Here are some of our recent events. Did you attend? Do you wish you had? Click the title of any event and send us a message about what you thought or a request for a re do.
We're happy to appear at street fairs, festivals, and other community events to show old photos of the neighborhood, give out free booklets, and chat with people about west SF history.
Join us for this in-person history walk led by our pal John Martini through his old stomping grounds at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
The wild northwest corner of San Francisco known as Lands End will be highlighted in this moderately strenuous walk. Along the way we’ll follow the right of way for the famous “Ferries & Cliff House” steam train, see the remains of the oil tanker SS Lyman Stewart that wrecked in 1922, visit the site of the vanished community of Ocean Terrace, and explore the once-lavish grounds of Adolph Sutro’s estate of Sutro Heights.
Our journey begins at 10:00am and is expected the to take about 2 hours. The super secret meeting location will be emailed when tickets are purchased: $10 for members and $20 for non-members. Please register through Eventbrite.
The walk is limited to 30 people and we will follow whatever San Francisco Department of Health regulations are in place at the time.
map to: Lands End San Francisco
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wnp-steam-trains-shipwrecks-statues-history-walk-tickets-252270757627
Join us for this in-person history walk led by our pal John Martini through his old stomping grounds at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Fort Funston is more than hang gliders and dog walkers. It began its history as San Francisco’s most remote (some said desolate) military fort in 1900. From World War I to the Cold War, the sandy post featured barracks, massive gun emplacements, trenches, antiaircraft guns, and NIKE missiles that protected the southern approach to San Francisco Bay. Today, the remains of many of these fortifications lie buried beneath the city’s last large expanse of natural dunes.
Our journey begins at 10:00am and is expected to take about two hours. This is a moderately difficult walk with terrain that includes walking unpaved and sandy areas. The super secret meeting location will be emailed when tickets are purchased: $10 for WNP members and $20 for non-members. Please register through Eventbrite.
The walk is limited to 30 people and we will follow whatever San Francisco Department of Health regulations are in place at the time.
Join us for a celebration of all things Outside Lands at our annual fundraising benefiting Western Neighborhoods Project!
April 15, 2022 ONLY: In honor of 4-1-5 Day, we're doing a flash sale of early bird tickets. These discounted tickets will be available starting on April 14, 2022 at 11:30pm and the sale will end at Midnight on 4/15. Don't delay, get your tickets today and we'll also cover the Eventbrite fees for you!
We're thrilled to FINALLY be able to hold our biggest party of the year and we're doing it in style. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of its closing, our 2022 gala will have a Playland-at-the-Beach theme. We'll provide passed appetizers and a hearty meal, complimentary wine, and of course all kinds of entertainment. You won't want to miss this special evening where you can greet neighbors and make new friends, maybe see old classmates, and even spot some local history "celebrities."
JUST ANNOUNCED. Program highlights include but are not limited to: performances by the Golden Gate Park Band; west side merchandise for sale as well as special raffle and silent auction items available for bid; and the first-ever presentation of our Founders' Award to our co-founder, Woody LaBounty, now Vice President of Advocacy and Public Programs for San Francisco Heritage, and our History Hero Award to Palma You and Steve Haines of the Chinese Historical Society of America for their tireless work on our collaborative project, "Chinese in the Richmond."
We hope you'll join us on Sunday, May 15th at 6:00pm at The Clubhouse at the Presidio Golf Club. Tickets are $225 each plus Eventbrite fees. All tickets purchased (and not previously refunded) for our cancelled gala in 2020 will be honored at this event.
You can also sponsor a student seat for the event, make a donation to our silent auction, or fully co-sponsor our biggest night of the year; see full sponsorship details at https://www.outsidelands.org/gala or email Executive Director Nicole Meldahl, nicole@outsidelands.org
COVID-19 Policy: we will be following guidance from the San Francisco Department of Public Health at the time of the event. Please be prepared to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test taken within 24-hours of the event if it's necessary. Thank you for helping us to ensure this is a safe and worry-free gala!
map to: The Clubhouse at Presidio Golf Club 300 Finley Road
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wnp-gala-2022-tickets-267177203207
On March 16, 2022, Western Neighborhoods Project and The Great Highway gallery staged a Virtual Paddle Out in honor of Bill Hickey, a local legend who recently passed away. Now his daughters, Amber and Jennifer, are holding the real deal to remember and celebrate the life of their father
If you don't know, Bill Hickey worked at the original O'Neill surfshop on Wawona Street in the Sunset District. He began making surfboards in the late 1950s and eventually opened his own shop in 1964. His name pops up in just about every interview from our Kelly's Cove oral history series spearheaded by Woody LaBounty, and the west side simply won't be the same without him. Listen to Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast Episode #452 to learn more.
