The performance characteristics of the Hamamatsu R928 side‐window photomultiplier tube have been evaluated in the picosecond time domain. This phototube is proposed as an attractive solution to the problem of high time resolution when a sync‐pumped dye laser is combined with the single‐photon time correlation method for determining fluorescence lifetimes and measuring time‐resolved emission spectra and polarization anisotropy. It combines excellent timing characteristics in the single‐photon mode and a small‐to‐negligible wavelength effect with high gain, low noise, and low cost. Twice the resolution previously reported has been obtained.