Embedded Files
Here is a list of payphones that I have seen. Most have photo, numbers, and location. Majority are in the San Francisco Bay Area.
October 9th, 2025 - I have all the payphones that are currently in BART stations between Daly City and Embarcadero. I also have all Muni station payphones between West Portal and Embarcadero.
December 4th, 2025 - I've now organized the payphone listings here as follows:
Favorites
CalTrain stations
BART stations (Daly City to Embarcadero, plus a few others)
Muni stations (West Portal to Embarcadero)
Berkeley
Assorted/random
BTW, if you use these photos, please credit me as tipandring.net ! Thanks!
*Some of My Favorite Payphones*
*Some of My Favorite Payphones*
Location: San Francisco, CA, Battery-Cranston Rd parking lot (Golden Gate Bridge)
Number: (415) 345-9785
Notes: My most favorite payphone because it's the last full-on phone booth in SF, door, glass, fluorescent light, and everything. Read all about it here on its own page!
Works as of: December 14th, 2025
Photo taken: October 18th, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, Glen Park BART station paid area
Number: (415) 239-9042
Notes: One of my favorite payphones - beautiful enclosure with all the glass panels, and in great working condition! It's TTY is broken though. The back even has a Pacific Bell lens! The Pacific Bell logos on the sides have been covered up by PTS.
Works as of: December 15th, 2025
Photo taken: October 9th, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, Montgomery subway station lobby
Number: (415) 421-9067 (left not working) (415) 421-9073
Notes: Left phone didn't work. Right phone has a working TTY (See here)!
Works as of: December 16th, 2025 (right)
Photo taken: December 16th, 2025 October 9th, 2025
*CalTrain station Payphones*
*CalTrain station Payphones*
Location: San Francisco, CA, 4th and King Caltr5ain station
Number: Not visible, Old photo on twitter says (415) 495-9525
Notes: Only armored phone I've seen! Outside on the street, on the wall. I last used it in 2024 - at the time, only the coin box had the armor.
Works as of: 2024
Photo taken: January 9th, 2026
New enclosures
Old enclosures
Location: Burlingame, CA, Broadway Caltrain Station
Number: (650) 348-9620 (left), (650) 348-9718 (right)
Notes: In early November 2025, these phones had their enclosures replaced with L31 enclosures (interestingly, one is NOS Pacific Bell and has the light on). I don't see any reason as to why they replaced the enclosures - they are unique, had no graffiti, and in good condition. Both are clean and working on the Caltrain platform.
Works as of: November 17th, 2025
Photo taken: May 6th, 2024, November 17th, 2025
Location: Burlingame, CA, Burlingame Caltrain station
Number: (650) 348-9831 (street) (650) 348-9715 (platform)
Notes: Former Bell system phones, one is on the street and the other is on the station platform. The street phone has an SBC volume button that still works!)
Works as of: November 17th, 2025
Photo taken: July 28th, 2025
Location: Palo Alto CalTrain platform
Number: (650) 853-9306 (left) (650) 853-9240 (right)
Notes: Very clean, the right phone had a phone book holder at some point. but its (mostly) gone. The left phone had the light on inside the enclosure! The left phone has the Pacific Bell enclosure metal panels, but the right phone had its removed (you can see mounting points where they once were).
Works as of: September 1st, 2025
Photo taken: September 1st, 2025
*BART station Payphones*
*BART station Payphones*
This phone is still here
This wheelchair accessible phone has ben removed.
Its Pac Bell coin door has been covered
Location: Daly City, CA, Daly City BART train station
Number: (650) 991-9833
Notes: Between May 24th, and August 7th 2025, the accessible phone (in the 2nd pic) has been removed. The taller phone is the last one in Daly City station. The remaining phone had the coin door sticker removed, revealing a Pacific Bell coin door - as of October 9th, 2025, the Pacific Bell logo has been covered by another 5 mins for $1 to Mexico sticker :(
Works as of: January 29th, 2026
Photo taken: April 7th, 2024
Location: Daly City, CA, Daly City BART train station platform 1
Number: (650) 991-9833
Notes: No phone, light still works
Works as of:
Photo taken: August 18th, 2025
Location: Daly City, CA, Daly City BART train station
Number:
Notes: Not a payphone, but a beautiful enclosure. Has tty, phone book holder (no phone book), and Pac Bell logo! As of August 21st, 2025, this enclosure has been removed.
