The Golden Fire Hydrant

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!

Yes it’s unique, celebrity kind of hydrant!! It’s so famous that you will need to be patient and skilled in order to find parking in first hour of your visit on weekends! But Dolores Park is such a fun place to be on weekend, beautiful view and of course a short photo shoot with the Hydrant! I loved it!

This isn’t just a fire hydrant—it’s the Bette Davis of hydrants. The Joan Crawford of emergency water sources. The ultimate diva of public service. When San Francisco was engulfed in flames in 1906, every other hydrant in town folded faster than a drama queen in a poorly lit scene—totally unreliable. But not this one. Oh no. This golden goddess at 20th and Church stood firm, spraying water with the kind of grace and power that demands an Oscar—and maybe a Golden Globe, too. Picture it: the city’s burning, chaos is everywhere, and just when all hope seems lost—WHAM! Enter the Golden Fire Hydrant, like Margo Channing in All About Eve, stealing the spotlight and saving the entire Mission District from becoming a charred memory. Other hydrants? Barely a cameo in the background. This hydrant? A lead role, darling. A survivor. A living legend. And does she let you forget it? Absolutely not. Every April 18th, she gets a fresh coat of gold paint—because icons deserve nothing less. She’s not just a fire hydrant; she’s a statement. So, next time you stroll by, pause, give her a nod of respect, and maybe whisper, ‘Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a legendary hydrant.’ Without her, the Mission might’ve been reduced to ashes—and we’d have no taquerias, no Dolores Park, and no fabulous history to gossip about. Long live the Golden Fire Hydrant—San Francisco’s first and only Hollywood icon! She deserves a star on the Walk of Fame. Period.

I was taking a stroll around the corner of Dolores Park, bored out of my mind, when a shimmering beacon of golden goodness appeared in front of me. Behold, the golden fire hydrant in its glory. It’s only a simple hydrant, but do not underestimate its majesty.

This is a great urban myth. The well that saved the Mission District was under what was the New Method Laundry at 17th & Sanchez where there was an artesian spring.

This is the reason that the fire (during the great earthquake and fire), didn’t burn down the rest of the Mission District. Every year on April 18th, the hydrant gets re-guilded in gold paint from Lily Hitchcock Coit, Emperor Norton, the S.F. Fire Department and a host of others.

This golden fire hydrant is a bit overrated. It's painted gold, but nothing more. However, there is a story behind it, as it's the hydrant that allowed the firemen to save the Mission District from the Great Fire caused by the 1906 Earthquake. So if you happen to be visiting the Mission Dolores Park or just happen to be around the neighborhood, it's worth getting a snapshot.

SF. California may be struggling with high rents, homelessness, a drug pandemic that overshadoes COVID & all the varients but there are so many cool and interesting historical places to visit throughout. This little giant of a fire hydrant saved the Mission District neighborhood of SF during the 1906 earthquake. If you visit this area, do it on the weekend so you can also explore Dolores park.

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!

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

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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?

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.

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

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.

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!

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