Exhibition Venue

Pacific Heritage Museum
608 Commercial Street,
San Francisco, CA 94111
Exhibition Venue: (Between Montgomery and Kearny)
Tel: 415-399-1124

Museum Hours

Tuesday to Saturday,
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Admissions FreeFree Admission


Past Exhibitions


The Pacific Heritage Museum

Background:

The Pacific Heritage Museum of San Francisco was established in 1984 by the former Bank of Canton of California, now United Commercial Bank, as a public service for the citizens and visitors of San Francisco. The museum is housed in the historic US Subtreasury Building, dating from 1875 and built on the site of the original US Branch Mint. The mint, which outgrew its Commercial Street location during the height of the California gold rush era, moved to a new and larger location in 1874. The US Subtreasury used the old mint structure for a year, after which it was demolished and replaced with a four-story brick building designed by treasury architect William Appleton Potter. While the building was one of the few to have withstood the earthquake of 1906, it was entirely gutted by the ensuing fire and reconstructed as the single story building which presently occupies the site.


Historical Exhibit

The building has been carefully preserved and restored as a free-standing structure integrated into the Bank's overall building design. Recognized as a California State Historical Landmark (No. 87) in 1949 and as a San Francisco city landmark in 1970, the restored building now houses a historical exhibit documenting the history and significance of the Branch Mint and Subtreasury buildings over time. This exhibit, located in a cut-away section through the original building depicting its unique construction techniques, includes architectural plans, photographs, coins and other artifacts pertinent to the role of the site in the early development of San Francisco.


Museum Programs

The Pacific Heritage Museum displays on a rotating basis selected exhibitions based on the broad theme of the artistic, cultural and economic achievements of the peoples of the Pacific Rim. In addition to organizing its own exhibitions, the Museum also presents exhibitions with museums elsewhere in the United States and other countries.


United Commercial Bank

In 2002, United Commercial Bank acquired Bank of Canton of California, which owned the Pacific Heritage Museum. A subsidiary of UCBH Holdings, Inc., United Commercial Bank is the leading bank in the United States specializing in serving the Chinese community. With offices throughout California, New York and Hong Kong, United Commercial offers a wide range of personal and commercial banking services.


Headquartered in San Francisco, United Commercial Bank was founded as United Federal Savings and Loan Association in 1974 to serve the financial needs of the San Francisco Chinese community. As the Chinese-American population grew significantly and expanded into new communities throughout California, it became United Savings Bank, F.S.B. to provide statewide banking services. In 1998, reflecting a rapidly growing focus on commercial banking capabilities, the Bank converted its charter to become United Commercial Bank.
Current Events:

World of Love: Chinese Children's Painting

On View
November 11, 2008
through
February 14, 2009


In partnership with Project HOPE and United Commercial Bank, the Pacific Heritage Museum will host the only San Francisco viewing of World of Love: Chinese Children’s Painting Exhibition. This collection showcases more than 100 pieces from a children’s art competition held at three children’s hospitals in Shanghai, Beijing and Taipei.

I Am Recovered I Am Recovered by Biao Mingxian
I Can Stand by Cai Chen (Age 10) I Can Stand by Cai Chen
River at Hometown by Wen Tianhua River at Hometown by Wen Tianhua
Sisters playing in the Springtime by Zhun Chenyun (Age 7) Sisters playing in the Springtime by Zhun Chenyun
Peony with Butterfly by Stephen Yee The Best Performance of the Dolphins by Yuan Xinyi

For more details...>>