Removed as of August 21st, 2025
Photo taken: July 18th, 2024
Location: San Francisco, CA, Glen Park BART station paid area
Number: (415) 239-9042
Notes: See photos at top
Works as of: October 9th, 2025
Photo taken: See photos at top
Location: San Francisco, CA, 24th St Mission BART station lobby
Number: (left to right) (415) 550-9595, (415) 550-9596, (415) 550-9597 (broken)
Notes: A whole bank of 3 in bright blue enclosures! The first 2 worked, the last one (9597) didn't. The yellow tiles really make this corner a time capsule. Also has phone cube, barely at the top of 2nd photo. There is another empty enclosure on the far right. The middle phone has a Bell South "Press Blue to get Through" keypad with blue 1 and # keys! (for more info on this click here) TTY not working
Works as of: (Left 2) December 15th, 2025
Photo taken: October 9th, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, 16th St. Mission BART station
Number: (415) 865-9900 (left) (415) 865-9859 (right)
Notes: The right phone appears to have been disconnected but is still there (when you call the number you get the automated "this number is not in service" message). The left phone worked great. Very clean, no graffiti somehow. The glowing phone cube (not pictured) is still working too. The broken right phone's TTY light in indefinitely on for some reason.
Works as of: January 30th, 2026 (left only)
Photo taken: July 16th, 2024
*Civic Center/UN Plaza*
*Civic Center/UN Plaza*
Phone was in good physical condition up until removal
All that remains is the phone cube, and landline in the floor
Location: San Francisco, CA, Civic Center BART station inside fare gates
Number: Not visible
Notes: Had a Pacific Bell handset.This phone was removed between late January, early February 2026, and hadn't worked for quite a few months up to its removal. The landline is still in the ground
Works as of: 2024
Photo taken : May 24th, 2025, February 20th, 2026
Location: San Francisco, CA, Civic Center subway station lobby
Number: (415) 865-9837
Notes: 1 of 6 working phones in Civic Center station. I found 50c in this phone's coin return one time and made a call with it haha.
Works as of: October 9th, 2025
Photo taken : October 8th, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, Civic Center subway lobby
Number: (415) 865-9852
Notes: The damaged info card as seen in the photo has been replaced this November.
Works as of: November 18th, 2025
Photo taken: October 9th, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, Civic Center subway station lobby
Number: (415) 865-9845 (left) (415) 865-9815 (right)
Notes: 2 of 6 working phones in Civic Center station
Works as of: August 26th, 2025
Photo taken : August 26th, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, Civic Center subway lobby
Number: (415) 865-9856 (left) (415) 865-9851 (right)
Notes: 2 of 6 working phones in Civic Center station. The left phone has the PTS free calls instruction card and a broken TTY. Recently, when I called the free daily prayer number, an actual human picked up, which is nice to see. Has a phone cube without the light on. Also the left phone has an abused Pacific Bell handset. I left a repair notice by phone to PTS to repair the TTY.
Works as of: February 6th, 2026
Photo taken: October 9th, 2025
*Powell St*
*Powell St*
Location: San Francisco, CA, Powell St subway station lobby
Number: (415) 421-9087 (left) (415) 421-9093 (right)
Notes: Clean and maintained by PTS. One of 6(?) in the entire station. The right phone has used to have a Pacific Bell handset, but was removed and replaced between October 7th, 2025, and October 31st, 2025.
Works as of: December 3rd, 2025
Photo taken : October7th, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, Powell St subway station lobby
Number: (415) 421-9096 (left) (415) 421-9101 (right)
Notes: Clean and maintained by PTS. One of 6(?) in the entire station. The left phone (still unlike the other Powell phone) has a very abused Pacific Bell handset (right photo) !
Works as of: November 7th, 2025
Photo taken : October7th, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, Powell St subway station lobby
Number: (415) 421-9103
Notes: Clean and maintained by PTS. One of 5+ in the entire station. Only phone remaining in a former bank of 4. Also has a still lit, glowing phone handset cube above it!
Works as of: December 3rd, 2025
Photo taken : December 3rd, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, Powell St subway station BART paid area
Number: (415) 421-9100
Notes: Did not work, hopefully PTS repairs it.
Works as of:
Photo taken: October 9th, 2025
*Montgomery St*
*Montgomery St*
Location: San Francisco, CA, Montgomery subway lobby
Number: (415) 421-9070
Notes: Had "Out of service" stickers, did not work.
