Haas-Lilienthal House Castles, Palaces & Historic Buildings

A Queen Anne Victorian

2007 Franklin Street
San Francisco,
CA, 94109
United States
Phone No. +1 415 441 3004
Fax No. +1 415 441 3015
Visit Websitehttp://www.sfheritage.org/hous..
E mailsadams@sfheritage.org
Cards Accepted:

Overview

The first thing you will learn here is that the fanciful polychrome paint jobs on San Francisco's Victorians are a recent invention. This turreted-and-gabled gingerbread fantasy is a uniform and authentic shade of gray. Inside, this large house still feels like the family home that it was from 1886 to 1972, with rooms covered in expensive wood paneling, embossed wallpapers and featuring marble fireplaces. Guided tours leave every 20-30 minutes and last about an hour.

Open Hours

We from 12:00 PM to 03:00 PM, Sa from 12:00 PM to 03:00 PM, Su from 11:00 AM to 04:00 PM

Ghost in the bathroomby Yahoo | 2007-08-20 04:44:21 |

We were there for a Saturday afternoon tour (August 2007) and just before our tour started, I used the restroom on the basement level (the one available for the public). It is approximately a 4.5'x9' space with a single toilet and sink on the far end opposite the door (which I had locked after I entered), the sink being placed diagonally in the right corner. As I was washing my hands, bent over the sink, (with my right side buns facing the door), I was quite surprised by "something" pushing by me on my right buns - it felt like a person trying to get by me and running into me. I instantly spun around to see who was in the bathroom with me, so obviously so up close and personal. I could see no one. It was then that my mind realized that this was apparently a ghost. My body didn't think this was was quite as fascinating as my mind did - it got me out of there in a half second. So, to answer the questions, was it fun and would I recommend it to others....yes and yes. The ghost part was fun like a huge rollercoaster ride is fun.... well, sort of. The tour was interesting and I appreciated the tour guide's description of the historical relevence of certain aspects of the decor and building. One disappointment, though, was that one did not get to see the entire house, as there were parts that were used for the managing company's "offices". Still, it was worth the time and money to "go back in time" to imagine how this house looked and functioned at the end of the nineteenth century (built in 1886, I believe). As for the ghost, I mentioned it to both the ticket seller and the tour guide, and they said they hadn't heard of any ghosts there, so either they were uninformed, or it is not that often of an occurrence there. ( I, personally, have never had a previous ghost encounter, so it wasn't about my ability to attract that.) Ghost or no ghost, the tour is enjoyable!