Entry No. 24 — the San Francisco file — filed under: outdoor
16th Avenue Tiled Steps (Moraga Steps)
163 residential steps covered edge-to-edge in a community-built mosaic of over 75,000 glass fragments — designed by Aileen Barr and Colette Crutcher after two neighbors, Jessie Audette and Alice Yee Xavier, organized the whole 2005 project block by block — climbing from sea-life motifs at the bottom to a sky full of stars at the top of Grandview Park.
The story
In 2005, two Golden Gate Heights residents—Jessie Audette and Alice Yee Xavier—decided a standard gray 163-step concrete staircase didn't need municipal bureaucracy; it needed a neighborhood block party with grout. They went door to door to secure buy-in from every household on the hill, raised the funds independently, and hired artists Aileen Barr and Colette Crutcher to design a continuous mosaic ribbon spanning the entire incline. Over 75,000 handmade tiles, mirror shards, and stained-glass fragments were set into place, with local residents helping press ceramic pieces directly into the mortar.
The entire installation functions as a single vertical canvas, designed so the complete image only resolves when you look up from the intersection below. The visual narrative starts at the bottom step with deep-ocean swirls and aquatic life, rising through terrestrial plants, land animals, and birds, before culminating at step 163 in a sky packed with celestial bodies and a blazing central sun. If you inspect the sea life near the base, you'll spot the names of individual local families and donors fired permanently into the glazes.
What it's like
Stand at the corner of 16th and Moraga before you take a step; the mosaic art is set on the stair risers, not the treads, meaning the full image completely vanishes once you start climbing. The 163-step ascent is short but steep, and because Golden Gate Heights catches direct Pacific headwinds, expect a stiff breeze even on warm days. Tour buses occasionally dump crowds here in mid-afternoon, so arrive right at golden hour when the low sun hits the glass fragments. Once you crest the top step, don't stop—follow the sand trails directly into Grandview Park for a wind-swept, 360-degree view stretching from the Marin Headlands down to the peninsula.
The move: Climb the full 163 steps at golden hour, stopping to spot the sponsor names hidden inside the mosaic sea creatures, then keep going into Grandview Park at the top for a 360-degree view over the ocean and the city that most tourists never bother to earn.
- 📍 Golden Gate Heights, San Francisco
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 16th Avenue at Moraga Street, San Francisco, CA 94122
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Seward Street Slides — Swap climbing 163 mosaic steps for hurling yourself down two steep concrete slides hidden on a Castro hillside.
- Doggie Diner Head — Head west into the Outer Sunset to visit a preserved, giant bow-tied dachshund head stranded on a median.
- The Sword and Rose — Trade the windy hilltop view for a quiet walk through a hidden alleyway into an occult courtyard garden in Cole Valley.
- NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences — Combine an afternoon hill climb with Thursday evening cocktails inside Golden Gate Park's natural history museum.
Good to know
How many steps are on the staircase?
There are exactly 163 steps from Moraga Street up to the top landing.
Who designed and built the mosaic?
Artists Aileen Barr and Colette Crutcher designed the mosaic, organized by local residents Jessie Audette and Alice Yee Xavier in 2005 with help from neighborhood volunteers.
What is at the top of the stairs?
The staircase lands at the base of Grandview Park (also called Turtle Hill), which features trail access to one of the highest natural viewpoints in San Francisco.
Does it cost anything or have opening hours?
It is a public city staircase, completely free and open 24 hours a day, though visitors should keep noise down since homes directly flank both sides of the steps.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · colettecrutcher.com · sfbeautiful.org · fodors.com
last checked: 2026-07-20