Works as of:
Photo taken: October 9th, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, Montgomery subway station lobby
Number: (415) 421-9067 (left not working) (415) 421-9073
Notes: Left phone didn't work. Right phone has a working TTY (See here)!
Works as of: January 9th, 2025 (right)
Photo taken: December 16th, 2025 October 9th, 2025
*Others*
*Others*
Location: San Francisco, CA, Embarcadero station concourse
Notes: No payphones, but the glowing phone cubes still alive and well! Funny how Embarcadero has a bunch of working ones, but not payphones, and many payphones don't have the cubes.
Photo taken: November 21st, 2025
Location: Lake Merritt BART station, Exit A1
Number: (510) 869-9952
Notes:Not the prettiest, but works. Former Pacific Bell. There is also another wall/cove in the station where a bunch of payphones used to be as well.
Works as of: February 20th, 2026
Photo taken: February 20th, 2026
Location: Downtown Berkeley BART station, Berkeley CA
Number: (510) 486-9484
Notes: In the station concourse. There were 5 payphones in the surrounding wall, this is the only one remaining.
Works as of: June 9th, 2025
Photo Taken: June 9th, 2025
*Muni station Payphones*
*Muni station Payphones*
Note: None are working, except for the ones in BART stations, which Muni shares. Precision Pay Phones(with Pacific Bell connects), the company that operated all Muni station phones, was the very last non-PTS payphone operator that I knew of that still serviced phones in the Bay Area, but they seem to be gone now sadly.
Location: San Francisco, CA, West Portal Muni train lobby/ticketing area
Number: Not visible
Notes: This phone used to have one of those bright yellow handsets! It was relatively clean and worked but stopped late 2023-early 2024. Now the handset is gone and is looking quite sad. I was surprised to see this recessed phone is just a regular phone with a cover. I'm more used to the phones that were built as a whole recessed uni.
Works as of: Mid 2023
Photo taken: October 9th, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, Forest Hill Muni station 2nd entrance
Number: Not visible
Notes: This phone is tucker in a corner in the secondary entrance. Has fake wood grain panels. It also had Pacific Bell TTY sign and a TTY.
Works as of:
Photo taken: October 9th, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, Castro Muni subway platform
Number:
Notes: Was once my favorite payphone with a Pacific Bell enclosure. I made a call on Easter Sunday of 2023, and next month I found an Out of service note on the phone. It hasn't worked since and has fallen into disrepair :(
Works as of: Easter Sunday 2023
Photo taken: October 9th, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, Church Muni subway platform
Number: Not visible
Notes: Similar to the Castro station phone but dirtier and broken. Former Pacific Bell. The right side of the L31 enclosure has a black panel in place of the missing Pacific Bell one,.
Works as of:
Photo taken: October 9th, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, Van Ness Muni train station lobby/ticket area
Number: Not visible
Notes: I remember this phone well. I made a call last in 2023, I don't remember exact date though. The final time I made a call from this phone, it gave me my money back at the end of the call haha. No longer works and no handset. It has a coinslot guard too.
Works as of: 2023
Photo taken: October 9th, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, Civic Center Muni station platform
Number:
Notes: As of October 9th, 2025, the actual phone has been removed, but the enclosure still stands.
Works as of:
Photo taken: October 3rd, 2024, November 12th, 2025
July 8th, 2024
October 9th, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, Powell Muni subway platform
Number: Not visible
Notes: This phone looks sad. It's quite dark and gloomy underground and its missing its handset. The number is not legible but is it handwritten on the info card. It also has a coin slot guard. As of October 9th, 2025, the instruction cards have been removed and there is lots of graffiti. (2nd photo is most recent)
Works as of:
Photo taken: July 8th, 2024, October 9th, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, Montgomery Muni subway platform
Number: Not visible
Notes: Former SBC, Precision Pay Phone, used to work, fine, then became a collect call and card-only phone, and now doesn't work at all. Missing coin return bucket, which is odd because the phone needs to be disassembled to remove it.
Works as of: 2023
Photo taken: October 9th, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, Embarcadero Muni train station platform
Number:
Notes: This one is weird. It has an enclosure that is not completely attached to the ground so it spins around but it isn't supposed to. The phone used to work around 2023 but you can hear a loud dialtone on both ends of a call. No longer works, but it a decent phone to look at.
Works as of: 2023
Photo taken: October 9th, 2025
*Berkeley Payphones*
*Berkeley Payphones*
Berkeley is one of the few places I've been to with abundant amount of payphones just out on the street! It's really neat seeing them standing in the open, like the 90s.