Please join Amber Brosnan and Jennifer Hickey along with other members of the Ocean Beach community at Kelly's Cove at 11:00am for the actual paddle out and a small celebration on April 24, 2022. A reception will be held afterwards at the United Irish Cultural Center at Wawona Gates.
This event is not hosted by WNP and we have no hand in its organization, it just feels right to spread the word. As always, we're here to hold your memories if you'd like to share them with us.
map to: Kellys Cove Ocean Beach
It's planting season! California native plants create habitat for local birds, bees, and butterflies and are well adapted for our San Francisco climate. Help support the Sutro Nursery by picking out the perfect additions to your garden.
Since 2006, Sutro Stewards have mobilized volunteers to build trails, remove invasive species, and grow and install native plants. Their mission is to build community, connect people with nature, and protect and enhance Mount Sutro, one of the city's wildest and most beautiful green spaces. Their work conserves habitat through ecological restoration and native plant propagation while providing recreational opportunities in the UCSF Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve.
Who wouldn't want to support an organization like this?! Be sure to join Sutro Stewards at their native plant nursery to purchase local plants for your garden on Saturday, April 16, 2022 from 10:00am through 2:00pm. All proceeds from the plant sale help to support their nursery operations and increasing biodiversity on Mount Sutro.
Masks are required to enter the nursery and they recommend you bring a box to carry out plant pots. Cash, card, and check are accepted. Parking is available in spaces directly above the nursery marked "Aldea Center Parking Only" in red. Additional street parking available along Clarendon Avenue at Johnstone Drive.
map to: Sutro Native Plant Nursery 476 Johnstone Drive
Contact: Nursery Manager abigail@sutrostewards.org
more info: https://www.sutrostewards.org/event-details/native-plant-sale-at-sutro-nursery
Join Western Neighborhoods Project (WNP) for this NOW VIRTUAL history walk led by our pal John Martini through his old stomping grounds at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
The Main Post of the Presidio of San Francisco encompasses more history than another other site within the GGNRA: Ohlone people, Spanish colonists, Buffalo Soldiers, Japanese Internment. Highlights of this mile-long walk include the newly renovated Presidio Officers Club and Heritage Center, the Inn at the Presidio, the San Francisco Film Institute, and the new Presidio Tunnel Tops project.
Originally intended as an in-person history walk, we've pivoted to a live Zoom presentation due to a historian injury. We apologize for any disappointment or inconvenience. Refunds for the walk will be made upon request.
This online event is now free but donations are still appreciated and will go directly to John Martini. You must register in advance to receive the super secret Zoom link. Our journey begins at 10:00am and is expected the to take about 2 hours..
map to: The Interwebs San Francisco
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wnp-presidio-main-post-history-walk-tickets-252254288367
To commemorate the 116th anniversary of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire on April 18th, Western Neighborhoods Project (WNP) is hosting a Zoom program that highlights the tireless efforts to identify and preserve surviving refugee cottages, alternately referred to as "shacks."
Over 5,600 cottages were constructed by the Relief Corporation's Department of Lands and Buildings at 11 refugee camps across the city to house those left homeless by one of San Francisco's worst disasters. When the camps closed, nearly 5,340 were relocated and repurposed but now only a handful of certified "shacks" are still standing.
Join us via Zoom on Thursday, April 14, 2022 at 6:00pm as we speak with Jane Cryan, whose successful efforts to preserve a complex of several shacks at 1227 24th Avenue (City Landmark #171) has evolved into a lifetime passion. Cryan was also instrumental in saving the shacks on display at the Presidio of San Francisco and she was our first phone call when WNP launched its own successful compaign to save endangered shacks on Kirkham Street in 2002. And we'll have Woody LaBounty, former Executive Director of WNP and current Vice President of Advocacy and Programs for San Francisco Heritage, to regale you with tales from this community effort.
More recently, Cryan has been a critical advisor for the San Francisco Planning Department's effort to survey and document the remaining shacks. We'll have Preservation Planner Melanie Bishop with us to explain how the Earthquake Shacks Theme Document, which was adopted in November 2021, came together and how it fits into the broader mission of the Citywide Cultural Resource Survey & Landmarks Team.
Don't miss this opportunity to chat with San Francisco's most famous "Cottage Lady" and hear what the Planning Department is doing to provide historic context for a rapidly changing city. This event is free but donations are appreciated, and you do need to register in advance in order to receive your Zoom link.
map to: The Interwebs San Francisco
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saving-the-san-francisco-earthquake-shacks-tickets-304221975117
WNP is hosted by our friends at the San Francisco History Association to speak on our journey to save the Cliff House Collection from auction and make those pieces accessible to the public at their monthly Zoom lecture on Tuesday, March 29, 2022 at 7:00pm.
Join Executive Director Nicole Meldahl for an insider’s look at the historic art and artifacts that we saved with partners ACT Art Conservation, The Great Highway gallery, and Minnesota Street Project. Items include Muses, a cowboy, a carved bear ... OH MY! Nicole's presentation will introduce you to a whole cast of San Francisco characters and explain how this Dream Team saved them, where you can see them on display, and what will happen to them next.
