A “mushroom church” called the Rising Phoenix Entheogenic Temple just opened its second San Francisco location, some six months after a much larger mushroom church left town claiming they were the victims of “religious discrimination.”
It was a big deal in the local media in December 2024 when an Oakland-based "mushroom church” called Zide Door announced they were closing their only SF location, citing “religious discrimination” by the SF Planning Department. (The department argued that their building wasn’t up to code and needed $200,000 worth of repairs.) But it was around that same time that another mushroom church popped up in the Lower Haight, in the form of Rising Phoenix Entheogenic Temple on Haight Street near Fillmore Street.
Now those high holy rollers have opened a second SF mushroom church. According to their website and a Wednesday morning press release, Rising Phoenix Entheogenic Temple has opened a second SF location on Polk Street near Vallejo Street.
“In an effort to expand the Temple's congregational reach, Rising Phoenix has opened a 2nd Temple location in the historic Russian Hill neighborhood on Vallejo Street,” the church said in the press release. “With over 35 strains of magic mushrooms available at the Temple, Rising Phoenix offers a diverse range of strains that cover a spectrum of inward and outward settings, body and mind feelings, and visual effects. The strains include premium indoor-grown mushrooms, outdoor foraged strains, and exotic species that are rare and difficult to source.”
Looking at the new mushroom church’s Yelp page, there are no reviews, just a series of interior store shots all posted within the last eight days. But the Haight Street location’s Yelp page has largely positive reviews from the church’s satisfied, erm, congregants.
There have been a couple other mushroom churches operating in SF. This 2024 Examiner article notes a Living Church in Polk Gulch, which still has upcoming events listed. That report also mentions a Church of Cosmic Consciousness in the Castro District, though that organization’s Instagram account has been removed.
Rising Phoenix may have done a little better with neighborhood outreach than their other peers.
"We have been engaging with communities in the Marina, Nob Hill and Russian Hill region for almost a year now since we first opened in San Francisco,” an unnamed spokesperson says in their press release. “We've seen a large and growing demand for our spiritual and religious services and products from these San Francisco communities and were lucky enough to recently secure a lease at 1506 Vallejo Street. Haight Street will continue to operate like it always has but this second location gives us extra space to do more great work at a time when religious and spiritual guidance are needed more than ever."
You have to be a member (as 21+) to enter the premises, though a lifetime membership is free.
Yes, the church’s sale of magic mushrooms is technically illegal. But SF has decriminalized magic mushrooms, while state Senator Scott Wiener’s many attempts to decriminalize magic mushrooms at the state level have all failed.
So if you’re in the market for some “religion,” both SF Rising Phoenix Entheogenic Temple locations are open seven days a week from 10 am - 8 pm.
Image: Rising Phoenix Entheogenic Temple via Yelp
