Events

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 on weekends (Saturdays and Sundays),11:00am to 5:00pm, from June 25, 2022 until September 25, 2022. Although we encourage you to regularly visit our Events Page to see a list of special programs held at The Museum on weekdays and evenings.

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.

Tickets are free but you must register in advance through Eventbrite.

Thank you to District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development for making this exhibition possible.

History Happy Hours hosted by Western Neighborhoods Project (WNP) are now in-person!

Join Nicole Meldahl and (sometimes) Chelsea Sellin as they enjoy adult beverages while chatting with local historians, artists, longtime west side residents and other surprise guests on Wednesday evenings at The Museum at The Cliff

On Wednesday, August 10, 2022 at 6:00pm, we invite you to the former Cliff House Restaurant at 1090 Point Lobos Avenue for complimentary refreshments and a casual discussion with author Patrick Moser. Guests will hear Patrick talk about his book, "Surf & Rescue: George Freeth and the Birth of California Beach Culture," its connection to Sutro Baths and San Francisco, and how he got interested in the subject in the first place!

Doors open at 6:00pm for check-in and the main program will begin at 6:30pm, running for approximately one hour. Afterwards, guests are free to explore our newest exhibition, "Naiad Cove," or simply hang out, mingle, and enjoy the view.

This program is free for WNP Members and $30 each non-members. If you aren't part of the WNP family already, you can fix this problem by joining WNP for the low low price of $50 a year.

Join us for a special evening hosted by Western Neighborhoods Project in the former Cliff House Restaurant when The Museum at The Cliff is closed to the public. We will serve you complimentary refreshments as John Lindsey of The Great Highway gallery leads you on a curator's tour of the contemporary art he chose to feature in "Naiad Cove."

The Museum at The Cliff's newest activation, "Naiad Cove" is an immersive exhibition that showcases the mythical heritage of Lands End and Ocean Beach by placing site-specific contemporary artworks in conversation with historic artifacts--both in situ with the landscape that created them.

A key part of this experience centers on contemporary photography. John Lindsey has included fourteen submissions from local photographers that explore the landscape surrounding the Cliff House, placing them within a long lineage of photographers who also came to the coast with a camera in hand. Additional works on loan from The Great Highway gallery highlight the intersection of land and water, and foster a deeper connection to this unique part of San Francisco.

This program is free for Western Neighborhoods Project members and $30 for non-members. Doors to The Museum will open at 6:00pm on Friday, August 19, 2022. The curator's tour will begin at 6:15pm and is expected to take about 45 minutes. Afterwards, attendees are invited to explore the full exhibition or simply hang out, sip a beverage, and enjoy the view.

Join Western Neighborhoods Project (WNP) as we explore the fabled Cliff House and the ruins of Sutro Baths on this in-person history walk led by historian John Martini.

We’ll venture around the Cliff House to learn about the history of San Francisco’s most incendiary landmark (poof!). The Baths visit will include a steep walk downhill into the ruins to visit the mysterious tunnels through Point Lobos, followed by an uphill climb to the old Sky Tram overlook where we’ll see the wave catch basin constructed by Adolph Sutro that trapped Pacific waves and sent roiling seawater to the Baths.

Our two-hour tour begins at 10:00am and please note that the grade is strenuous with steep downhill sections, unpaved trails, stairs, and walking across sandy areas. The super-secret meeting location will be emailed when tickets are purchased: $10 for members and $20 for non-members. Each ticket includes a complimentary pass to see "Naiad Cove," WNP's new special exhibition on view at The Museum at The Cliff after the walk.

The walk is limited to 30 people and we will be following whatever San Francisco Department of Health regulations are in place at that time.

History Happy Hours hosted by Western Neighborhoods Project (WNP) are now in-person!

Join Nicole Meldahl and Chelsea Sellin as they enjoy adult beverages while chatting with local historians, artists, longtime west side residents and other surprise guests on Wednesday evenings at The Museum at The Cliff.