Please RSVP before Sunday, March 27, by emailing info@sanfranciscohistory.org. The San Francisco History Association will send out the Zoom link and password the morning of March 29. Please add info@sanfranciscohistory.org to your email address book, and check your spam or bulk mail folder.
map to: The Interwebs San Francisco
Contact: San Francisco History Association info@sanfranciscohistory.org
WNP is excited to participate in Ingleside Fest, a family-friendly celebration of the Ingleside District featuring refreshments, activities, and entertainment at the Ingleside Branch Library on March 26, 2022 from 12:00pm - 3:00pm.
Chat with WNP Board Members and staff at our table featuring neighborhood history alongside a flower craft table by the Horticulture and Floristry Department at City College, Ingleside Gallery plain air painters, and live music from Aptos Middle School musicians and more. Plus, you can enjoy food and drink from local restaurants.
This event is free and registration is appreciated but not required. Thank you to the Ingleside Merchants Association for including us in this fun day.
map to: Ingleside Branch Library 1298 Ocean Avenue
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ingleside-fest-tickets-266486697887
Start your weekend with Western Neighborhoods Project (WNP) as we explore the fabled Cliff House and the ruins of Sutro Baths on this virtual history walk led by historian John Martini on Saturday, March 26th at 10:00am.
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 survey of the ruins and the mysterious tunnels through Point Lobos, followed by trip back in time to see the old Sky Tram in action and explore the wave catch basin constructed by Adolph Sutro that trapped Pacific waves and sent roiling seawater to the Baths. Originally intended as an in-person history walk, we've pivoted to a live Zoom presentation due to a historian injury. We apologize for any disappointment or inconvenience. Refunds for the walk will be made upon request. This online event is free but donations are still appreciated and you must register in advance to receive the super secret Zoom link.The California Association of Museums (CAM) is hosting its second min-conference of the CAM Across California series in San Francisco at the California Academic of Sciences on March 24, 2022. And members from the WNP family will be participating in two sessions!
First, WNP Board Member Eva Laflamme is part of a panel discussion titled "Creating and Sustaining Access." Eva (wearing her Kelley House Program and Exhibition manager hat) is joined by Independent Curator Fran Osborne; Lori Gray, Program Director for Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program; and Tina Keegan, Exhibits Director for the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoom, to talk about their work developing accessible programs, exhibitions, tours, and experiences for people of all ages in art museums, historic houses, and children's museums. You won't want to miss this discussion moderated by Karen Kienzle, Director of the Palo Alto Art Center.
Second, two-thirds of the Dream Team that Saved the Cliff House Collection (with your help) will present the thrilling tale of saving artifacts at auction and then making them accessible to the public again at The Museum at The Cliff. Hear Executive Director Nicole Meldahl and John Lindsey of The Great Highway gallery relive this amazing experience in a case study titled "Community Vision: How We Opened at Temporary Museum in The Cliff House Gift Shop."
Attendees of this day-long mini-conference will experience thought provoking sessions and case studies like these, and then enjoy the Academy's popular NightLife event.
You must register in advance to attend this conference. Tickets for CAM Members are $75 and $100 for non-members. See link in the more info field below to register today.
map to: California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
Contact: Lacey Lieberthal, CAM Operations Manager admin@calmuseums.org
more info: https://www.calmuseums.org/Public/Public/LEARN/Conference/CAM%20Across%20California%20Registration.aspx
Join our Executive Director Nicole Meldahl as she takes you an an intimate tour of The Museum at The Cliff, located in the former Cliff House Gift Shop, on Saturday, March 19, 2022 at 10:00am.
With her noted enthusiasm, Nicole will walk you through the stories behind the Cliff House, Sutro Baths, and Sutro Heights on this one hour tour. See souvenirs, one of Adolph Sutro's taxidermy monkeys, a collection of 4,000 year-old Egyptian artifacts, and more as she highlights her favorite pieces on display and provides context that will help you better appreciate the special history of this area known as Lands End. Plus, you can't beat the view...
This will be the last tour of The Museum before it closes in April and it is limited to 12 people. It is free for WNP Members and $20 for non-members and will take place before the museum opens. Please arrive 5 minutes early and be prepared to wear a pandemic-appropriate mask while touring the exhibition.
map to: The Museum at The Cliff 1090 Point Lobos Avenue
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/curators-tour-of-the-museum-at-the-cliff-tickets-210191978867
Western Neighborhoods Project and The Great Highway gallery are staging a Virtual Paddle Out in honor of a local legend who recently passed away: Bill Hickey.
If you don't know, Bill Hickey worked at the original O'Neill surfshop on Wawona Street in the Sunset District. He began making surfboards in the late 1950s and eventually opened his own shop in 1964. His name pops up in just about every interview from our Kelly's Cove oral history series spearheaded by Woody LaBounty, and the west side simply won't be the same without him.