All operated by PTS
Location: Berkeley CA, corner of Dwight Way and Shattuck Ave
Number: (510) 540-9022
Notes: This phone is beautiful and works! There are a surprising amount of payphones in this part of Berkeley, and is relatively clean. As of June 9th, 2025, this phone, along with many other payphones along Shattuck Ave have had their enclosures painted dark purple. Shattuck Ave is like a payphone heaven for me, since there is a phone about every other block on a street corner, they all work, and as a bonus the subway stations underground also have working payphones!
Works as of: June 9th, 2025
Photo taken: February 24th, 2024
Location: Berkeley CA, Corner of Shattuck Ave and Haste St
Number: (510) 486-9801
Notes: Several similar payhones located along Shattuck Ave with purple painted enclosure.
Works as of: June 9th, 2025
Photo taken: June 9th, 2025
Location: Berkeley CA, Corner of Shattuck Ave and Bancroft Way
Number: (510) 486 -9414
Notes: Someone broke and stole the speaker out of the handset so I couldn't tell if the phone itself was working. The phone's keypad has the 1 and # buttons in blue. The blue buttons are a remain of BellSouth's "Press Blue To Get Through" campaign. (For more info on this click here) PTS maintains this phone so hopefully the handset will be repaired soon.
Works as of:
Photo taken: June 9th, 2025
Location: Berkeley CA, Corner of Shattuck Ave and Allston Way
Number: (510) 486-9443
Notes: Several similar payphones located along Shattuck Ave with purple painted enclosure.
Works as of: June 9th, 2025
Photo taken: June 9th, 2025
Location:Berkeley CA, Corner of Shattuck Ave and Addison St
Number: (510) 540-9913
Notes: Several similar payphones located along Shattuck Ave with purple painted enclosure.
Works as of: August 2025
Photo taken: June 9th, 2025
Location: Berkeley, CA, UC Berkeley campus, Sproul Plaza
Number: (510) 665-5468 , (510) 647-3891
Notes: Double sided pedestal! They both had dial tone. Since they're on the campus, they have posters and flyers taped to them. There is phone book holder that I could see a phone book inside of, but it looked gross so I didn't bother touching it.
Works as of: September 14th, 2025
Photo taken: September 14th, 2025
Location: Berkeley, CA, corner of University Ave and 6th St
Number: (510) 486-9610
Notes: Working, and has the light on! No graffiti too. This photo was taken with a potato; sorry.
Works as of: November 16th,2025
Photo taken: November 1st, 2025
Location: Berkeley, CA, 2600 Dwight Way
Number: (510) 486-9440
Notes: Didn't work when I passed by on Sep. 14th, hopefully PTS will repair it soon. Also painted in electrical box paint haha.
Works as of:
Photo taken: September 14th, 2025
Location: Ashby, CA, Telegraph Ave and Ashby Ave
Number:
Notes: I believe is operated by PTS, hopefully works. Couldn't check.
Works as of:
Photo taken: November 23rd, 2025
Location: Berkeley, CA, 2009 San Pablo Ave, close to University Ave
Number:
Notes: On Google streetview, I believe is operated by PTS, hopefully works. Couldn't check.
Works as of:
Photo taken:
*Assorted Payphones*
*Assorted Payphones*
Location: San Mateo, CA, Hillsdale Shopping Center, under food court escalator, by California Pizza Kitchen
Number: (650) 574-9381
Notes: Looks very clean. Many spots around the mall's walls with spaces that have ads where payphones like this one used to be. One of only 2 payphones left in the mall.
Works as of: December 30th, 2025
Photo taken: September 22nd, 2024
Location: San Mateo, CA, Hillsdale Shopping Center, between The Gap and Ms. Field's cookies
Number: (650) 571-9838
Notes: Very clean! One of only 2 payphones left in the mall. The TTY wasn't working, and it's in an acoustic enclosure. Other side has no phone, sadly.
Works as of: December 30th, 2025
Photo taken: December 13th, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, 801 Mission St, Mel's Drive-in, by restrooms
Number: (415) 777-2584
Notes: Non-functioning as long as I can remember. Only Pelican Communications phone I know of. Spot to the left where another phone was previously. Also has volume button.
