Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
Palace of
Fine Arts
3601 Lyon St, Marina District.
Map
3 C2.
Tel
(415) 567-6642.
@
22, 29, 30, 43, 45, 47, 49.
Open
for events only.
One of San Francisco's most
prominent pieces of architecture,
the Palace of Fine Arts is the
sole survivor of the many
grandiose monuments built as
part of the 1915 Panama-Pacific
Exposition
(see pp32-3)
. The
building was not intended to
last beyond the Exposition and
subsequently suffered serious
decay. Following restoration, it
now functions as a space for a
range of performing arts includ-
ing theater, music and dance.
An old Army shed, now the Crissy Field Warming Hut Bookstore and Café
4
Fort Point and
Crissy Field
Marine Drive.
Map
2 E1.
Te l
556-1693.
Open
10am-5pm Fri-Sun.
7
partial.
5
Golden Gate
Bridge
See pp64-7.
6
Baker Beach
Map
2 D4.
Open
dawn-dusk daily.
Completed by the US Army in
1861, this fort was built partly
to protect San Francisco Bay
from any attack, and partly to
defend ships carrying gold
from California mines. It is the
most prominent of the many
fortifications constructed along
the coast, and is a classic
example of a pre-Civil War brick
fortress. The building soon
became obsolete, as its 10-ft-
(3-m-) thick brick walls would
not have stood up to powerful
modern weaponry. It was
closed in 1900, never having
come under attack.
The brickwork vaulting is
unusual for San Francisco,
where the ready availability
of good timber encouraged
wood-frame constructions. This
may have saved the fort from
collapse in the 1906 earthquake
(see pp30-31)
. It was nearly
demolished in the 1930s to
make way for the Golden Gate
Bridge, but it survived and is
now a good place from which
to view the bridge. National
Park Service rangers in Civil War
costume conduct guided tours.
A tidal marsh once covered the
area called Crissy Field. After
two centuries of military use,
the Field was transformed into
a waterfront park for recreation
and education. The Crissy Field
Center offers a rich array of
programs including many
geared toward kids, from
wildlife treks to kite-flying.
2
The Walt Disney
Family Museum
104 Montgomery Street.
Map
3 A2.
Te l
345-6800.
@
28L, 43.
Open
10am-
6pm Wed-Mon.
Closed
Jan 1,
Thanksgiving, Dec 25.
&
∑
waltdisney.org
Opened in 2009, this fascinating
museum documents the life
and achievements of Walt
Disney (1901-66). A series of ten
interactive galleries incorporate
film clips, storyboards, and scripts
to tell the story of the man and
his amazing career. Visitors will
discover Hollywood's first
feature-length animated film and
early drawings of Mickey Mouse
alongside exhibits dedicated to
Disney's home life including
photographs and movies.
Baker Beach is the largest and
most popular stretch of sand in
the city and is often crowded
with sunbathers. The chilly
water and strong currents make
it a dangerous place to swim,
but it is a fine place to go for a
walk. Fishing is also good here.
There are forests of pine and
cypress on the bluffs above
the beach, where visitors can
explore Battery Chamberlin, a
gun emplacement from 1904.
On the first weekend of each
month rangers show the
“disappearing gun,” a heavy rifle
that can be lowered behind a
thick wall to protect it from
enemy fire, and then raised
again in order to be fired.
3
Presidio Officers'
Club
50 Moraga Ave.
Map
3 A2.
@
29, 43.
The Officers' Club is situated
in the southwest corner of the
Plaza de Armas, overlooking the
parade grounds of the Presidio
and the 19th-century barracks.
It is built in the Spanish Mission
style
(see p48)
and dates from
the 1930s, but incorporates the
adobe (sun-dried brick) remains
of the original 18th-century
Spanish fort.
Golden Gate Bridge seen from Baker Beach