Please join us on Wednesday, March 16th at 6:00pm to share your memories of this amazing and talented human who shaped our Ocean Beach community as surely as he shaped his boards. We'll provide a little bit of biographical background and then give attendees the mic at the Zoom meeting as we record Episode #452 of the WNP podcast, "Outside Lands San Francisco," which will air on Saturday, March 19th.
This event is free but donations to that cover recording costs are appreciated, and you do need to register in advance to receive a Zoom link.
map to: The Interwebs
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-paddle-out-for-bill-hickey-tickets-289954510747
A hearing on an ordinance spearheaded by Supervisor Gordon Mar with support from Parkside Heritage, San Francisco Heritage, and Western Neighborhoods Project to formally designate the Trocadero Clubhouse as an historic landmark will be held on Monday 3/14 at 1:30pm in the Board’s Land Use and Transportation Committee.
This ordinance is a follow-up to the resolution adopted by the Board in March 2021 that initiated the landmarking process for the Trocadero. Over the past year, the San Francisco Planning Department and Historic Preservation Commission have conducted their analysis and have recommended landmarking of the Trocadero.
The hearing will be in person in the City Hall Board of Supes Chamber, Room 250. Public comment can be made either in person or remotely through telephone call in. For those wanting to watch the hearing remotely and speak during public comment by phone, watch www.sfgovtv.org and use this public comment call-in number: 1 (415) 655-0001 / Meeting ID: 2499 229 4882 # #
Background information about the ordinance can be found here: https://sfgov.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5256001&GUID=54EAC4DB-86F3-47BB-9968-CB949FBB6469
The meeting agenda is here: https://sfbos.org/sites/default/files/lut031422_agenda.pdf
map to: San Francisco City Hall, Board of Supervisors Chamber Room 250 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Pl
Contact: Natalie Simotas parksideheritage@gmail.com
With support from the Prelinger Archives and submissions from members of our community, we are thrilled to celebrate the final projected video artwork by Ben Wood animating local history at The Museum at The Cliff, located in the former Cliff House Gift Shop at 1090 Point Lobs Avenue, on March 12, 2022.
This installation, naturally secluded from Point Lobos Avenue for an intimate viewing experience, will illuminate three northerly-facing windows with diverse scenes of the Cliff House and connected sites. Imagery shows change over time at the Cliff House through the sequenced montage of commercial photography and studio portraits, amateur snapshots, found footage and B-roll that also show the Sutro Baths, Sutro Heights Park, and Playland at the Beach. This creates silent yet enthralling historic context for the Sutro District and also supports artifacts from the WNP, PARC, and Global Museum collections on display inside The Museum at The Cliff and nearby at The Lands End Lookout.
Join us at 5:30pm on Saturday, March 12, 2022 and and enjoy this special installation with our extended WNP family. The Museum at The Cliff will be open late for viewing, and there will be refreshments to keep us warm.
Speaking of staying warm, please bring layers as the projected video will be experienced outside. Pandemic-appropriate masks and proof of vaccination will be required to visit The Museum. This event is free but donations are appreciated to keep our nonprofit going. Registration in advance is not mandatory but appreciated.
map to: The Museum at The Cliff 1090 Point Lobos Avenue
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/projection-premiere-at-the-museum-at-the-cliff-tickets-253497577077
Join us for Christine Huhn Day at The Museum at The Cliff on Saturday, March 5, 2022!
Christine Huhn is the only contemporary photographer to be featured at The Museum, and her work enables us to show the enduring facets of the Lands End landscape, particularly Seal Rocks and the Sutro Baths, over time. Huhn is a visual artist and cultural heritage professional whose connection to the landscape of northeastern Pennsylvania, where she grew up, has deeply influenced her work, which focuses on preserving cultural landscapes through film photography and historic photographic processes. And to top it all off, she is a delightful human being who let us use a photograph of an overweight sea lion named Big Ben Butler to advertise this event.
Visit The Museum at The Cliff between 11:00am and 4:00pm to chat with Huhn and experience her photography in situ with the environment that inspired it. Plus, every visitor who signs up for a WNP membership while visiting The Museum that day will receive a complimentary poster of the Victorian-era Cliff House from Marilyn Blaisdell's former Cliff House Gift Shop, San Francisciana.
As always, The Museum at The Cliff is free and does not require reservations to visit. However, you will need to provide proof of vaccination and wear a mask to step into the gallery.
map to: The Museum at The Cliff 1090 Point Lobos Ave
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.christinehuhn.com
Join us for SF State's Global Museum Day at The Museum at The Cliff on Saturday, February 26, 2022!
