San Francisco street attracts tourists from all over the world for its sharp curves but engineers had a reason and it wasn’t just for show

A San Francisco street might not sound like a tourist attraction, but the sharp curves and crooked design have made it an unlikely visiting spot for tourists.

The street is one of the strangest in the city, with its awkwardly winding way around, yet its appearance belies the fact that it was a genius piece of design.

Engineers purposely designed Lombard Street to look like this, and it was about more than just attracting tourists.

This is why it was designed in such a crooked way, and how it became such an unlikely tourist attraction.

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Why Lombard Street has a crooked design

The design for Lombard Street was first thought up in 1922 by property owner Carl Henry.

After seeing Henry’s design, Clyde Healy, the city engineer, led efforts to make it a reality.

It might look strange, but there was a very good reason for this tight, twisty, and crooked street.

The hill had a 27 percent gradient, too steep for most vehicles and a hard walk for anyone on foot.

A straight street would have been dangerous, so the curves were needed to make it safe and easy to traverse.

In total, Healy and Henry came up with a design that had eight bends to tame the slope.

Doing it this way also ensures there is safe access to the properties on Lombard Street.

In 2026, the street is still accessed regularly daily.

The addition of trees and hydrangeas has made it a stunning spot and a famous tourist attraction.

How the San Francisco street became a huge tourist attraction

The addition of color and flora saw the street slowly become more and more popular as the years went on.

This, coupled with its unusual design, made it the perfect place for a quick visit while in San Francisco. Plus, its appearance in some classic movies, including Vertigo, probably didn’t hurt.

And, as time has gone on, visitor numbers have gone up and up.

In January 2019, it was reported by the Los Angeles Times that local authorities wanted to limit the vehicles passing through.

It even got as far as a discussion on charging a $10 fee to tourists visiting the street.

Thankfully, that never happened, and Lombard Street is still free to visitors.

Images online give you an idea of how steep the street really is. But you will only ever appreciate it if you go and visit the San Francisco street in person.

A history of Lombard Street

1922 The Switchbacks are Born: To solve the safety hazard, local property owner Carl Henry suggested a series of zigzags. The city built eight sharp hairpin turns, successfully reducing the incline to a much safer 16 percent

1939 Going One-Way: As cars became heavier and traffic increased, the city converted the winding block into a one-way street to improve safety, directing all vehicles downhill

1950s The Floral Makeover: Local residents began planting the street’s iconic pastel-colored hydrangeas and manicured shrubs, transforming the utilitarian roadway into a vibrant, photogenic masterpiece

1960s-Present Pop Culture Fame: Featured in classic films like The Love Bug and Vertigo, Lombard Street skyrocketed in popularity, eventually drawing upwards of two million tourists every year to drive or walk its red-brick paths

2019 The Toll Proposal Veto: To combat heavy tourist gridlock, local officials proposed a bill to implement a reservation and toll system for drivers visiting the crooked block. However, California Governor Gavin Newsom ultimately vetoed the legislation

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