The Museum at The Cliff's history gallery in the former Cliff House Gift Shop and special exhibition, Naiad Cove, in the former Cliff House Restaurant, are open to the public one final time as we say Bon Voyage to this incredible community creation and sail off into history.
Join us on Saturday, October 15, 11:00am to 5:00pm. Tickets are free but you must register in advance through Eventbrite.
Visitors will begin in the history gallery for an overview of what was once here in this area known as Lands End, with stories told through pieces on display from WNP's Cliff House Collection, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area's Park Archives collection, and the Global Museum at SF State, which has loaned authentic Egyptian artifacts once collected by Adolph Sutro to The Museum. This provides an overview of the Cliff House and Adolph Sutro, as well as his glass palace, the Sutro Baths, and public gardens at Sutro Heights.
With this context in place, visitors will enjoy the special exhibition. Curated by John Lindsey of The Great Highway gallery and Nicole Meldahl, Executive Director of WNP, Naiad Cove is an immersive experience that instills a deeper sense of place by placing site-specific contemporary artworks in conversation with historic artifacts–both in situ with the landscape that created them.
Enter through San Francisco's iconic fog to meet old friends from the Cliff House Collection “the porcelain muses, carved wooden bear, and Playland cowboy“ who will once again greet visitors at the door. Once inside, guests will experience a simulation of the Sutro Baths mezzanine, where you could once explore a museum, relax with friends, or peer into swimming tanks on the lower level. Walking through the former restaurant's bar and bistro, you'll see what it was like to dine at the Cliff House, which was constructed in 1909 but went through several significant transformations as proprietors catered to changing tastes. Then you'll travel along Great Highway, with a rollercoaster ride and a gallery of contemporary photographs on your way to an area that commemorates the 50th anniversary of Playland at the Beach's closure in 1972.
Projections by Ben Wood and immersive sound installations by Andrew Roth of Roth Audio Design throughout Naiad Cove transport you to another era, and kid-friendly activities in both the history gallery and special exhibition hall make this fun for the whole family.
There is nothing more powerful than experiencing this history in place and we look forward to hosting you at the Cliff House once again.
It's been an honor to serve you local art and history in this iconic restaurant since October 2021. Thank you all for being part of this incredible happening.
Thank you to District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development for making this exhibition possible.
