San Francisco History Days at the Old Mint

February 23, 2017 Ronnie Sharpe

Saturday, March 4, 11 AM–5 PM
Sunday, March 5, 11 AM–4 PM
This event is FREE and open to the public
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Travel back in time to 1874 as The Old Mint reopens its doors for “San Francisco History Days." Watch historic films and footage! Listen to speakers tell stories of San Francisco history! See your favorite personalities from the past come alive with over sixty local history organizations acting as your personal tour guides to the City’s unique past. Local historians, archivists, genealogists, archaeologists, researchers, educators, and reenacts are ready to take you back to the days when there's gold in them thar hills and the locomotive was king.

A National Historic Landmark, the classical building at 88 Fifth Street was a branch of the United States Mint from 1874 to 1937. For San Francisco History Days weekend, the counting rooms and brick vaults of “The Granite Lady” will come alive with dozens of organizations offering history displays, activities, tours, and presentations. Join community historians, archivists, representatives of indigenous communities, genealogists, archaeologists, researchers, educators, re-enactors, authors, and filmmakers for this event on Saturday, March 4, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, March 5, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Highlights of the weekend include presentations on local architectural, transit, neighborhood, and maritime history; exhibits addressing the Summer of Love 50th anniversary; displays of neighborhood and community archives; and a resource center to history organizations, homes, and educational centers around the Bay Area. Mini-theaters and galleries will be set up in the ground floor vaults of the Old Mint over the weekend featuring found footage, film features, and rare and newly digitized photos. Dozens of authors will also be on hand to discuss and sell their books on local historical themes.

A special feature of the 2017 San Francisco History Days will be Education Day, a day exclusively for students, on Friday, March 3. Interested educators can reserve a two-hour look at the Old Mint and meet a dozen History Days exhibitors for their school groups. Reservations must be made no later than two weeks in advance.

Based on previous events at the Old Mint, San Francisco History Days began in 2016, organized by a collective composed of historians from Bay Area organizations, the Office of the Mayor, and the current tenants of the Old Mint and event underwriter, Non Plus Ultra. Its aim is to celebrate and share the history of the San Francisco Bay Area. The 2016 San Francisco History Days weekend attracted more than 6,500 visitors.

Participating Organizations