Hidden San Francisco Landmark

San Francisco: From Roaring 1920s to the Resilient 2020s

A Century of Architecture, Art, and Social Change in the City by the Bay

San Francisco is a city built on cycles of boom and bust, of exclusion and inclusion, of collapse and renewal. A hundred years ago, in the 1920s, the city was riding high on a wave of architectural grandeur and civic pride. Today, as we navigate a vastly different landscape, we look back to understand how far we’ve come, and how a hidden gem in San Francisco, the Gregangelo Museum, bridges the past, present, and future.

The 1920s: A Decade of Architectural Glory and Social Contradictions

The 1920s marked a golden age of San Francisco architecture. In the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake, the city rose again, powered by a wave of ambition and aesthetic vision. Monumental projects reshaped the skyline, creating timeless symbols of civic pride and cultural sophistication. Among the most iconic structures built during this time were:

• The War Memorial Opera House (1928), a Beaux-Arts masterpiece that would become the heart of the San Francisco performing arts scene

• The Pacific Telephone Building (1925), San Francisco’s first skyscraper and a marvel of early Art Deco engineering

• The Palace of the Legion of Honor (reopened in 1924), a classical icon that still draws visitors to its bluff-top perch overlooking the Golden Gate

• Dozens of Mediterranean Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival homes that defined neighborhoods like Balboa Terrace, St. Francis Wood, and West Portal

One such Mediterranean Revival home was built in 1920 by the same architect who designed the Mill Valley Firehouse. This elegant residence, located at 225 San Leandro Way, was not yet a landmark at the time, but it would eventually become the Gregangelo Museum, one of the most unusual and immersive art museums in San Francisco.

Yet beneath the grandeur of these buildings, the 1920s also carried deep social fractures. Racist legislation and public sentiment against Asian immigrants were on the rise, not just in San Francisco but across California and the nation. Despite helping build the physical and cultural infrastructure of the city, Asian American communities faced harsh exclusionary policies, discrimination in housing, and targeted civic crackdowns.

The 1970s: Tu-Tus, Bohemia, and a Dance-Filled Chapter

By the 1970s, the home at 225 San Leandro Way had begun to reflect the shifting artistic heartbeat of the city. A group of five women (all dancers with the San Francisco Ballet) shared the house, embodying the spirit of freedom and creative exploration. They became known as the “Tu-Tu Five,” a playful nickname referencing the home address of “225“ and their penchant for wearing Tutus in their San Francisco ballet performances at the SFOpera House. Their presence marked a turning point in the home’s character, shifting it toward an identity rooted in performance, expression, and bohemian charm.

As serendipity would have it, on February 25 in the year 2025 (yes, 2/25) two of the original dancers returned to visit the Gregangelo Museum. They walked the halls where they once danced, this time in conversation with Gregangelo Herrera, who began his own artistic journey as a dancer known for his mesmerizing Whirling Dervish performances across San Francisco. Together, they reflected on the cultural vibrancy of 1970s San Francisco, the leadership of the San Francisco Ballet during that era, and the resilience of the city’s dance and performance legacy. It was a moment of living history, where past and present dancers bridged generations of artistic expression.

This lesser-known story offers a rare glimpse into the intersection of San Francisco Ballet history, the city’s evolving dance and performance scene, and the quiet architectural legacy of a Mediterranean Revival home turned magical immersive museum. It reminds us that even homes not designed as monuments can serve as sanctuaries for art, memory, and creative liberation.

The Gregangelo Museum: A Living San Francisco Landmark

By the 1980s, the home had begun its transformation into a full-scale art experience. What was once a private residence became a labyrinth of creativity, mystery, and personal mythos. Today, the Gregangelo Museum is a city-designated cultural landmark, one of the most unusual and highly rated museums in San Francisco.

A true immersive art museum, it offers curated journeys through hand-built installations, philosophical portals, and intimate storytelling spaces. Its blend of historical architecture and imaginative transformation makes it one of the most unique places to visit in San Francisco. Every room tells a story, every mosaic whispers of intention, and every guest becomes part of the evolving narrative.

While so many institutions close and artists leave, the Gregangelo Museum remains a sanctuary for seekers, dreamers, and those drawn to the wildly wonderful.

The 2020s: A City in Reckoning and Reinvention

Unlike the roaring construction boom of the 1920s, today’s San Francisco faces a housing crisis. The tech industry, while driving innovation, has also contributed to soaring rents and the displacement of artists, immigrant families, and lower-income residents. Neighborhoods that once thrived with multicultural expression now fight to preserve their soul.

At the federal level, we again see anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies that threaten the safety and stability of Mexican and Indigenous communities. While these actions mirror the exclusion of the 1920s, San Francisco has taken a different stand. As a proud sanctuary city, it remains a beacon of acceptance and social justice, embracing its diverse communities and fighting to remain a home for all.

The call for affordable housing in San Francisco is not just economic; it is cultural. It is about reclaiming the city for artists, creators, and families of every background.

Full Circle: Liberation, Creativity, and the Soul of San Francisco

What links the 1920s to the 2020s is more than just a calendar. It is the cycle of beauty and struggle, creativity and confrontation. From grand palaces of culture to private homes turned immersive museums, San Francisco has always been a place where imagination refuses to be crushed.

The Gregangelo Museum, like the city itself, continues to reinvent what a cultural institution can be, intimate, inclusive, radically creative, and unapologetically human.

We invite you to visit and see for yourself how the past lives on, not in silence, but in song, color, and movement. In this house built in 1920, history is not behind glass. It dances.

Plan your visit to the Gregangelo Museum, a one-of-a-kind San Francisco immersive experience, and explore one of the most whimsical, thought-provoking, and surprising destinations in the Bay Area.