Palace of Fine Arts
Categories: Performing Arts, Parks [Edit]
3301 Lyon Street(at Bay St)
San Francisco, CA 94123 (415) 563-6504
- Good for Kids: Yes
31 reviews
Neighborhood: Union Square
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138 Reviews for Palace of Fine Arts
I saw Cat Power here. It's a pretty good sized venue that is still able to set a pretty intimate mood for music listeners. The seats are built so that nobody's head is really blocking your view of the stage, which is a very good thing.
There is a huge stage; sound quality was awesome. It's a pretty venue in a pretty area. Though, it is definitely out of the way when you're coming from Berkeley.
Besides really, really wanting to see Alcatraz I also wanted to go check out the Palace of Fine Arts. I've seen it enough time in movies and TV shows that I wanted to see the Greek and Roman inspired architecture. I trekked from Union Square all the way to the Marina via Cable Car and bus to get there. I had my camera ready, battery fully charged and I get there and it's underfuckingconstruction and covered in scaffolding, a word I soon learned I could not pronounce. Can you believe that?!?! I can't! I was fuming. Once I calmed down, OK actually I never calmed down I just accepted the fact that I got punked.
OK even underfuckingconstruction and covered in scaffolding I could see what a beautiful place it is. And being the quintessential San Francisco tourist that I was I still took pictures of it in all it's fenced in underfuckingconstruction and covered in scaffolding glory. However it did put me in a somewhat foul mood for a while, damn you Palace of Fine Arts for getting a face lift while I was in town.
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Great way to end a date.
I surprised my girlfriend with a walk to palace of fine arts. She was so excited and we sat on one of the benches and watched the geese play in the water. It's a beautiful place right at sunset. They light up the palace and the birds play in the water. There are also some really cool plant life around the area too.
The architecture is amazing. The columns have this beautiful golden color to them when the sun hits them. The waters gives great reflections and gives lots of great opportunities to take some wonderful photos if you are a shutterbug. Lots of plants, ducks and geese around to help liven the photograph up. Currently the main "hall" in covered in scaffolding, which is a bummer, but it's still beautiful. Hopefully the renovations will be completed soon and this place can be enjoyed in in full beauty. Its a great place to sit, reflect, picnic or even nap.
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My fav place in the city for a picnic on a sunny day. My bf and I packed some food, grabbed some blankets and headed down here to face the Palace and do some people-watching. It's such a lovely view (despite the renovating that's currently going on) and there's enough grassy area for people to picnic.
P.S: There's even a turtle that swims in the lake!
The park is nice, as is strolling around the grounds. The theater is also excellent, saw a couple of shows here recently and all the seats seemed great (although we had the ones up front).
The Palace of Fine Arts is one of San Francisco's monumental trademark.I agreed with all the yelpers that this monument is a structure of beauty.I have been here on many separate occasions for many different events.I get spoiled living in SF back in the days and you don't miss or appreciate certain things as much as you do now that your'e not in reach of it.Kung Fu Master will be home next weekend..woohoo!
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sitting on the grass by the lake. facing the big ol rotunda and columns.
my favorite place to sit and think about life in the whole wide world.
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Love this place - came here as a kid (Exploratorium!), and more recently for an Ani DiFranco interview as part of the SF Arts and Lectures series.
Its definitely got some 'airs' about it, but for good reason - it's a super classy joint,all around.
Beautiful and peaceful. The perfect place to come to just enjoy a nice day in San Francisco. One of my favorite places to take out of towners and to just go by myself when I need a break.
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Beautiful place; recently (around a year) rennovated. Must-see for tourists and those who are permanent residents here. Great photo-ops (Top 5 spot for wedding photos across the lake). Sometimes you can see this one rock artist balancing rocks, on occassion; a goose or geese and maybe a swan if you're lucky.
Exploratorium is right on the other side of the dome and if you go on the first Wednesday of the month, you get free admission. Though I went there recently and it wasn't as exciting when I first went when I was younger.
Wanna play Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo? Then this is the perfect place friend. Why? 'Cause the Palace of Fine Arts is the backdrop for one of the fine scenes in that masterpiece of film you silly. Please dress appropriately.
Besides that, it don't get much more beautiful than this. Sigh.
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I adore this place. It's so calming, has a nice duck/geese/swan pond in back. The very high architecture always puts me at ease with the world.
SO if you're just needing to get away without necessarily leaving the city, spend an afternoon just moseying around this place.
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I'm not very girly.
I watch football, chug beer, play soccer, hate shopping, don't want to give birth, don't own anything with a bow or flower on it, hate the color pink, can change my own tire, lift heavy objects, play poker, drink whiskey, I never hide my weight and I don't cry at sappy movies.
However...
Even I can't help but think that maybe I'd like a boyfriend so that we can take nighttime walks here.
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Absolutely gorgeous - thus the newly married couples taking pictures here every weekend. At dusk, I get a sort of creepy feeling about this place. Not ghosts, but definitely something eerie.
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This place is absolutely breathtaking!
