Hidden · Lands End, San Francisco, United States
Sutro Baths
The concrete ruins of a huge saltwater swimming complex on the cliffs of Lands End, burned in 1966 and now part of a national recreation area.
A swimming palace with seven pools, built in a small beach inlet.
The Sutro Baths stood in a beach inlet at Lands End, on the west side of San Francisco, north of Ocean Beach and below the Cliff House. Adolph Sutro, an entrepreneur who was also mayor of the city from 1895 to 1897, built them, and they opened to the public on March 14, 1896, as the largest indoor swimming pool establishment in the world.
The complex held six saltwater pools and one freshwater pool, with seven slides, 30 swinging rings and a springboard. It also had a museum of stuffed animals, artifacts and art, a 2,700-seat amphitheater, 517 private dressing rooms and, later, an ice skating rink. At high tide ocean water flowed straight into the pools, and at low tide a turbine pump built into a cave at sea level filled them.
Two rail lines served the baths: one ran along the cliffs of Lands End, and the other carried electric trolleys to Golden Gate Park and downtown.
From a civil rights case to an arson fire.
In 1897 John Harris sued Adolph Sutro after he was denied entry to the baths because of his race. Harris won, a landmark victory against racial segregation in public facilities.
The baths struggled for years because they cost so much to run and maintain, and the southern end was turned into an ice rink. The Sutro estate sold the property in 1952 to George Whitney, who closed the northern half and its pools and moved the attractions to the south. His tram, which linked the Cliff House with an overlook at Point Lobos, ran from May 1955 to May 1966.
The property was sold to developers in 1964, who planned a high-rise apartment complex. In June 1966 a fire destroyed the building while it was being demolished, and the cause was found to be arson. What remains is concrete walls, blocked-off stairs and passageways, and a tunnel with a deep crevice in the middle. The site is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, run by the National Park Service.
The ruins and the baths as they were.
Practical notes.
Before you go.
When did Sutro Baths open?
The baths were built in 1894 and opened to the public on March 14, 1896, as the world’s largest indoor swimming pool establishment.
What is left of Sutro Baths?
Concrete walls, blocked-off stairs and passageways, and a tunnel with a deep crevice in the middle. A fire in 1966 destroyed the rest of the building.
How did the fire start?
The fire in June 1966 broke out while the building was being demolished, and the cause was determined to be arson.
Has Sutro Baths appeared in films?
Yes. The climax of The Lineup was shot at the ice rink in 1958, and a scene from Harold and Maude was filmed in the ruins. Edison’s company also filmed the baths in 1897.
Around San Francisco
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