History

The YMCA was established in London, England, in 1844. In San Francisco, the Y has a rich history of community and volunteerism, as one of the founding charitable organizations in the Bay Area.

A group of servicemen in uniform gather indoors, seated closely on benches and facing the camera. Most are wearing dark military attire with a few in lighter uniforms. The background shows flags and decorations.

Timeline

Black and white photo of urban buildings showing signs for YMCA rooms and Sherwin-Williams paint.

1853

YMCA of San Francisco founded in a small suite of rooms on Portsmouth Square in Chinatown

1887

20th Street Mission branch opens

A black-and-white photo of three young men in matching jerseys. The center person is holding a basketball, while the two others sit on either side. Two more people are partially visible standing behind them.

1891

James Naismith invents basketball at YMCA Springfield College, Massachusetts

1898

The Army Y establishes in the Presidio during the Spanish American War (pictured at the top of page)

Sepia-tone image of a historic street with horse-drawn carriages, awnings, and signs for various businesses, including an Ocean Market and London Smoke.

1908

Army Navy YMCA (now Embarcadero YMCA) opens

A multi-story beige building with numerous windows. The entrance features a portico with "Commonwealth Building" inscribed on it. Pillars support the portico, and the sky is visible in the background.

1909

President Taft dedicates Y building on Golden Gate Ave. (Shih Yu-Lang Central YMCA’s first location after the 1906 earthquake.)

A large group of men in suits and hats stand in front of a building, posing for a formal photo.

1911

First Chinese-American YMCA is founded in San Francisco

Black and white photo of a YMCA building with a banner advertising a membership campaign and the slogan "Now is the Time to Join the Y" hung above the entrance.

1922

Richmond District YMCA (formally called Park Presidio YMCA) is opened on 360 18th Avenue

1924

San Mateo branch (now Peninsula Family YMCA) opens

A group of young boys gather closely around a chessboard, deeply focused on the game being played.

1926

Chinatown YMCA facility on Sacramento Street dedicated

“The boys have no place to go after school to spend their leisure moments. Our small room is crowded every evening with these bright and promising boys. There are about a thousand such boys in San Francisco.”

Two boys wearing "San Francisco" t-shirts feed a deer in a field, with a wooden fence and a distant building in the background.

1934

YMCA Camp Jones Gulch facility opens in La Honda

Black and white photo of people boarding a "Bay Cities Bus System" bus. Several individuals inside and outside the bus are visible. A woman in a plaid skirt and jacket is walking nearby.

1936

Japanese YMCA dedicated (now Buchanan YMCA)

1944

The Y supports millions of POWs and Japanese-Americans in internment camps during WWII

1946

John R. Mott, long-serving Y volunteer, awarded Nobel Peace Prize, for contributing to the creation of a peace-promoting brotherhood across national boundaries

Two men with a sign that says "Site of New Golden West." One man is holding a hammer and the other is smiling.

1954

Golden West YMCA dedicated (now Stonestown Family YMCA)

1976

The Y launches cardiovascular health program

A group of people, including children and adults, stand outdoors in a mountainous area. They seem to be exploring or learning about the environment, as one adult in a hat leads a discussion.

1977

YMCA Point Bonita Outdoor and Conference Center dedicated in Marin Headlands

Three people posing for a photo outdoors, one in a suit, one in a feathered headband and sash, and one in a casual shirt with glasses, all smiling. Chairs and a podium are visible in the background.

1987

Marin YMCA facility opens with sold-out membership

1994

The Y formally defines character as a demonstration of four core values: caring, honesty, respect and responsibility

1995

Urban Services branch chartered to guarantee access of YMCA resources to underserved families, offering peer counseling, tutoring, and structured recreation

1996

Programs began in Bayview Hunters Point in a space at Bayview Shopping Center

1997

The Y returns to historic Presidio as Presidio Community YMCA in renovated space

A man wearing glasses and a plaid shirt smiles while standing outdoors with a blurred natural landscape in the background.

2004

Charles Collins joins the YMCA of San Francisco as CEO

2010

Y of the USA adopts a new vibrant brand

First Lady Michelle Obama chooses the Y as a partner to launch the pillars of her “Let’s Move” campaign against childhood obesity

2013

The Y celebrates 160 years of serving San Mateo, Marin and San Francisco communities

2014

The Y forms a new Shih Yu-Lang Central Branch in partnership with Parks & Recreation and the Boys & Girls Club

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