California Scenes: Palace of Fine Arts

If you're visiting San Francisco, perhaps after seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, you should stop by the Palace of Fine Arts at 3601 Lyon St., San Francisco, California.



The Rotunda

It is a historic landmark in the Marina District said to have been originally built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. It was one of the ten palaces created for the exposition and was only intended to last for that duration.

While most of the other palaces were demolished after the exposition, because it has captured the hearts of people, they  decided to keep the Palace of Fine Arts. And in 1965, a complete reconstruction was done including a seismic retrofit which was completed in 2009. 

Today it remains a favorite among tourists and locals. It has been used countless times as venue and backdrop for weddings and special events, even movies and TV shows.

The serene nature of this park makes it an ideal place to relax and stroll around the garden and  man-made lagoon where many different birds, including migratory birds and a pair of swan, are seen swimming.  



 

Panoramic Photo Inside the Rotunda Using my iPhone 4 and Photosynth iPhone App