Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to San Francisco

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Balclutha
Photo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons · tap to enlarge
★ National Historic Landmark

Balclutha

Listed as “BALCLUTHA” · Also known as STAR OF ALASKA; PACIFIC QUEEN; Sailing Ship BALCLUTHA

One of 141 National Historic Landmarks in California18 of them in San Francisco, the highest tier of the National Register
Listed 1976San Francisco
DirectionsIts website ↗Add an old photo
About

About Balclutha

Balclutha, at Pier 41 East, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Nov 7, 1976. It was named a National Historic Landmark on Feb 4, 1985, one of 141 in California. The Register lists it for its commerce and transportation, at the national level. Eight more Register listings are within a quarter mile.

What it isSteel-hulled full rigged ship that was built in 1886. From Wikidata (CC0). Read about it on Wikipedia ↗

PDFRead the original nominationThe form that put it on the Register, with its history, photos and a map · 32 MB · National Archives↗
Through the years

1976 to today

  1. 1976Added to the National Register of Historic Places
  2. 1985Named a National Historic Landmark
  3. 2026On the Register for 50 years
Visit

Make it a walk: 5 landmarks in about 5 minutes

Pier 41 East, San Francisco · about 0.2 miles on foot, as the crow flies

DirectionsWalk the tour in Google Maps
  1. 1BalcluthaStart here
  2. 2HERCULES (tugboat)Structure · next door
  3. 3ALMA (Scow Schooner)Structure · next door
  4. 4EurekaBuilt 1890 · next door
  5. 5LEWIS ARK (Houseboat)Structure · next door
Around it

13 more Register listings within half a mile

★ National Historic Landmark · D district · B building · S site. Each opens its own page.

★C.A. THAYER (Additional Documentation)Three-Masted Schooner0.1 miBTubbs Cordage Company Office BuildingBuilding0.1 miDSan Francisco Maritime National Historic SiteDistrict0.2 miBHaslett WarehouseBuilding0.2 miBPioneer Woolen Mills and D. Ghirardelli CompanyBuilt 19640.3 miDFort Mason Historic DistrictVictorian0.3 miBPumping Station No. 2 San Francisco Fire Department Auxiliary Water Supply SystemMission Revival0.3 mi★USS PAMPANITO (submarine)Structure0.3 miBSinton HouseLate 19th and 20th Century Revival: Italian Renaissance0.4 miDFort Mason Historic District (Boundary Increase)Mission Revival0.4 mi★SS Jeremiah O'brienEC-20.4 miBSan Francisco Art InstituteBuilt 18710.5 mi★San Francisco Port of Embarkation, US ArmyDistrict0.5 mi
More like it

Other National Historic Landmarks nearby

The nearest Landmarks with a photo, within 25 miles, and the year each was named.

EurekaBuilt 1890 · 0 mi away · 1985
HERCULES (tugboat)0 mi away · 1986
ALMA (Scow Schooner)0 mi away · 1988
C.A. THAYER (Additional Documentation)0.1 mi away · 1966

Memories of Balclutha

The record says what it is. Neighbors know what it means.

Town Square →
Weigh in
Have you been to Balclutha?

Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.

Start a conversation
Have an old photo of it?Add it · +10

Questions about Balclutha

Is Balclutha on the National Register of Historic Places?

Yes. It was added on Nov 7, 1976 (Register number 76000178).

Is Balclutha a National Historic Landmark?

Yes, since Feb 4, 1985. California has 141 National Historic Landmarks, 18 of them in San Francisco.

Can you visit Balclutha?

It has its own website, the place to check whether and when it is open to visitors.

Where can I read the history of Balclutha?

In its National Register nomination, the form that put it on the Register: a 32 MB PDF at the National Archives, linked on this page.

Sources: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places (05/22/2026) · National Archives catalog record 123861041 · Wikidata. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.