The Global Museum at SF State now stewards Egyptian objects that were collected by SF Mayor Adolph Sutro in the 1890s and once displayed in a museum at the Sutro Baths. Selections from this collection are presented at The Museum alongside other pieces acquired by Sutro that are now part of the Western Neighborhoods Project and Golden Gate National Recreation Area collections. Incredibly, we've reunited them for the first time since they were removed from Sutro's Glass Palace in 1966.
Visit The Museum at The Cliff between 11:00am and 4:00pm to meet Global Museum staff and Registrar Gina Caprari, who will share her insights into the complex history of these 4,000-year-old objects and answer any other questions that come to mind. Plus, every San Francisco State University student who signs up for a free WNP student membership while visiting The Museum that day will receive a complimentary poster of the Victorian-era Cliff House from Marilyn Blaisdell's former Cliff House Gift Shop, San Francisciana.
As always, The Museum at The Cliff is free and does not require reservations to visit. However, you will need to provide proof of vaccination and wear a mask to step into the gallery.
More information about the Global Museum at museum.sfsu.edu.
Follow the Global Museum:
Instagram/Facebook: @GlobalMuseumSFSU
Twitter: @GlobalSFSU
map to: The Museum at The Cliff 1090 Point Lobos Ave
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
Join historic preservationists, west side residents, and more in a collective effort to protect historic places in the Parkside District by attending the Parkside Heritage Meeting on Thursday, February 24 at 7:00pm via Zoom.
In August 2020, SF Heritage convened a group of community members in the Parkside District to work on preservation projects and address the neighborhood's underrepresentation in the city's official inventory of historic buildings as part of its initiative, "Heritage in the Neighborhoods." The group's first campaign was to have the Trocadero Clubhouse in Stern Grove designated as a city landmark. And it worked: the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved to support the effort in March 2021. WNP has been a member from the start and now we're helping to get this work rolling again in 2022. Parkside Heritage is discussing what to do next and wants you to get involved. On the docket for discussion will be the Edgewood Center for Children and Families (1801 Vicente) and Pinehurst Lodge Women's Treatment Center (2685 30th Avenue), but all in attendance are encouraged to bring their own ideas to the table!
This meeting, led by Natalie Simotas with logistical support from Western Neighborhoods Project, is free but you do need to register in advance to receive a Zoom link. Have questions or feedback prior to the meeting? Email Natalie at: Bluesgyrl1@gmail.com
Please use the link in the "More Info" field below to register or visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/parkside-heritage-meeting-tickets-246318604577
map to: The Interwebs San Francisco
Contact: Natalie Simotas Bluesgyrl1@gmail.com
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/parkside-heritage-meeting-tickets-246318604577
Have you visited The Museum at The Cliff and left wanting to know more about the Egyptian artifacts on loan from our partner, the Global Museum at SF State? Well, you're in luck! They're part of a virtual panel discussion sponsored by the Berkeley Archaeological Research Facility that will discuss the complicated legacy of artifacts collected by Adolph Sutro on Wednesday, February 23, 12:10-1:00pm.
Museum legacy collections often comprise archaeological objects and human remains purchased from the antiquities market. From a 21st century museum and archaeological perspective, these collections require a level of care and research that necessitates examining their legacy, meaning, and use. Acknowledging these inherited histories and reevaluating these legacies often means museums must address the loss of object context, the problematic practices of colonial collecting, and the traumatic histories of racial bias and racist narratives often presented to the public.
This talk examines the case study of removing a collector’s name from the title of a collection of Egyptian antiquities formerly known as the Sutro Egyptian Collection stewarded by the Global Museum at San Francisco State University. By examining this case study through a diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion lens, this brief lecture will explore how the Global Museum is reckoning with the legacy of this collection that was formed in the late 19th c. and publicly displayed throughout the 20th c. in an institution (the Sutro Baths) that was the site of racial discrimination in the 1890s.
Speakers include Lisette M. Jimenez, Assistant Professor, SFSU Museum Studies Program; Edward M. Luby, Professor and Director of the SFSU Museum Studies Program as well as Interim Director and Chief Curator of the Global Museum; Christine A. Fogarty, Associate Director of the Global Museum and Lecturer in the SFSU Museum Studies Program; and Gina Caprari, Registrar of the Global Museum and Lecturer in the SFSU Museum Studies Program. This panel will discuss some of the practical steps taken by the Global Museum to address problematic issues of ownership and the colonial history of this collection while also being more transparent and providing public access to the collection. Together, we will advocate for a self-reflective curatorial and educational process that explores past legacies and creates more inclusive legacies in the Global Museum.
See the link below in the "More Info" section to register for this virtual Zoom event and please contact the Berkeley Archaeological Research Facility with any questions: arf-programs@berkeley.edu.
map to: Virtual
Contact: Berkeley Archaeological Research Facility arf-programs@berkeley.edu
more info: https://berkeley.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwudemtrTwrGtZI3YUIDBlkdKv70b0emYZI
Join our Executive Director Nicole Meldahl as she takes you an an intimate tour of The Museum at The Cliff, located in the former Cliff House Gift Shop, on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at 10:00am.
