Cliff House

The Cliff House is a landmark structure that was built as a restaurant in the mid 19th century.

The first Cliff House was built in 1863 by Senator John Buckley and C. C. Butler and was eventually leased to Captain Junius Foster. Wealthy San Franciscans flocked to the coast to enjoy the unique restaurant and wonderful views. The building of roads and extension of transportation allowed for more visitors as time passed, and the expansion of Golden Gate Park encouraged more visitors.

In 1883, the Cliff House was bought by Adolph Sutro, but was severely damaged by a dynamite explosion on January 16, 1887. The building was repaired, but was later completely destroyed on Christmas night 1894. In 1896, Adolph Sutro rebuilt the Cliff House as a seven story Victorian Chateau, which survived the 1906 earthquake with little damage. The bad luck continued though, when the building burned to the ground the night of September 7, 1907.

The restaurant was then rebuilt in a neo-classical style and eventually purchased by George and Leo Whitney in 1937 and extensively remodelled it into an American roadhouse. In the 1960s, the Musèe Mèchanique was moved into the basement of the Cliff House. The building was then acquired by the National Park Service in 1977 and became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Extensive restoration to the site was completed in 2004.

The Cliff House now features two restaurants, the casual Bistro Restaurant and the formal Sutro’s. There is also a Sunday Brunch buffet in the Terrace Room. There is a gift shop in the building and the Camera Obscura on the terrace deck.

The Cliff House is  located at 1090 Point Lobos Ave. For directions and other information, go to http://www.nps.gov/goga/clho.htm or call (415) 561-4323. For restaurant and visiting information, go to http://www.cliffhouse.com/ or call 415-386-3330.

Sutro Baths

The Sutro Baths were built in the late 19th century, and at the time, were known to be the largest indoor swimming pool complex in the world. On March 14, 1896, the pools were opened to the public by Adolph Sutro (a wealthy entrepreneur and former San Francisco mayor).  The structure was made of glass, iron, wood, and reinforced concrete structure and was mostly hidden in a small beach inlet below The Cliff House.

The Sutro Baths were comprised of seven different swimming pools—one fresh water and six salt water pools in ranging temperatures. During high tides, water flowed into the pools from the Pacific Ocean, recycling 2 million US gallons of water; during low tides, a powerful turbine water pump could recycling the water in five hours.

There was also a museum that displayed Sutro’s personal collection of artifacts from his travels, a concert hall, seating for 8,000, and, once, an ice skating rink.

Due to high operating and maintenance costs, the Sutro Baths closed in 1966. Shortly after the closure, the structure was burned down during the demolition process. Concrete walls, blocked off stairs and passageways, and a tunnel with a deep crevice in the middle are all that remain of the structure. The remains are part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and operated by the United States Nation Park Service.

The ruins of the  Sutro Baths are still open to the public, and there are signs that describe the history of Sutro Baths starting from its construction to the complete destruction by fire in 1966.

The Sutro Baths are located at Point Lobos Ave & Merrie Way. For directions and other information, go to http://www.nps.gov/goga/clho.htm or call (415) 561-4323.