Palace of Fine Arts

The Palace of Fine Arts is an exhibition complex in Marina District, San Francisco, with a 49-meter central rotunda. Colonnades in Roman and Greek style surround artificial pools that reflect the architecture.

Architect Bernard Maybeck designed the building in 1915 as part of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition celebrating the completed canal. The original artificial stone and gypsum structure was meant to stand only during the fair but was later rebuilt in permanent materials.

The name comes from its role as an art exhibition hall during the world fair when visitors viewed paintings and sculptures from around the globe. Today wedding couples, photographers, and walkers use the site for its colonnade and calm lagoon with swans.

The grounds are freely accessible around the clock and suit walking along the colonnades and around the water. The indoor theater hosts performances and opens at different times depending on the program.

Maybeck left the columns and walls deliberately unfinished to suggest a decaying ancient site even though the building was only decades old. Plants initially grew between the joints and reinforced this romantic effect until they were later removed.

Location: Marina District

Location: San Francisco

Inception: 1915

Architects: Bernard Maybeck

Architectural style: Beaux-Arts, ancient Roman architecture, ancient Greek architecture

Height: 49.4 m

Made from material: tree, artificial stone, gypsum

Website: https://palaceoffinearts.com

GPS coordinates: 37.80278,-122.44833

Latest update: December 12, 2025 17:25