Works as of:
Photo taken: February 16th, 2026
Location: Sausalito, CA, Golden Gate Bridge North Vista point, by restrooms
Number: (415) 931-8141
Notes: Not pretty, but works! In hallway by the restrooms. There's 3 other spots where phones used to be, but they've been removed.
Works as of: December 14th, 2025
Photo taken: December 14th, 2025
Location: Sausalito, CA, Golden Gate Bridge North Vista point, by parking lot and stairs to bridge
Number: (415) 332-1034
Notes: Not pretty, but works! Outside closer to the stairs that go to the bridge. On a double-sided pedestal, other phone was removed.
Works as of: December 14th, 2025
Photo taken: December 14th, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, Suppenküche German Restaurant, 525 Laguna St
Number:
Notes: Embedded in the restaurant wall outside facing Laguna st, no handset, completely painted over in black.
Works as of:
Photo taken: March 9th, 2025
July 12th, 2024 (working)
October 21st, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA, Kaiser Permanente hospital lobby on Geary and Divisadero
Number: Not visible, couldn't decipher, even in person.
Notes: It has a TTY unit too. Its in a small cove-like area near the restrooms. This is the only one left of the 3 or 4 that was there as there are empty spots next to it where other payphones used to sit. As of October 21st, 2025, it's been converted to a free VoIP phone and doesn't work. Took the second photo with a potato hah
Works as of: July 12th, 2024
Photo taken: July 12th, 2024, October 21st, 2025
Location: Daly City, CA, outside the Speedway gas station on Juniperro Serra
Number:
Notes: Covered in graffiti, not working.
Works as of:
Photo taken: March 12th, 2024
Location: San Francisco International Airport
Number:
Notes: This is no longer a payphone, as it has been converted to provide free domestic calls in the US. Call outside the US, you must use a prepaid calling card.
Location: Gas station 2015 Saratoga Sunnyvale Rd40
Number: (408) 725-9640
Notes: Does not work. Similar enclosure is at Muir woods - the payphone was relocated to behind the visitor center but I think the enclosure is still there.
Works as of:
Photo taken: August 10th, 2025
Location: Santa Cruz, CA, Balboa Fun Zone
Number: (949) 673-9925
Notes: Lots of graffiti, does not work. Has the Phone sign above. AT&T L31 lens behind the stickers.
Works as of:
Photo taken: April 27th, 2024
Location: New York City, NY
Number:
Notes: In a restaurant basement. Looked great! not functioning.
Works as of:
Photo taken: Spring 2024
Location: Daly City, CA, Royal Donut shop 7438 Mission St
Number:
Notes: This phone is well preserved, but does not work. I always love to get donuts from here though. The phone sits next to some newspaper vending machines outside.
Works as of:
Photo taken:
*Ranting about Payphones*
*Ranting about Payphones*
Payphone serviceman: One time, many years ago, I saw a PTS payphone maintenance guy servicing the 2 payphones at Palo Alto Caltrain station. It was neat witnessing the process of collecting the coins, doing a test call, and cleaning the phone. Never seen a serviceman since, but at least I've seen one.
Payphone removals: It always hurts when a phone is removed, because it's a little piece of history disappearing. One all over the city, now a rare sight. I've seen several phones get removed, and often wonder if any payphones at all are installed by PTS today.
Payphone history: Sometimes, when looking at a payphone, you can see its history of operators, and changes from its past. A phone could have a sign covering its previous owner's logo. It's very common, because PTS picked up so many phones from other companies. A phone may have 4 large bollards in the ground, despite it only being a pedestal, showing how it was previously a full booth. Payphones can also be a little display of the community around it, hosting posters and flyers, graffiti, and artwork on the enclosure. It's always fun to see a phone decked out in stuff. Some signs of previous phone operators I've seen: signs, coin vault doors, volume buttons, keypads, handsets, enclosures, enclosure lenses, info cards, collect call ads, and coin returns.
Balboa Park station payphone: Balboa park station used to have 2 payphones operated by PTS just outside the fare gates. They were removed in recent years. I used one a good while back, and was surprised when passing through one day, that they were both gone. I have no photos of them, apart from the hole in the floor, but that's not very interesting, is it? I felt like they are worth mentioning, because they had tall, jet black Verizon enclosures, which is somewhat unique because I've seen almost exclusively Pacific Bell here in the Bay Area.
Daily payphones: I pass by about 4 payphones daily in the subway. and it surprises me how many people use them. Everyday I catch a glimpse at someone making a call, and when I forget my cellphone, that person is sometimes me.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse