710 Ashbury Street
The three-story Victorian at 710 Ashbury Street looks like any other house on the block. Painted cheerful colors, with bay windows and a small front yard, it sits quietly in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. But from 1966 to 1968, this was the epicenter of a cultural earthquake. The Grateful Dead lived here communally - Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Pigpen, Phil Lesh, and various friends, lovers, and fellow travelers. The house became a headquarters for psychedelic experimentation, a crash pad for the emerging hippie movement, and eventually a target for police looking to make an example. On October 2, 1967, narcotics agents raided the house and arrested everyone present except Garcia, who was out getting a haircut. The bust made national news and cemented the Dead's outlaw status. The band left shortly after, but 710 Ashbury remains a pilgrimage site for Deadheads worldwide.
The Scene
The Haight-Ashbury district in 1966 was becoming ground zero for a youth revolution. Young people were flooding into the neighborhood, drawn by cheap rent, good vibes, and rumors of something new happening. The Dead were the house band for Ken Kesey's Acid Tests, marathon events where LSD was freely distributed. When Kesey fled to Mexico to escape drug charges, the band needed a headquarters. They found 710 Ashbury - a large Victorian with multiple rooms where the whole tribe could live together. It became a commune, a rehearsal space, a headquarters, and a symbol.
The Summer of Love
The summer of 1967 brought 100,000 young people to Haight-Ashbury, many of them with nothing but idealism and a hitchhiked ride. The Dead played free concerts in the Panhandle. The house at 710 became a drop-in center of sorts, though the band grew increasingly overwhelmed by the scene's own success. The Diggers provided free food; the Dead provided free music. But the neighborhood was changing - hard drugs replacing psychedelics, predators mixing with seekers. By fall, the original Haight scene was already dying under the weight of its own publicity.
The Bust
On October 2, 1967, California narcotics agents, accompanied by TV crews, raided 710 Ashbury. They arrested 11 people - band members, girlfriends, managers - on marijuana charges. Jerry Garcia escaped only because he'd stepped out to get his hair cut. The bust was designed as a spectacle, a warning shot at the hippie movement. Instead, it created martyrs. The charges were mostly minor; the publicity was enormous. The Dead held a press conference on the front steps, surrounded by lawyers. The incident transformed them from local phenomenon to national symbol.
The Aftermath
The Dead moved out of 710 Ashbury in 1968, relocating to quieter quarters in Marin County. The Haight was deteriorating; the dream had curdled. But 710 remained legendary. Deadheads began making pilgrimages almost immediately. The house changed hands over the decades but maintained its significance. There's no official marker - it's a private residence - but fans know. You'll often see them taking photos, touching the door, leaving small offerings. The house represents a moment when everything seemed possible, before it all got complicated.
Visiting 710 Ashbury
710 Ashbury Street is a private residence; visitors should be respectful and not disturb occupants. The exterior is easily viewed from the sidewalk. The intersection of Haight and Ashbury, a block away, is the iconic crossroads of the neighborhood, with the famous street signs often photographed. The Haight-Ashbury district remains walkable and historic, with vintage shops, the Bound Together anarchist bookstore, and Amoeba Music. Golden Gate Park is two blocks south. The closest BART/Muni station is Carl and Cole; buses run frequently on Haight Street. SFO is the main airport, 14 miles south. The Panhandle, where the Dead played free concerts, extends east from the park.
From the Air
Located at 37.77°N, 122.45°W in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district. From altitude, the neighborhood appears as dense Victorian housing between the western edge of the city grid and Golden Gate Park's green rectangle. The Panhandle, a narrow park extension, points east toward downtown. The famous intersection of Haight and Ashbury is one block west of 710. The house itself is indistinguishable from the air among the similar Victorians. Golden Gate Park provides the major landmark, with SFO 14 miles south.