If you turned on the television sometime between 1987 and 1995, odds are you’re familiar with the iconic Full House house. The San Franciscan townhome was the center of life for the Tanner family, who became household names and made the sitcom—with its relatability, honesty, and feel-good humor—a sensation. The dwelling used for exterior shots of the Tanner family home still stands in San Francisco’s Lower Pacific Heights neighborhood, and in fact, it is currently on the market for $6.5 million. Whoever purchases it will be inheriting a piece of television history. Keep reading as we unpack everything fans need to know about the real life Full House house.
The plot
Full House was a feel-good sitcom created by Jeff Franklin, along with Thomas L. Miller and Robert L. Boyett. The show, which lasted eight seasons, was centered around Danny Tanner (played by Bob Saget), a widowed father juggling single parenthood. With three daughters in need of direction and guidance, he enlists the help of his childhood best friend Joey (played by Dave Coulier), his brother-in-law Jesse (played by John Stamos), and some other characters in between. We’re looking at you, Kimmy Gibbler. It was Full House that shot Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen into stardom, thanks to the twins’ joint role as the youngest sister, Michelle Tanner.
The Full House house
While most of the show was filmed at the Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles, the exterior shots of the Full House house were shot in San Francisco, California. When watching the iconic opening credits of the show, one might think the Tanner family lived in one of the Painted Ladies (or Postcard Row) on Steiner Street. In reality, the Tanners lived about a mile north of Alamo Square Park, at 1709 Broderick Street in Lower Pacific Heights, an affluent neighborhood rich in history, architecture, and culture.
Almost 30 years after the original show’s finale on May 23, 1995, tourists still flock to the iconic Tanner residence. And while you won’t easily spot 1709 Broderick Street by its iconic red door, the trickle of tourists will tell you you’ve reached the right address. Today, there’s a sign out front that reads “Private Home. Please be respectful! No trespassing.”
“You could tell there was a mutual appreciation for a historic pop culture landmark. We all admired the house from the sidewalk and got to take pictures,” says Destiny Quinn, a news anchor who visited the Full House house in January of 2022. “We actually went to the Painted Ladies first. But I knew my trip wouldn’t be complete without seeing the Full House house. I was thrilled to find out they were about a mile away from each other,” Quinn tells AD.
Davis Burleson, a host, content creator, and Full House fan from New York, visited in February of 2023. “When I found out I was going to San Francisco, the first thing I knew I wanted to do was see the Full House house. I went out of my way to visit and it was well worth it,” Burleson tells AD. “I went at around 5 p.m. on a weekday and it was quiet. There was no one around and I was surprised that it was in such a normal neighborhood. Before this, I always thought that the house was a part of the Painted Ladies. I took a few pics and made a TikTok. It made me so sad that the door was no longer red.”