With her noted enthusiasm, Nicole will walk you through the stories behind the Cliff House, Sutro Baths, and Sutro Heights on this one hour tour. See souvenirs, one of Adolph Sutro's taxidermy monkeys, a collection of 4,000 year-old Egyptian artifacts, and more as she highlights her favorite pieces on display and provides context that will help you better appreciate the special history of this area known as Lands End. Plus, you can't beat the view...
This tour is free for WNP Members and $20 for non-members. It is limited to 12 people and will take place before the museum opens. Please arrive 5 minutes early and be prepared to wear a pandemic-appropriate mask while touring the exhibition.
map to: The Museum at The Cliff 1090 Point Lobos Avenue
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/curators-tour-of-the-museum-at-the-cliff-tickets-210186823447
With support from the Prelinger Archives, we are thrilled to celebrate the third of four projected video artworks by Ben Wood animating local history The Museum at The Cliff, located in the former Cliff House Gift Shop at 1090 Point Lobs Avenue, on February 12, 2022.
This installation, naturally secluded from Point Lobos Avenue for an intimate viewing experience, will illuminate three northerly-facing windows with diverse scenes of the Cliff House and connected sites. Imagery shows change over time at the Cliff House through the sequenced montage of commercial photography and studio portraits, amateur snapshots, found footage and B-roll that also show the Sutro Baths, Sutro Heights Park, and Playland at the Beach. This creates silent yet enthralling historic context for the Sutro District and also supports artifacts from the WNP, PARC, and Global Museum collections on display inside The Museum at The Cliff and nearby at The Lands End Lookout.
Join us at 5:30pm on Saturday, February 12, 2022 and enjoy this special installation with our extended WNP family. The Museum at The Cliff will be open late for viewing, and there will be refreshments to keep us warm.
Speaking of staying warm, please bring layers as the projected video will be experienced outside. Pandemic-appropriate masks and proof of vaccination will be required to visit The Museum. This event is free but donations are appreciated to keep our nonprofit going. Registration in advance is not mandatory but appreciated.
map to: The Museum at The Cliff 1090 Point Lobos Avenue
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/projection-premiere-at-the-museum-at-the-cliff-tickets-215338963637
Please join the University of San Francisco Museum Studies MA Program for this special roundtable conversation, featuring special guest, Katherine Toy, the first-ever Deputy Secretary for Access to the California Natural Resources Agency. As Deputy Secretary for Access, Toy leads the Agency’s efforts to expand equitable access to the public lands, museums, and historic spaces operated and managed by the Natural Resources Agency for all Californians.
Katherine will lead an exciting roundtable discussion with USF Museum Studies MA alumnae, Nicole Meldahl ’16, Executive Director at the Western Neighborhoods Project and former Archives and Museum Technician with the National Park Service; Sabrina Oliveros ’15, Park Guide with the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park; and Kaylee Pinola ’20, Park Interpretive Specialist with California State Parks.
This will be an exciting opportunity to learn more about issues of access, empowerment, and equality within the field of parks and public lands and will provide greater insight into the contemporary challenges and rewards of working within these spaces. This event is sponsored by the USF Museum Studies MA Program in conjunction with Elemental Exposures, on view in Thacher Gallery.
Pre-registration is required to attend this free Zoom event on Wednesday, February 9, 2022 from 5:00pm to 6:30pm. Please register using the link in the "More Info" field below or by copying and pasting it into your browser.
map to: Virtual San Francisco
Contact: Javier Plasencia, USF Museum Studies Program Manager jplasencia3@usfca.edu
more info: https://usfca.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAqc-mhrzMsGNzNGsRwN8rZVtzWLjr0_HB9
Our friends, the Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA), will be presenting "Chinese in the Sunset" at the Outer Sunset Famers Market to celebrate Lunar New Year on Sunday, February 6, 2022. We supported the creation of this exhibition and have partnered with CHSA on its companion, "Chinese in the Richmond"--debuting this month!
Hosted by Sunset Mercantile, the Farmers Market is located at 37th Avenue from Ortega to Quintara, and is open between 9:00am and 3:00pm. In addition to CHSA, the market features local makers, merchants, artists, food artisans, agricultural producers, children's activities and live entertainment. There's something for everybody.
This market is free and reservations are not required. Eat, drink, shop, play, connect and be local. See https://sunsetmercantilesf.com for more details.
map to: The Outer Sunset Farmers Market San Francisco
more info: https://sunsetmercantilesf.com
Join our Executive Director Nicole Meldahl as she takes you an an intimate tour of The Museum at The Cliff, located in the former Cliff House Gift Shop, on Saturday, January 15, 2022 at 10:00am.
