Golden Gate Valley Branch
🏢 San Francisco Public Library — San Francisco, California
Golden Gate Valley Branch
A 1918 Carnegie-funded, basilica-shaped Beaux-Arts landmark by architect Ernest Coxhead, tucked into the Cow Hollow neighborhood.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10 AM – 6 PM |
| Tuesday | 10 AM – 6 PM |
| Wednesday | 11 AM – 8 PM |
| Thursday | 12 PM – 8 PM |
| Friday | 1 PM – 6 PM |
| Saturday | 10 AM – 6 PM |
| Sunday | 1 PM – 5 PM |
Hours may vary on holidays.
📍 Location & Contact
Address: 1801 Green Street, San Francisco, CA 94123
Phone: (415) 355-5666
Website: sfpl.org
📖 About Golden Gate Valley Branch
The Golden Gate Valley Branch opened to the public on May 5, 1918, as the ninth branch established in the San Francisco Public Library system. Construction began in June 1917 on the southwest corner of Green and Octavia Streets, and the building was paid for with Carnegie grant funds, with the city covering the furnishings. It was designed by local architect Ernest Coxhead as a brick and terra cotta Beaux-Arts structure laid out in the shape of a basilica, an unusually ecclesiastical form for a neighborhood library. The branch was built to serve residents of the growing Golden Gate Valley, Cow Hollow, and Marina neighborhoods, and it reopened on October 15, 2011 following a renovation. Today it remains one of San Francisco's most architecturally distinctive Carnegie branches.
⭐ What makes this branch special
- Carnegie-funded Beaux-Arts building opened May 5, 1918
- Designed by noted architect Ernest Coxhead in the shape of a basilica
- Ninth branch in the San Francisco Public Library system
- Serves the Cow Hollow, Marina, and Golden Gate Valley neighborhoods
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❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Golden Gate Valley library shaped like a basilica?
Architect Ernest Coxhead designed the 1918 brick and terra cotta Beaux-Arts building in the shape of a basilica, giving the branch an ecclesiastical form that is unusual for a neighborhood library and part of why it is architecturally celebrated in Cow Hollow.
Who paid for the original Golden Gate Valley Branch building?
The building itself was paid for with Carnegie grant funds, part of the philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie that funded many U.S. libraries, while the City of San Francisco covered the cost of the furnishings.
When did the Golden Gate Valley Branch reopen after its renovation?
After a period of closure and renovation, the branch reopened to the public on October 15, 2011.