I had seen it before driving by the water... but it wasn't until an impromptu trip to San Francisco this past St. Patty's day with my roomy that I finally experienced this place first hand.
Had a lovely walk in the morning by the lake and enjoyed the sights.
Took tons of pictures....
(here's one: http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
And was completely overwhelmed by the magnitude of this landmark's size!
Ohhh so THIS is that place near Golden Gate Park...! At least I hope I'm touching on the correct agenda.
This place is a photographer's dream...
It's beautiful. I can sit here for hours on end, just taking everything in. It's the perfect place to go to clear your mind, and just appreciate life.
Surprisingly, even though a lot of tourists try to make it out here, it remains quiet and peaceful. Can't ask for much else...
This is such a cool place to take photographs or have a picnic on a sunny day. It is still being restored.My photography group came her to take night photographs one evening. I had my camera on a tripod doing long exposures. All of a sudden I heard a squeaking and shrieking. Out of the foliage came a skunk and a very large rat. I tried not to scream. I mean I can deal with wild life. I was just taken off guard by the urban wildlife at the palace of fine arts. Still, I was not about to be skunked. I decided the image really wasn't worth tangling with a skunk or a rat. So I grabbed my gear and ran.
Yes, it is a romantic spot, just beware of the skunks and rats.
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i love coming to see shows here. first time was for my friend's mom's dance recital. i've been to a couple of the sf arts & lectures shows here and i really like the vibe. parking is surpisingly easy. their lobby is huge and the theater is comfers cozers.
The last time I came here, it was more or less by accident. It was some Wednesday night around 9pm, didn't feel like going to a club or bar, and didn't feel going home. One of those melancholic "Nothing interesting happening there" kind of feeling. So I hopped on my bicycle, and started pedaling. From Potrero Hill, I passed through SOMA, up the Embarcadero, through the Marina, and ultimately found myself staring at that beautiful dome structure.
I don't know what it is about architecture as art, but it's moving. A painting, a song, a novel: these are things you can hold in your hand. They can literally be grasped.
Architecture is so significantly vast in scale that I almost immediately feel simultaneously small, in awe, and understanding of what can be done in the name of emotion.
Some day I need to get back during the day, so I won't fear getting chased off.
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This is one of my most favorite places to go to. Majestic in its own right--it's very different from the rest of the city's architecture. Even thought it's smack dab in the city, it's a total get-away. A nice place to go when you feel a bit melancholy, can't make up your mind what to do or just need to get our of your home.
Visit The Wave Organ after going here. It's within walking distance and a total 2 for 1 deal!
i actually attended a wedding om the groundshere some tine ago. it got windy and a little chilly but didn't rain. this place is flabulous. if one doesn't mind the dirty pond water and dirty walkways.
i would go back if i have a lot of time to look for a parking space.
This has been one of my favorite parts of the city since I was a little kid. If I didn't hate the Marina so much, I might live closer by this gem.
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I love this place. I used to live up Lyon St. in Pacific Heights (yeah, right off those crazy steep stairs) and would run through the Palace of Fine Arts down to the Marina. My thighs still burn just thinking of going back up those stairs. It's still one of my favorite respites in the city, especially on a rare sunny day in SF. My husband and I like to imagine we will retire in one of the surrounding homes. Have you looked at those houses? Beautiful and never to be in our price range. The closest we'll get is the engagement photos we took here. *sigh*
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This place is beautiful. The inside is so plush with red velvety curtains and a large open lobby area you can drink with actual tables. The seats in the theater were comfortable too. I lasted through a 3 hour concert wihout thinking, "when the hell am I getting out of this damn chair, my ass is killing me".The beers didn't burn a whole in my wallet either. You can get a Stella or Fat Tire bottle for 5 bucks. Try that at the Warfield. Ha! They also have food if you forget to eat before you get there. The only issue I had was with public transportation. Don't wear heels if you take the bus! It is a little bit of a walk and your feet will hurt. Also, don't pay too much extra to sit up close. Every seat in this place is a good one.
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last night i went and saw mark kozelek and david bazan play here. although mark was the headliner, david bazan was wayyyyy more amazing. mark played for way too long and tuned between like every song...quite unnecessary and a little pretentious. a funny dude though! anyways, it was a great place to see a show...super comfortable seats and amazing sound.
the only reason i give it 4 stars instead of 5, is because from where we were sitting (row S on the odd # side...and i guarantee at least rows Q-Z on our half would say the same) the sound guy's computer monitor was SOOO DISTRACTING! the brightness was blaring us in the eyes...and every time he would switch to a different program or something, we could tell. kinda annoying...the screen should have been dimmed, and not pointed towards the crowd at all... (he's stationsed in the way back, kinda on the left, but near the center.)
no biggie...great show!
So beautiful, so peaceful.
My husband and I are planning on coming here for a picnic one day. Very romantic.
I usually see people taking wedding pictures here, oh so romantic.
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Well I'm just going to say, I've ran by here twice at night. What a sight! Amidst the darkness lies a giant ominous structure, tall and foreboding, light and mysterious. On our way home from my roomie's birthday, I wanted to stop here. So at night the four of us park by it and walk around the structure and lake next to it.
