So this site is not a business. It's an historical fire hydrant that dates back to before the great 1906 earthquake. It was the only hydrant in the whole neighborhood that worked after the earthquake. It was used to provide water for firefighting. It's credited with saving the whole neighborhood. read more

The golden fire hydrant is located just above Dolores park so it wasn't out of the way to go see it. It's a fire hydrant that they repaint each year to remember how when all other fire hydrants/water lines weren't working it saved the mission district from burning down. An interesting piece of history but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it. But definitely check it out if you are near Dolores park or in the mission if you have time! read more

The Golden Fire Hydrant - Local Flavor Near Me - San Francisco, California

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What a cool history! A little confused how this fire hydrant became a landmark and why it is painted gold. We had quite a little adventure looking for it in the streets of San Francisco but eventually, lo and behold, we found it. It is located next to the MUNI line across the street from Dolores Park at the southwest corner in the Mission District. There is a plaque next to it. The memorial plaque read: "Though the water mains were broken and dry on April 18, 1906 yet from this Greenberg hydrant on the following night there came a stream of water allowing the firemen to save the Mission District." The history behind it is interesting and cool. This fire hydrant once saved the Mission District in 1906 when San Francisco burst into flames after the great 1906 earthquake, many of the city's fire hydrants failed... except for this one when it was discovered that this was the only hydrant up the hill on Church St. that was working. The fire hydrant has since been nicknamed "little giant." And ever since then, every year during its anniversary, descendants of survivors of that great fire give this little giant a fresh coat of gold paint which means it's going to get one in a couple of months :) How about that :) Review #1677 read more

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Like the "Little Engine that Could", this unassuming hero saved the City of San Francisco from the fire that resulted from the Earthquake of 1906. While all of the other hydrants were out of water, this is the one that was still working and strong enough to extinguish the fire that raged on into the next day (April 19th). Paul Belser, a University of California student, also deserves credit for organizing his friends and hooking up the hose from the fire engine to this important Landmark. When I heard about it, I dragged my Travel Pal, Yuri, to see this "Little Hero" and take some photos. It is located across from Dolores Park where there is free street parking in the surrounding areas. We should return on April 18 (the day of the 1906 Earthquake) at 7:00 a.m. because the Little Giant Gold Hydrant gets a new coat of paint every year! read more

The Golden Fire Hydrant - On the corner of 20th and Church - Local Flavor Near Me - San Francisco, California

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To most people, fire hydrants are a nuisance. They crush little glimmer of hope when you see an empty spot while looking for street parking. This hydrant, though, is a gem that deserves all the honor it can get. The Little Giant Gold Hydrant has always eluded me on Dolores Park Sundays. Only recently did I spot it out the corner of my eye and rushed my friends over to check it out. A beautiful story of perseverance and hope accompanies this guy on a plaque. The font is a bit hard to read and will require some squatting, but it's well worth it. The gold color beautifully shimmers during sunset. As of 10/27/13, it's wearing a funky little coconut hat. For saving one of the most beautiful cities in the world, this guy deserves all the recognition he gets. read more

The Golden Fire Hydrant - Local Flavor Near Me - San Francisco, California

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A little piece of San Francisco 1906 Earthquake and Fire right next to Dolores Park! Take a little bit of time from your park day and check out this Golden Fire Hydrant. Why Gold, you ask? Well because during the aftermath of the earthquake fire was rampaging the city. This hydrant was used to stop the fire from getting past 20th St. Every April 18th this hydrant is given a fresh coat of Gold paint. In 2012 it was accidentally painted Silver, whoops! http://geology.about.com/od/historicearthquakes/ig/SFquake2006/goldhydrant1.htm read more

The Golden Fire Hydrant - 107th Anniv. of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire - Local Flavor Near Me - San Francisco, California

When I came across this while searching Local Flavor, I had to check it out. Such a great back story ( http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-golden-fire-hydrant ) and well worth a visit, especially since it's so close to the Bench in Dolores Park. ( http://www.yelp.com/biz/bench-in-dolores-park-corner-of-20th-and-church-san-francisco ). I absolutely love that they continue to honor it annually. Amazing. read more