With her noted enthusiasm, Nicole will walk you through the stories behind the Cliff House, Sutro Baths, and Sutro Heights on this one hour tour. See souvenirs, one of Adolph Sutro's taxidermy monkeys, a collection of 4,000 year-old Egyptian artifacts, and more as she highlights her favorite pieces on display and provides context that will help you better appreciate the special history of this area known as Lands End. Plus, you can't beat the view...
This tour is free for WNP Members and $20 for non-members. It is limited to 12 people and will take place before the museum opens. Please arrive 5 minutes early and be prepared to wear a pandemic-appropriate mask while touring the exhibition.
map to: The Museum at The Cliff 1090 Point Lobos Avenue
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/curators-tour-of-the-museum-at-the-cliff-tickets-210185509517
EVENT CANCELLED due to an abundance of caution in light of the Omicron surge
HOWEVER, the new projection is currently on view! While we can't convene together we do encourage you to individually visit the secluded deck bechind The Museum at The Cliff in the evenings from 5:00pm to 10:00pm. The Cliff Moving Picture Gallery #2 features rarely seen motion pictures of the Cliff House, Lands End shipwrecks, and other incredible views of the area--including footage from the Prelinger Archive. And if you missed last month's sequence, worry not: you can now see them both and we look forward to hopefully seeing you at next month's Premiere.
With support from the Prelinger Archives, we are thrilled to premiere the second of four projected video artworks by Ben Wood animating local history The Museum at The Cliff, located in the former Cliff House Gift Shop at 1090 Point Lobs Avenue, on Saturday, January 8, 2022.
This installation, naturally secluded from Point Lobos Avenue for an intimate viewing experience, will illuminate three northerly-facing windows with diverse scenes of the Cliff House and connected sites. Imagery shows change over time at the Cliff House through the sequenced montage of commercial photography and studio portraits, amateur snapshots, found footage and B-roll that also show the Sutro Baths, Sutro Heights Park, and Playland at the Beach. This creates silent yet enthralling historic context for the Sutro District and also supports artifacts from the WNP, PARC, and Global Museum collections on display inside The Museum at The Cliff and nearby at The Lands End Lookout.
Join us at 5:30pm on Saturday, January 8, 2022 and be the first to see this special installation. The Museum at The Cliff will be open late for viewing, and there will be drinks to keep us warm.
Speaking of staying warm, please bring layers as the projected video will be experienced outside. Pandemic-appropriate masks will be required to visit The Museum. This event is free but donations are appreciated to keep our nonprofit going. Registration in advance is not mandatory but appreciated.
map to: The Museum at The Cliff 1090 Point Lobos Avenue
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/projection-premiere-at-the-museum-at-the-cliff-tickets-215337599557
Join our Executive Director Nicole Meldahl as she takes you an an intimate tour of The Museum at The Cliff, located in the former Cliff House Gift Shop, on Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 10:00am.
With her noted enthusiasm, Nicole will walk you through the stories behind the Cliff House, Sutro Baths, and Sutro Heights on this one hour tour. See souvenirs, one of Adolph Sutro's taxidermy monkeys, a collection of 4,000 year-old Egyptian artifacts, and more as she highlights her favorite pieces on display and provides context that will help you better appreciate the special history of this area known as Lands End. Plus, you can't beat the view...
This tour is free for WNP Members and $20 for non-members. It is limited to 12 people and will take place before the museum opens. Please arrive 5 minutes early and be prepared to wear a pandemic-appropriate mask while touring the exhibition.
map to: The Museum at The Cliff 1090 Point Lobos Avenue
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/curators-tour-of-the-museum-at-the-cliff-tickets-210176382217
Join us to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with a Holiday Open House at our office and gallery in the Richmond District!
We'll have festive decor, gifts to purchase for your seasonal shopping needs, and, back by popular demand, a grilled cheese station. Grab a snack, view our exhibition of art and artifacts from the Cliff House, and enjoy a beverage of your choice while we commune around local history.
They say you can't go home again, but you're always welcome at our Home for History. Reservations are not required but RSVPs are appreciated so we can estimate our catering needs.
Please note that we will be following pandemic protocols as outlined by the City of San Francisco at the time of our event. Since we'll be enjoying food and drinks inside, please be prepared to show your proof of COVID-19 vaccination at the door.
map to: Home for History 1617 Balboa Street, San Francisco, CA, 94121
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wnp-holiday-open-house-tickets-207675652467
Nicole Meldahl and Chelsea Sellin in conversation with local historians, artists, longtime west side residents, and other surprise guests, chatting about a variety of historical subjects in a very relaxed atmosphere. Audience members are encouraged to participate and, of course, bring their beverage of choice.
For the final History Happy Hour of 2021, we're going out strong with Chris Carlsson and LisaRuth Elliott of Shaping San Francisco. It's no exaggeration to say their history talks and tours are legendary, and somehow they also find the time to make art, write books, manage an incredible online archive of history articles called FoundSF.org, and so much more. But most importantly, they are delightful human beings. We can't wait to chat with them about their history and some of their favorite western neighborhood haunts.
