History
Welcome to one of San Francisco's most beloved landmarks! The Palace of Fine Arts stands as one of the few surviving structures from the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition (PPIE). This World's Fair celebrated both the completion of the Panama Canal and San Francisco's recovery from the devastating 1906 earthquake and fire.
Renowned architect Bernard Maybeck designed the Palace in the Roman and Greek revival style, drawing inspiration from classical European architecture. Maybeck intended the Palace to resemble a Roman ruin, reflecting on the transient nature of human achievement. The melancholic beauty he sought to create was described in his own words as a feeling of "sadness modified by the feeling that beauty has a soothing influence."
Originally built as a temporary structure meant to last only for the duration of the exposition, the Palace was constructed primarily of wood and staff (a mixture of plaster and burlap-type fiber). The community's love for the building led to its preservation, though by 1964, the original structure had badly deteriorated. The entire Palace was demolished and rebuilt in permanent materials (concrete) between 1964 and 1974.
Architectural Elements
The Palace of Fine Arts showcases a masterful blend of Classical Roman and Greek architectural elements, centered around its commanding rotunda that soars 162 feet into the San Francisco sky. This massive domed structure is supported by gracefully curved colonnades that sweep outward, creating a sense of embrace around the serene lagoon below. The lagoon itself serves as more than mere decoration, acting as a mirror that doubles the visual impact of the classical architecture while providing a habitat for the site's famous swans and other waterfowl.
Perhaps the most poignant architectural features are the eight identical "Weeping Women" statues positioned atop the colonnade. These allegorical figures, their heads bowed in eternal contemplation, enhance the site's intended atmosphere of melancholic beauty. Throughout the structure, intricately carved relief panels and friezes depict scenes inspired by Classical Greek artwork.
Logging Requirements
To log this virtual cache, you must take a photo of yourself OR a personal item (such as a travel bug or card with your username) with the central rotunda clearly visible in the background. The park is open to the public from 5:00 AM to midnight daily.
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.