BaySights

Architecture

13 places · Colonial, maritime & historic

All (13)Sonoma (1)Petaluma (1)Napa (1)San Mateo (1)Sausalito (1)Richmond (1)Oakland (2)Mountain View (1)San Jose (1)Healdsburg (1)Santa Cruz (1)Point Reyes Station (1)
A wide view of Sonoma Plaza shows a crowd of protesters lined along the curb in front of the historic stone courthouse, with a tall palm tree centered against a clear blue sky. Colorful signs fill the scene, while bare winter trees and warm sunlight give the small-town square a crisp, bright look.
Architecture
35

Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Plaza

Sonoma Plaza is the largest plaza in California and the historic heart of the city, dating to 1835. The plaza is surrounded by historic stone buildings including the Sonoma Barracks and Mission San Francisco Solano. Mature trees, a duck pond, and the distinctive City Hall create a classic small-town scene.

golden hourspring · summer
A worn sepia-toned image of a $100 National Gold Bank of Petaluma note fills the frame, with ornate lettering, red serial numbers, and detailed vignettes on both sides. The reverse shows a dense cluster of gold coin illustrations centered between large “100” numerals and eagle medallions.
Architecture
35

Petaluma, CA

Petaluma Historic Downtown

Petaluma's downtown features one of the best-preserved collections of iron-front commercial buildings in California, dating from the 1880s. The Petaluma River runs through the center of town, with a turning basin that reflects the historic waterfront buildings. The area has been used as a filming location for American Graffiti and other productions.

golden hourspring · summer
Four wine glasses sit on a patio table in warm sunlight, with two tall flutes of sparkling wine and two stemless glasses of red wine in the foreground. The background is softly blurred with a cream-colored railing, a potted flower display, and a leafy tree against a blue sky.
Architecture
35

Napa, CA

Domaine Carneros Winery

Domaine Carneros features a château-style building modeled after the 18th-century Château de la Marquetterie in Champagne, France. The winery sits atop a knoll overlooking the Carneros wine region with sweeping views of surrounding vineyards. The grand staircase and formal gardens provide a European architectural subject in a California landscape.

golden hourspring · summer
Sunlit rear view of Filoli’s red-brick Georgian Revival mansion, with long rows of arched windows and chimneys above a neatly trimmed formal lawn. Sculpted shrubs, climbing ivy, and a few low garden benches create a symmetrical, well-kept estate scene under a clear blue morning sky.
Architecture
28

San Mateo, CA

Filoli Historic House and Garden

A 654-acre estate featuring a 36,000-square-foot Georgian Revival mansion and 16 acres of formal English Renaissance gardens. The gardens include a sunken garden, walled garden, and a formal allée lined with Irish yew trees. Seasonal plantings rotate throughout the year, with peak bloom in spring and early summer.

morningspring · summer
Point Bonita Lighthouse sits atop a steep, rocky cliff, reached by a white suspension bridge stretching in from the left. The weathered lighthouse and adjoining building stand against a pale gray sky and calm blue-gray ocean, with visitors gathered along the viewing platform.
Architecture
27

Sausalito, CA

Point Bonita Lighthouse

A historic lighthouse built in 1855 situated at the tip of Point Bonita, accessed via a half-mile trail that includes a hand-cut rock tunnel and a suspension bridge. The lighthouse marks the narrowest part of the entrance to San Francisco Bay. The surrounding cliffs drop steeply into the Pacific with views of the Farallon Islands on clear days.

afternoonspring · summer
A close-up of a ripening red-and-orange pepper hangs from a leafy plant in a victory garden, with green peppers and blurred foliage filling the background. Dark soil and mulch at the base suggest a cultivated memorial garden setting.
Architecture
27

Richmond, CA

Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park

A National Historical Park preserving the history of Richmond's Kaiser Shipyards and the World War II home front. The Craneway Pavilion and remnants of the shipyard infrastructure line the waterfront. The Rosie the Riveter Memorial along the Marina Bay shoreline features an art installation with steel and landscaping.

afternoonspring · summer
A wide, open grassy field stretches to a dark tree line under a clear blue sky with soft morning light. The scene feels quiet and rural, with a cluster of lighter trees standing out near the right side of the horizon.
Architecture
27