The Golden Fire Hydrant - Local Flavor Near Me - San Francisco, California

A female friend of mine abbreviates everything and sends me her message. Female Friend: "Happy VD, Manabu!" Me: "Thanks! I'll be careful!" on Valentine's Day. Then, last month, Female Friend: "I love DP!" Me: What??!!??!!??!! What did she mean? Oh yeah, "That's great! I love Dolores Park, too!" When I walked along Dolores St near the park, I noticed that most of the houses on the eastern side of Dolores St. were Edwardian and the ones on the western side of the street were Victorian. No wonder. Most of the Victorian houses on the eastern side of the street in Mission District were burned down when San Francisco had 1906 earthquake and the fire. Mostly because of the fire. Then, why can I see some Victorian houses on the "both side" of Dolores St. near 20th St.? I had this question for a long time. The mystery has been solved. The answer is "Little Giant Gold Hydrant" Little Giant Gold Hydrant is located on the south-western corner of Dolores Park, near the "Church and 20th St." Muni J Line station. Little Giant is like Michael J.Fox. Short but great The 1906 earthquake was so strong that many hydrants failed and the fire was still burning on the next day. On the April 19th, 1906, a young boy named Paul Belser could not go to University of California due to the quake destruction so he decided to help refugees move to Twin Peaks. When he was back from Twin Peaks, he and his friends found that this hydrant on the corner of Church St and 20th St. had water. A miracle. At that time, even the firefighters thought there was no water available in this area so they abandoned a steam engine on the corner of 20th St and Guerrero St. Paul and his friends picked up the hose and came to this hydrant. They ripped the doors of a house off and use them as shields from the heat. They stopped the fire at 20th St and Valencia St. Isn't it great to have not only smart but also brave students in the Bay Area? Since then, this hydrant is painted gold on April 18th every year. People come here around 7:00a.m., then use a gold paint spray to appreciate this source of the miracle. When I visited this Little Giant, it was a beautiful day. The view of the city was spectacular then I thought, "How did people feel when they were watching this beautiful city was burning? It must have been really painful." And when I touched Little Giant, I could almost hear in my head what Paul had heard from his friends. "Hey! There's a hydrant on Church with water in it. If we can get this hose up there, we can flight the fire!" Or am I just using headphones too much? read more

Walking down the street near Mission Dolores Park I passed this fire hydrant. There are lots of hydrants around. I scarcely noticed them, but this one is different. It's painted gold. Later I took one of the San Francisco Walkin Tours that met here and the guide explained that in the great fire that this hydrant had helped to save the city. So five stars for a hero. read more

This is probably the most-celebrated fire hydrant in the world. The Little Giant deserves its accolades for doing its part to keep the historic buildings in Noe Valley, the Mission, and the rest of this side of the city, preserved after the 1906 post-earthquake fires engulfed much of the rest of San Francisco. There is an annual early morning ceremony here on the anniversary of the earthquake (usually on April 18 or 19), where the hydrant receives flowers with the fire department on hand. Along with the Lotta's Fountain ceremony, it is a great reminder of San Francisco's history and resilience. Next time you are in Dolores Park, swing by and give the hydrant a hearty thanks, but out of respect, keep your dog at bay. read more

A magical fire hydrant, to be sure. A must see. It's a great history lesson / anecdote. http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/fire-hydrant-tradition-steeped-gold read more

The Golden Fire Hydrant - 4/19/2011 - Local Flavor Near Me - San Francisco, California

A little city landmark that I stumbled upon while searching for places to visit in San Francisco. It wasn't much but it's interesting to see this shimmering gold hydrant standing out in the corner of the street. read more

The Golden Fire Hydrant - Local Flavor Near Me - San Francisco, California

Its gold, it's a savior, its located at one of the greatest parks around. Read up on the history and take a few moments to idolize it. Do it now! read more

Best fire hydrant in SF! Thanks Little Giant, we owe you BIG!!