On August 24, 2022 at 6:00pm, we invite you to the former Cliff House Restaurant at 1090 Point Lobos Avenue for complimentary refreshments and a casual discussion with Woody LaBounty, WNP's co-founder and lifelong San Francisco historian. Guests will hear Woody talk about his newest venture, San Francisco Story, and share some of his favorite Cliff House stories (naturally). We encourage you to wear your best hat in honor of Mr. LaBounty's iconic fedora, but the presence of a jaunty hat will not be required.

Doors open at 6:00pm for check-in and the main program will begin at 6:30pm, running for approximately one hour. Afterwards, guests are free to explore our newest exhibition, "Naiad Cove," and the history gallery in the former Cliff House Gift Shop or simply hang out, mingle, and enjoy the view.

This program is free for WNP Members and Friends of Woody. Members of the general public can purchase tickets for $30 each. If you aren't part of the WNP family or a registered friend of Woody, you can fix this problem by joining WNP for the low low price of $50 a year and/or joining the San Francisco Story squad for just $70 a year.

Join us for a special evening hosted by Western Neighborhoods Project in the former Cliff House Restaurant when The Museum at The Cliff is closed to the public. We will serve you complimentary refreshments as John Lindsey of The Great Highway gallery leads you on a curator's tour of the contemporary art he chose to feature in "Naiad Cove."

The Museum at The Cliff's newest activation, "Naiad Cove" is an immersive exhibition that showcases the mythical heritage of Lands End and Ocean Beach by placing site-specific contemporary artworks in conversation with historic artifacts--both in situ with the landscape that created them.

A key part of this experience centers on contemporary photography. John Lindsey has included fourteen submissions from local photographers that explore the landscape surrounding the Cliff House, placing them within a long lineage of photographers who also came to the coast with a camera in hand. Additional works on loan from The Great Highway gallery highlight the intersection of land and water, and foster a deeper connection to this unique part of San Francisco.

This program is free for Western Neighborhoods Project members and $30 for non-members. Doors to The Museum will open at 6:00pm on Friday, August 26, 2022. The curator's tour will begin at 6:15pm and is expected to take about 45 minutes. Afterwards, attendees are invited to explore the full exhibition or simply hang out, sip a beverage, and enjoy the view.

Join Western Neighborhoods Project (WNP) for this in-person scenic and historic walk led by our pal John Martini through his old stomping grounds at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

John’s tour brings Sutro’s “Pleasure Grounds” alive and recreates the area San Franciscans long considered their very own seaside wonderland. The walk, which features an easy grade with one uphill section and one area of unpaved paths, will include an overview of the Cliff House and ruins of Sutro Baths, Sutro’s midway of Merrie Way, and a loop walk through Sutro Heights, the faded formal estate of San Francisco mayor and Comstock millionaire Adolph Sutro.

Tour begins at 10:00am and is expected to take about 1.5 to 2 hours. The super-secret meeting location will be emailed when tickets are purchased: $10 for members (and we absorb your Eventbrite fees!) and $20 for non-members.

The walk is limited to 30 people and we will follow whatever San Francisco Department of Health regulations are in place at the time.

Few people realize that today’s Lincoln Park Golf Course was once “City Cemetery,” the final resting place for tens of thousands of San Francisco's dead, including a Chinese burial ground and the municipal paupers’ graveyard called Potter’s Field.

Join Western Neighborhoods Project (WNP) and our pal, historian and retired ranger John Martini, on this twilight exploration and discover forgotten funerary monuments along the golf course fairways. The walk starts at a super-secret location and proceeds along uphill paved paths and across some stretches of lawn before ending at the Palace of the Legion of Honor. Grade is moderate with some uphill sections and lawn.

Tour begins at 5:00pm and is expected to take about 1.5 hours. The super-secret meeting location will be emailed when tickets are purchased: $10 for members (and we absorb your Eventbrite fees) and $20 for non-members.

The walk is limited to 30 people and we will follow whatever San Francisco Department of Health regulations are in place at the time.