Oakland, CA

Preservation Park

A cluster of 16 restored Victorian-era houses arranged around a landscaped garden plaza in downtown Oakland. The homes date from the 1870s to 1910s and were relocated from various Oakland neighborhoods to save them from demolition. The manicured grounds include period-appropriate gas lamp-style lighting.

morningspring · summer
The Cathedral of Christ the Light’s curved glass veil glows in afternoon sun beside the tall, tan Health Net office tower, both reflected in the calm water in the foreground. Autumn trees, low waterfront paths, and a clear blue sky frame the modern Oakland skyline.
Architecture
27

Oakland, CA

Oakland Cathedral of Christ the Light

A modern cathedral completed in 2008 designed by Craig Hartman of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, featuring a 109-foot glass and wood veil structure. The interior is illuminated by natural light filtering through the translucent skin of aluminum louvers and glass panels. The building replaced the Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales, which was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

afternoonspring · summer
A brightly painted Google campus bike stands in a sunny courtyard, with a red basket, turquoise fenders, and a yellow frame casting a sharp shadow on the pavement. Behind it, low landscaping and modern walkways give the scene a playful, colorful tech-campus feel.
Architecture
27

Mountain View, CA

Googleplex

The corporate headquarters of Google features colorful outdoor sculptures, oversized Android figures, and distinctive modern architecture across the campus. The public areas along Charleston Road and Amphitheatre Parkway showcase the campus's playful design aesthetic. The Bay View campus building designed by BIG and Heatherwick features a distinctive dragon-scale solar roof.

afternoonspring · summer
Golden afternoon light washes over Apple Park’s silver ring-shaped main building, seen from above in the middle of a dense suburban landscape. The circular campus stands out against tree-lined streets, low office blocks, and hazy hills in the distance.
Architecture
27

San Jose, CA

Apple Park Visitor Center

The publicly accessible visitor center adjacent to Apple's headquarters features a rooftop terrace with views of the ring-shaped main building designed by Foster + Partners. The building's minimalist glass and stone architecture reflects Apple's design philosophy. An augmented reality experience on the terrace provides a virtual view of the full campus.

afternoonspring · summer
Healdsburg Plaza’s central gazebo sits beyond a square fountain and low flower beds, framed by benches and mature trees in a tidy town-square setting. A flagpole and parked cars peek through the background, with soft afternoon light and late-autumn foliage around the plaza.
Architecture
27

Healdsburg, CA

Healdsburg Plaza

Healdsburg Plaza is a tree-lined town square at the center of this wine country town, surrounded by tasting rooms, restaurants, and boutiques. Mature redwood trees and a central gazebo anchor the park, which hosts seasonal farmers markets and community gatherings. The surrounding buildings feature a mix of Victorian and early 20th-century commercial architecture.

afternoonspring · summer
Crowded boardwalk scene centered on the bright “Giant Dipper” sign, with colorful chairlift gondolas rising above vintage amusement-park buildings and neon storefronts. Sunlight washes the busy pedestrian street, packed with visitors against the layered ride structures and playful seaside architecture.
Architecture
25

Santa Cruz, CA

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

California's oldest surviving amusement park, operating since 1907, features the Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster and the Looff Carousel, both National Historic Landmarks. The boardwalk's neon signs and vintage rides create vibrant compositions against the beach and ocean backdrop. The pier and wharf adjacent to the boardwalk extend viewpoints over Monterey Bay.

blue hoursummer
Upward view of a large first-order Fresnel lens inside the lighthouse, with red ribbed glass panels, brass metal supports, and prismatic glass rings catching the light. The circular frame and bright sky beyond emphasize the lens’s tall, layered structure.
Architecture
22

Point Reyes Station, CA

Point Reyes Lighthouse

Built in 1870, Point Reyes Lighthouse sits at the windiest and foggiest point on the Pacific Coast, 300 steps down from the cliff top. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1975 and is now a museum and whale watching station. During winter, gray whales migrate close to shore, and the surrounding cliffs host colonies of common murres.

afternoonwinter · spring