The David Ireland House

This is a beautiful art gallery that is in the house of an artist who passed away about a decade ago. There is a bunch of his work on display and the walls are all treated with a beautiful distressed kind of treatment that he did over the decades that he lived in the house. Now they have regularly changing exhibitions. On Saturday you can just wander around but other days of the week you need to sign up for a tour

Came here for an art exhibit. The house is historic and beautiful; and the staff was very friendly.

Fascinating well done it feels like David still living there. I really enjoy my visit the tour was well done.

Even if you don’t know much about the artist, this is an interesting and offbeat experience - an idiosyncratic old house, eclectically outfitted by the artist in ways which really gives you insight into his life and work. You enter in a small group at a preselected time and get a guided tour (it’s not like a museum you can’t just wander around). The very enthusiastic and informative docents really made the history come alive.

One of my favourite places in sf, n I was born here.

Just wonderful.

Muchos trabajos buenos

Back this year in July 2025 ...modern art house ..new exhibit in archive room ...renovated and yellow paint ..kitchen that makes u want to eat more dinner ..exhibits ..dejavu

You really need to come here to see what the hype is all about. If you don't understand it, I pity you. I don't quite pity the fool, but I pity you. This is what San Francisco should be all about. Hopefully, it will be once again. Give yourself at least an hour. Spend a lot of time in the different rooms. The worse the weather, the better. If it's a rainy day, you've hit the jackpot. That dining room. It gives me chills just thinking about it. This place is definitely haunted, but that's not why you should check it out. Urban Putt (https://www.yelp.com/biz/urban-putt-san-francisco) isn't far away. Alioto Park (https://www.yelp.com/biz/alioto-mini-park-san-francisco) is across the street. Read a book. Visit a library (when you can). Wear a mask. Talk to people even when you're feeling unfriendly; you don't have to share everything with them, and you might make them feel helpful. Observe a bird. Simple things in life. I saw a ghost in Westminster, California, once. I didn't know it was a ghost when I saw it.

I'm really surprised that I am the first reviewer of this wonderful museum tucked in a neighborhood in the south Mission area of San Francisco. This place is a gem. David Ireland was a local Conceptual artist who made his 1880's house into a Conceptual art piece. The house was purchased by the 500 Capp St. Foundation to preserve it during David's lifetime. Luckily he had a say in how it was to be taken care of and presented to the public. Originally an accordion maker's residence and shop, the house retains the painted sign on the front window. The entrance is around the side and you immediately walk into what was Ireland's original studio. We gathered there while waiting for the rest of our tour to show. We were greeted by two young David Ireland historians. The first thing they did was to light a propane torch on a stand to demonstrate Ireland's piece, "The Sound of Blue". An old tape recorder was switched on to document the blue flame's sound. Our other guide read that day's headlines from the San Francisco Chronicle,"The Mind of an Arsonist". An interesting coincidence. The house is quite bare except for the simple conceptual pieces displayed. The guides were very thorough, explaining each piece and giving us time to comment. The whole house is painted with a yellow varnish giving it a peaceful unified feeling. We wound up in the dining room and were invited to sit at the table and talk as if we were an invited dinner guest of David's. The dining room is left pretty much the way it was when he lived there. If you are a fan of Conceptual art this is must see. There are 3 tours a day as well as other events. You must reserve ahead of time.

Any lover of conceptual art, or modern art or life as art or art as life should not miss a visit to 500 Capp. You must reserve in advance, as visits are on scheduled, docent-led tours, usually with a max of 8 people. This is where David Ireland lived and worked for 30 years, and he re-imagined much of the house - you'll see when you go. Go!

Staying with a family member in the Mission and exhausted from our previous day's travels, we looked for something interesting to do nearby that we could walk to. Turned out to be a fun, informative couple of hours. What a find! David Ireland, we learned, made the activities of daily life into art and art pieces. The environment he created to live in, while not for everyone, makes sense and brings the house to life when you learn about his perspective. The house/museum is lovingly maintained, and our guide was a local artist who took her time even though there were only two of us, sharing lots of insights that added depth and enrichment to what we were exploring. In an upper floor room, the signature of the artist who created the original wallpaper in 1904, found by David Ireland when he removed the wallpaper and left on the wall, was a particularly charming detail for me. If your taste runs to the less mainstream, give this gem a try. It's going to be remembered as a highlight of our visit to SF.

Amazing, amazing place. The tour is fantastic.