 3.0

The Getty Villa

The Getty Villa is an educational center and art museum located at the easterly end of the Malibu coast in the Pacific Palisades…

Ed Bierman / CC BY 2.0

Point Pinos Lighthouse

Point Pinos Lighthouse was lit on February 1, 1855, to guide ships on the Pacific Coast of California.

rulenumberone2 / CC BY 2.0

The Mrs. Doubtfire House

The exterior of this house served for shots of Mrs.Doubtfire' house, the 1993 movie starring Robin Williams.

Eeekster / CC BY 3.0

Hetch Hetchy 6

Hetch Hetchy Railroad no. 6 is a standard gauge three truck Shay locomotive built for the Hetch Hetchy Railroad by Lima Locomotive Works in…

Leslieakf / CC BY-SA 3.0

Pulgas Water Temple

The Pulgas Water Temple is a stone structure in Redwood City, California, United States, designed by architect William G. Merchant.

Greg in Hollywood (Greg Hernandez) / CC BY 2.0

El Capitan Theatre

El Capitan Theatre is a fully restored movie palace at 6838 Hollywood Boulevard in the Hollywood neighborhood in Los Angeles, California,…

DavidLeighEllis / CC BY-SA 3.0

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph is a large Roman Catholic church in Downtown San Jose, which serves as the cathedral for the Roman…

National Park Service inventory / Public domain

Wall Street Mill

The Wall Street Mill in Joshua Tree National Park was a complete and operable gold ore crushing mill featuring late-19th century two-stamp…

The First Unitarian Church of San José

The First Unitarian Church of San Jose is located at 160 North Third Street in downtown San Jose, California, across from St.

Site of World’s First Broadcasting Station

A monument in San Jose marking the 1909 location of Charles Herrold’s station, the first to transmit regularly scheduled radio programs to a listening public.

Gmatsuda / CC BY 3.0

Manzanar National Historic Site

Manzanar is the site of one of ten American concentration camps, where more than 120,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World…

Bernard Gagnon / CC BY-SA 3.0

Waldo Waterman Monument

This is a List of San Diego Historic Landmarks. In 1967, the City of San Diego established a Historical Resources Board with the authority…

Philkon (Phil Konstantin) / CC BY-SA 3.0

Old Mission Dam

The Old Mission Dam is a historic water impoundment structure in Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego, California.

Knight's Ferry Bridge

The Knight's Ferry Bridge is a historic covered bridge spanning the Stanislaus River at Knights Ferry, California.

The Old Bridge

A 1922 Pratt through truss bridge spanning the Russian River in Guerneville. Originally a vehicle crossing, this historic structure now serves as a pedestrian walkway.