Palace of Fine Arts
Bookmarked as a stop on almost every biking tour over the Golden Gate Bridge, the Palace of Fine Arts, with its Roman/Greek architecture, is a picturesque destination point for anyone seeking a legit attraction and memorable photo in San Francisco.
Built in 1915 for the San Francisco World Expo (called the Panama Pacific Exposition), the Palace of Fine Arts — along with 20+ other buildings — was created out of a temporary building material to house the exhibits of the fair. After the popular event, when all the buildings were set to be demolished, locals decided one building was beautiful enough to keep. It was the Palace of Fine Arts.
The original 1915 Palace of Fine Arts has since been retrofitted to withstand earthquakes and abide by 2014 earthquake standards.
The problem was, though, the building was constructed out of temporary building material. By 1965, it was in such disrepair that it needed to be knocked down and rebuilt.
And more recently, in 2009, the Palace of Fine Arts went through a seismic retrofit to prepare the architectural beauty for earthquakes.
The Palace of Fine Arts has been featured on TV and in movies and is a popular wedding-photo destination for locals in the Bay Area. You can walk around the free San Francisco landmark, enjoy the sights and even pretend you’re getting married, too.
The Palace of Fine Arts is located in the Marina District of San Francisco, a few blocks from the bay.
How Do I Find The Palace of Fine Arts?
- The Palace of Fine Arts is located in the Marina District, just before you reach Crissy Field and the Golden Gate Bridge. To find the exact address, look for the corner of Beach and Baker Streets.
- You can use public transportation routes 28, 30, 43 and 76 to reach the attraction. Unfortunately, only a limited number of public transportation routes head toward the Marina.
- To reach the Palace of Fine Arts from Union Square, hop on bus 30 from near the corner of Stockton and Bush Streets. You want to stand near the tunnel to Chinatown. Â
- Other notable places of interest near the Palace of Fine Arts include The Presidio, Fort Point, Crissy Field, Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin Headlands, Letterman Digital Arts Center, Pacific Heights and the Lyon Street Steps.
Orange Sky Co. says:
The Palace of Fine Arts is best visited during the daytime. Although the crowd factor can be large, especially when a tour bus rolls in, your photos are rarely ruined by other people. Feel free to browse both sides of the pond.
Location of the Palace of Fine Arts
