Officially known as Mission San Francisco de Asis, one of the most beautiful churches in San Francisco, Mission Dolores is founded in 1776 and is the oldest intact structure in the city, with roots going back to the very beginning. The backyard is crowded with gravestones marking the burial spot of dozens of Costanoan Indians, the city’s first residents and the labour pool that built the mission. The padres erected their church next to an inlet called Laguna Dolores, now filled in and part of picturesque Dolores Park. The mission’s thick adobe walls have withstood several major earthquakes and nearly everything within its cool, dim interior is authentic, including the original redwood ceiling beams. Fans of Vertigo will recognize the Mission’s tower.