Excelsior!

SF mural and mosaic stairway walk

Some of San Francisco’s most outstanding art isn’t found inside museums. It’s seen on city streets in exuberant neighborhoods. Among the most vibrant: Excelsior. Go on a 1.2-mile (round-trip) urban ramble through this cool and colorful part of the city, and be treated to murals galore and a hidden mosaic stairway.

For the most art-intensive route, start from the Excelsior Branch Public Library and finish at Kenny Alley, an enclave that’s been revitalized into a secret succulent garden with a beautiful mosaicked stairway. As you head south from the library on Mission St. through the Excelsior’s commercial district, each block you encounter reveals a new sprawl of inventive paintings. Garages, businesses, schools, and urgent-care centers each showcase an addition to the colorful landscape. At the corner of Mission Street and Francis Street, see “Music Is Freedom” by artist Delvin Kenobe Leake, a celebration of culture and diversity that highlights how music and dance can unite a community.

Shortly after, at the Excelsior Avenue intersection, see “Waiting for the 52 Excelsior,” a mural by local artist Marta Ayala presenting a fishbowl vantage of the neighborhood. Across from it, find the 2007 Precita Eyes Muralists’ “Excelsior Love,” with quotes like “Education is the key,” and “Follow your dreams!” After 0.6 mile of murals, come across Kenny Alley, a quiet garden and mosaicked stairway, renovated to reflect the bright community in which it rests. An extension of the neighborhood’s cleaning-and-greening-through-art philosophy, here you can spy a garden of native plants, a nature-celebrating mural, and water-inspired tiled steps. The project, a City Arts and Tech High School and community team effort, was created as a welcoming space for visitors and residents alike. It’s a sanctuary on a city street. Muralaculous!

Tip: Double your mileage by starting just beyond the 280 overpass at the Mission-Bosworth intersection. You’ll cross a portal into the Excelsior (the 280 overpass), painted with the highly international street names within the district and celebrating its diverse cultural history.

The Excelsior Branch Public Library is located at 4400 Mission St. The Kenny Alley Stairs are located between 4941 Mission St. and 4945 Mission St., connecting London and Mission Streets. Street parking. Dog-friendly!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Afternoon on the Island

    What is it about tiny islands in the middle of lakes? There’s something that just draws you in. It’s even more fun when getting there is half the adventure because you have to reach it by canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or a ranger-guided boat tour!

    View
  2. Golden Gate's Blue Heron

    Golden Gate Park’s Blue Heron Lake is home to birds of many feathers, turtles lounging on rocks, visitors from afar, and locals who love this urban oasis in San Francisco. Try the "Boats and Breakfast" rowboat or pedal boat deal.

    View
  3. Rio Del Mar-velous

    Rio Del Mar State Beach in Aptos might be one of the best places for a treasure hunt. Its location between two other beaches makes for a good stroll featuring a spectacle of wildlife as you search the sand for sea glass and seashells.

    View
  4. Hiker taking a photo of sunset at Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve

    Sunshine and Skyline

    Head to Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve for a 4-mile out-and-back hike on the Bay Area Ridge Trail that offers a front-row seat to spectacular sunsets.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Gentle Giants

    Some people visit national parks to marvel at the iconic sights, while others come seeking solitude in nature. With visitation on the rise, it can be hard to find both. But in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, this pair of trails offers both....

    View
  2. Walking the Los Angeles River Trail Through Frogtown

    Frogtown Strutter’s Stroll

    Don’t go dismissing the Los Angeles River as merely a 51-mile concrete channel. It’s a genuine urban artery that links real neighborhoods, and its riverside bike/ped paths endear i

    View
  3. Griffith's Golden

    With over 4,200 acres and hundreds of trails, Griffith Park is the gold standard. Opt for the lesser-hiked northwestern end of the park and visit the 2.25-mile Skyline and Oak Canyon loop from Travel Town.

    View
  4. Sponsored

    Fall for It All in Reno Tahoe

    The best kind of getaway? Less time on logistics, more time on memory-making. Jackpot! You’ve got Reno Tahoe.

    View