One of San Francisco’s favorite landmarks has fallen on hard times.

Renowned California architect Bernard Maybeck created the Palace of Fine Arts — a slice of ancient Rome just blocks from San Francisco Bay — for the historic 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition. But today, the Palace teeters between “graceful ruin” and total ruin. Its elegant rotunda and colonnades are deteriorating and seismically unsound. Mold, bacteria, rust, animal deposits, and graffiti are eating away at the Palace’s surfaces. The lagoon is crumbling, its water is stagnant, and the wetland landscape — home to swans, ducks, and migrating birds — needs significant restoration.

For Area Bay residents and visitors alike, the continuing decline of the Palace is a heartbreaking prospect. As the last remaining remnant of the 1915 fair, the Palace is an important part of San Francisco history. But it also holds a special place in our hearts: Lovers of all ages stroll hand-in-hand by the tranquil lagoon. Parents bring their toddlers to throw bread crumbs to the beautiful swans. And each year, hundreds of bridal parties commemorate their wedding day in photos taken at the Palace. Can you imagine a more romantic and breathtaking backdrop?

Through the decades, San Franciscans have worked together to preserve this jewel in the City’s crown. When the 1915 exposition’s buildings were slated for the wrecking ball, citizens rallied to make the Palace a permanent part of San Francisco. In the 1930s, $500,000 went into repairing the original wood footings and wood pile caps with concrete grade beams. In the 1960s, the Palace was reconstructed. And in 1990, neighbors and business leaders mounted a campaign to add exterior lighting.

But the Palace has remained subject to the ravages of time and the elements (see Palace in Need) and, in 2003, San Franciscans launched the Campaign for the Palace of Fine Arts. With a goal of $21 million, this campaign will:

• Make seismic upgrades to the rotunda and colonnades.
• Repair water damage and structural failure.
• Rebuild the edge of the lagoon.
• Dredge and remove sediment from the lagoon bottom.
• Improve the lagoon’s water quality and circulation.
• Plant sturdy riparian plants to provide food and shelter for birds and lagoon wildlife.
• Plant turf, shrubs, and trees along pathways.

The first phase of this restoration began in 2004 with the re-roofing of the rotunda dome, followed by ongoing restoration of the lagoon and landscape. (For the latest results, please see our Work in Progress.)  You can help us continue to bring this landmark back to life by making a gift to the Campaign for the Palace of Fine Arts today.

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