We basically goofed around, climbing on structures, taking photos next to statues and random lights that we were easily amused by. My friends stood in the center of the circular part and enjoyed the night's full moon and Venus dimple right next to it while I planned my future wedding here.
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If I get married (again) I want it to be here. Thank God I didn't waste this awesome location on the first bastard.
Me? Bitter? No.....
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Great views. Take pictures. Have a picnic.
Been here at night, when you can see the stars, the reflections off the water, and risked falling into a muddy bank. lol
Been here in broad daylight, and posed as tourists would...camera in hand and doing silly faces.
It's a nice kind of fun, and an inexpensive thing to do in this city.
Some day, will have to find a nice patch, and get some reading done.
"the zawinul dome" a classic san francisco landmark you can see from much of the marina, cow hollow, the presidio... i've seen two concerts here, so i'm only rating it based on that, and my experiences outside (awesome lake and architecture). I saw Joe Zawinul (RIP)(w. syndicate) and also Hiromi. two of the best concert experiences of my life. this is a very "mystical" place. to get some "thinking" or "anti-thinking" done.
I loved this place so much that I couldn't wait to get home and write a review. Apparently I'm not the only one who felt that way. So to re-cap what the other reviewers stated, bring your camera, some bread for the ducks, and someone you love (kid, dog, or S.O.) and enjoy the beauty.
When we were there this past Saturday, they were setting up for a wedding reception, and there were THREE wedding parties taking photos. I think this would be a gorgeous place to take wedding photos, but not so great for a reception, since the wind was knocking down glasses and causing the brides to shiver.
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Go to the Exploratorium
Bring a sandwich
Eat it in the park with your kids/friends
This is absolutely one of the coolest and best parks in the city. Consider taking a weekend day to walk around the Palace of Fine Arts before heading over to the beach and the lagoon to check out any wildlife. Treck into the Presidio past all the development and wander around the old bunkers. This is a great place to get outside.
I know it's an artful place, it's architecture and scope are outstanding. But you've never truly appreciated it until you've gotten effed up and clambered around on this structure with a silly friend or nine.
It's a great place to take artsy fartsy or fun pictures. Kids love it because it's like a huge fort. My daughter had me take emo pix for her myspace. "OMG mom, I feel hella small and insignificant. Wait, wait wait, lemmee make emo face..."
I'd drive to the city every week just to visit here.
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One day I shall marry here..........any takers:)? I want to be surrounded by the tranquil sounds of the waterfalls and in view of the beautiful swans. All kidding aside, this place is so beautiful and the building is structurally detailed to perfection. A must see if your in the SF area. Or.... just make the damn trip down....you can have drinks afterwords.
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A nice place for a picnic or a stroll around the pond on a sunny day. The inside is nice too. With a very warm and comfortable open lobby area that you can relax and sit at the tables. I believe it was built for an Expo or World's fair around the turn of the century and you can see why it has lasted so long. A great place to get some substance.
I completely under utilize this spot. This has come to my attention after a strange and brief phone call I just had with my Aunt and Uncle (who I haven't seen in 10 years, and are in town) and my Uncles brother (who I have never met, and is the reason they are in town). They wanted to meet up with me for lunch. We fumbled, seeing as we don't really know much about each others likes and dislikes, trying to figure out a pre-lunch meeting place suitable for catching up on everything that has happened over the last decade.
I am quite sure this will be interesting. My mom likes to edit my life into some tidy narrative suitable for public consumption, which is crazy because she should know by now that once I am in front of these people all of the hard work she put into that lovely piece of fiction will be for nothing.
So, anyhow, we all decided to meet here, along with my Uncles brothers girlfriend, who I also have never met. We are going to stroll the grounds, talk, laugh (most likely at me) and decide at that point where to eat. This is a perfect place to do this. It is beautiful, historical, peaceful (well, except for those damn pigeons) and reminds me of why I love living in this city. It also reminds me of what I did at midnight under the dome the last time I was here. I wonder if my mom will approve of me sharing THAT story with my relatives.....
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My boyfriend meant to take me here for my birthday. Unfortunately, he forgot the name and we ended up at the Legion of Honor instead. The Legion of Honor is fine and all but this place is DROP. DEAD. GORGEOUS. It took another three months for somebody showing (me and) my visiting relatives around San Francisco for me to discover this place. Like oh my god, immediate real estate lust. MUST FIND MILLIONAIRE SUGAR DADDY NOW!!! to buy me one of the houses facing this place. Who says money can't buy happiness? Though it is, of course, a public museum/park/exploratorium so even brokeasses like me can picnic by the lake, contemplate angles and curves, roam amongst the gigantic pillars and basically bask in the glory of this place.
...but maybe it was a good thing I didn't end up checking out this place (and all the people who potentially live nearby) with my third year grad student of a boyfriend after all... wink.
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what is there to say about the palace of fine arts? the view is spectacular, and i can't help but just stare at the architecture when i go running in the area.
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