• Of course, you can find volumes of information at The San Francisco Public Library (SFPL). Its Daniel E. Koshland San Francisco History Center "contains a research collection of books, newspapers and magazines, photographs, maps, posters, archives and manuscript collections, and ephemera documenting all aspects of San Francisco life and history." In fact, the History Center serves as the official archives of the City and County of San Francisco and is renowned for its primary sources. If you would like to look into the history of your own residence, don't miss the History Center's excellent resource guide, How to research your San Francisco building. Visit SFPL online for more details or call (415) 557-4567. (Also see About.com for further tips on researching the history of your own house.)
  
  
• If you're interested in restoration, see the Web site for the Victorian Alliance, "a non-profit organization committed to the preservation and restoration of Victorian and other historic structures." Monthly meetings "provide an opportunity to visit homes and other historic structures, enjoy programs about timely relevant issues, share information about restoration techniques and experiences, and meet others with similar interests." Send an email to contact@victorianalliance.org or call (415) 824-2666 for more information.
  
  
• Finally, take a trip to the Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco, an online-only resource that "functions as a general multi-media Web site utilizing text, graphics, and sounds. [The site] features the interesting, the amusing, and the unusual in San Francisco's history." You'll have a great time exploring this museum's collection of ephemera and fascinating, first-person narratives.