Almost heaven:
San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts
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By Miguel Pérez
August 11, 2025 –They call it The Palace of Fine Arts, but it's really candy for your eyes! As you walk around this very unique park, you can't believe the beauty you are contemplating. Don't be surprised if you ask yourself if you died and went to heaven. lol I did! "Is this paradise?" Bordering the eastern edge of San Francisco's Presidio, the fort that became a park, the Palace was built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, which took place in the Presidio and the city's Marina District. It has been rebuilt over the years and it is the only major structure remaining from that world's fair. But I mean, wow! |
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The fair celebrated the completion of the Panama Canal, finally creating the long-sought passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It also celebrated San Francisco's recovery from an earthquake that devastated the in city 1906. And it showcased the world's cultures, technological advancements and cultural trends of the time.
The 288-day event was "the most opulent world's fair ever held in the United States," with numerous foreign pavilions presenting displays of technology from 31 countries," according to a historical marker here. "Truly a festival of multiculturalism.” |
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It was one of the fair’s ten Palaces devoted to showcasing a variety of themes, from agriculture to education. The Palace of Fine Arts was built to exhibit works of art.
When you first see it, your eyes may be drawn to its very tall (162-foot high) open rotunda, the centerpiece of the Palace. But even if the rotunda wasn’t there, that row of Roman ruin columns, and their reflection on this beautiful lagoon, would still be extraordinary. |
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According to another plaque here, "The Palace established a new standard for civic design by showing what critics have proclaimed as 'the perfect marriage between architecture and landscape.'"
It was designed and considered a masterpiece by prominent California architect Bernard Maybeck, who wanted to “to evoke the sadness and beauty of looking at a Roman ruin,” the markers explain. And it became the fair’s most popular exposition and one of the city's most prominent landmarks. |
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Originally built to last only a year, markers explain that by the 1950s, the Palace had deteriorated dramatically, that it fell into ruin and that its former fine art galleries were “repurposed” for other uses, even tennis courts!
But the people of San Francisco, including a few philanthropists, stepped up to save their Palace. In the late 1950s and early 60s, they raised millions to reconstruct a permanent version of Maybeck’s design. Starting in 1964, it was done with steel and cement and details cast from the original Palace. |
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And when further restoration was necessary in the 1980s, again they rallied to pay for upgrades to the buildings, the landscape and the lagoon. They even ran a "Light Up the Palace" campaign, which now makes this landmark a nighttime gem.
Other markers here explain that the Palace lagoon and surrounding landscape is “a unique ecological habitat in San Francisco's dense urban landscape” where “over thirty different kinds of wildlife have been observed.” It is one of few freshwater lagoons in the area, “providing a much-needed rest stop and feeding place” for migrating birds. The lagoon also has fish, turtles and frogs that have been added to the wildlife here. |
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Bottom line: This is a photographer's dreamland, the perfect setting for wedding photos. I even met a family proudly taking pictures of their quinceañera. (See photos).
I had seen this park in photos and I knew that it is an amazing place to take pictures in the daytime, and even more amazing at night. This meant that I had to time myself to go there in the afternoon and then wait until the evening. "No problem," I thought. "I don't mind spending a few hours here, not at all!" |
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But summer days have a peculiar way of turning into winter nights in San Francisco. As I waited to take some night photos, the temperature dropped dramatically and the wind rose substantially. I had to keep walking back to my car to add more layers of clothing.
I kept approaching people who were walking their dogs (they know the neighborhood) and asking them, "When do they turn on the lights? They kept assuring me that it was coming, "when it gets dark." |
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And when it finally happened I was as awed as I was when I got there in the afternoon. It was like a new astonishing place. Another paradise!
As if confirming my feelings, a marker here notes that, "If you visit the Palace repeatedly, you will notice that the mood is rarely the same; weather and time of day conspire to change the play of light and shadow over its surface.” The lights give the Palace a majestic presence, a sense of grandeur that inspires reverence and soul-searching. It was worth the wait, even in the summer cold. |
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