Washington Square Park
One of the interesting sights in our San Francisco – Barbary Bastions and Gold Rush Dreams walking tour.
Full tour: 2.5 hours 3 miles Mini guide · Phone tour stop

Established in the 1850s, Washington Square Park became the open heart of North Beach. Framed by cafés, restaurants, and the twin towers of Saints Peter and Paul Church, it’s where generations of residents have gathered for festivals, bocce games, and… Take the tour to get all the stories, key facts, and little known details!

Some of the questions we delve into at this stop.
  • When was the square first laid out?
  • How does Saints Peter and Paul connect to the park?
  • What role did it play after the 1906 quake?

On the tour, our guides delve into these questions with clear, fact based explanations you can listen to on the spot.

This is just one of 11+ main stops on this self guided phone tour, plus there are optional hidden gems that only appear inside the tour.

On the live tour.
  • Plays on your own mobile phone with no group schedule or meet up point.
  • Live GPS map shows your location and each stop as you move through the city.
  • Stories read aloud by our virtual tour guides, Tom and Tammy, with local tips and simple wayfinding.
  • A scrolling SmartWalk tips banner shares quick local hints, little known facts, and orientation between stops.
  • Each stop includes a custom built “learn more” link you can tap if you want to dig deeper.
  • Thirty days of access on that device so you can split the walk and explore at your own pace.
Plan your walk.

This page provides information to help you decide if this tour is right for you. The live tour uses a live GPS map, provides a wealth of stories and interesting facts, and includes hidden gems that only appear inside the tour.

Bottom line: This walk turns a simple visit into an experience, mixing solid history with moments of fun and a little intrigue, so you leave with stories you remember and something to share with friends and family back home.