San Francisco Union Square to Lotta's Fountain Walking Audio Tour by VoiceMap

San Francisco Union Square to Lotta's Fountain Walking Audio Tour by VoiceMap

This tour takes you from San Francisco's historic Union Square to the Hotel St. Francis, down Maiden Lane, and finishes at Lotta's Fountain. Explore the city with this masterful storyteller.

From the Powell St. BART Station, walk up Powell Street three blocks to Geary Boulevard. Union Square will be before you. Just walk to the tall pillar in the center of the square and hit "Start".

The tour is ready whenever you are and the audio plays automatically at exactly the right time and place using your smartphone's GPS and the VoiceMap mobile app, which also works offline.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Pass By: Union Square, 333 Post St San Francisco Shopping Districts, San Francisco, CA 94108-4901

Union Square is one of the city's earliest parks. It's on the land deeded to the people by Col. John Geary, the first American mayor of San Francisco, in 1850. The square gets its name from the pro-union rallies that were held here in the days before the Civil War.

Pass By: Westin St. Francis (hotel), 335 Powell St Union Square, San Francisco, CA 94102-1804

The St. Francis hotel has been a favorite of celebrities, royalty and presidents since it opened in 1904. One president in particular, Gerald Ford, was exiting its north entrance on September 22, 1975. Across the street stood Sarah Jane Moore, who pulled out a revolver and shot at President Ford on the spot.

Pass By: Maiden Lane, Between Stockton and Kearny Streets Union Square, San Francisco, CA

Today Maiden Lane is lined with cafés, boutiques, and galleries. It gives little hint of its notorious past, because prior to the earthquake and fire of 1906, this was called Morton Street, and it was a red light district.

Pass By: Grant Avenue, San Francisco, CA

Grant Avenue is the oldest street in San Francisco. In Spanish colonial times, it was known as Calle de la Fundacion. After the United States took over in 1847, it was renamed Dupont Street, and after the disaster of 1906, was renamed in honor of President Ulysses S. Grant.

Pass By: Lotta's Fountain, Coner of Geary-Market and Kearny Streets, San Francisco, CA

Every year on April 18, we gather at Lotta’s Fountain at 5 AM to remember that terrible day. Hundreds of people show up, many in period costume. A wreath is placed on the fountain, there are speeches and ceremonies, and sirens go off in the area at 5:12 AM: the exact moment of the earthquake.