This event is free but donations are appreciated and pre-registration is required through Eventbrite. A Zoom link will be emailed to you with the confirmation email. Please let us know if you have any trouble finding it.
map to: The Interwebs San Francisco
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wnp-history-happy-hour-with-shaping-san-francisco-tickets-205307469167
With support from the Prelinger Archives, we are thrilled to premiere the first of four projected video artworks by Ben Wood animating local history The Museum at The Cliff, located in the former Cliff House Gift Shop at 1090 Point Lobs Avenue, on December 4, 2021.
This installation, naturally secluded from Point Lobos Avenue for an intimate viewing experience, will illuminate three northerly-facing windows with diverse scenes of the Cliff House and connected sites. Imagery will show change over time at the Cliff House through the sequenced montage of commercial photography and studio portraits, amateur snapshots, found footage and B-roll that also show the Sutro Baths, Sutro Heights Park, and Playland at the Beach. This creates silent yet enthralling historic context for the Sutro District and also supports artifacts from the WNP, PARC, and Global Museum collections on display inside The Museum at The Cliff and nearby at The Lands End Lookout.
Join us at 5:30pm on Saturday, December 4, 2021 and be the first to see this special installation. The Museum at The Cliff will be open late for viewing, and there will be drinks to keep us warm.
Speaking of staying warm, please bring layers as the projected video will be experienced outside. Pandemic-appropriate masks will be required to visit The Museum. This event is free but donations are appreciated to keep our nonprofit going. Registration in advance is not mandatory but appreciated.
map to: The Museum at The Cliff 1090 Point Lobos Avenue
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/projection-premiere-at-the-museum-at-the-cliff-tickets-215294400347
Nicole Meldahl and Chelsea Sellin in conversation with local historians, artists, longtime west side residents, and other surprise guests, chatting about a variety of historical subjects in a very relaxed atmosphere. Audience members are encouraged to participate and, of course, bring their beverage of choice.
You never know who you'll meet at the Outside Lands Music Festival, and that sure turned out to be true this year. The festival (maybe fate?) introduced us to Monica Poletti, who recently purchased a Sunset District beach cottage that predates the 1906 earthquake and fire. We toured this gem when it went up for sale at the beginning of 2021 and feared greatly for its future so we are thrilled she's taking good care it. Join us as we chat with Monica about her experience while giving you a sneak peak inside her home and an OpenSFHistory overview of the neighborhood over time.
This event is free but donations are appreciated and pre-registration is required through Eventbrite. A Zoom link will be emailed to you with the confirmation email. Please let us know if you have any trouble finding it.
map to: The Interwebs San Francisco
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wnp-history-happy-hour-with-monica-poletti-tickets-204800532907
Despite the fact that our website is www.outsidelands.org, we have nothing to do with the Outside Lands Music + Art Festival. EXCEPT, we will have a booth showcasing local history during the festival this year on October 29-31, 2021.
If you're going, stop by our booth in Eco Lands to take a break from festival shenanigans and chat with friendly local history buffs, peruse historic photos of the neighborhoods, and pick up a surprise souvenir. Because who loves history, music, and art more that we do?!
map to: Polo Field, Golden Gate Park San Francisco
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
Join us on Thursday, October 28, 2021 at 6pm as Diana Kohnke of the Sutro Library speaks about the life and library of San Francisco mayor, engineer, businessman, and philanthropist Adolph Sutro via Zoom.
Sutro, who came to San Francisco in 1850, is omnipresent throughout the city. Whether it be the ruins of his baths at Land’s End, the educational legacy he left in the form of a land grant of UCSF Parnassas, his introducing of Arbor Day, his stewardship of the Cliff House, and his gardens which he opened to the public every week, his mark is felt throughout San Francisco. Little known is his amazing library, which not only was Sutro’s gift to the city, but its story reflects the ever-changing culture and environs of this beautiful city by the bay.
This program presented by WNP and the Sutro Library is free but pre-registration through Eventbrite is required and donations are always appreciated. The Zoom link will be included in the ticket attached to your confirmation email.
Diana Kohnke has been with the Sutro Library since 2011. Before that, she had the opportunity to work at several archives and special collections in the San Francisco Bay Area such as the Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies and Stanford’s Green Library. Her graduate research focused on the Black experience in American History 1865-Present, as well as on archives and special collections.
map to: Online Event San Francisco
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-life-and-library-of-adolph-sutro-tickets-169354378505
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 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. Gradeis 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 $20 for non-members. Please register through Eventbrite, which you can access by clicking in the link in the More Info field below this description, or by copying and pasting the following url into your browser: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wnp-lost-cemetery-of-lincoln-park-history-walk-tickets-157691428307
The walk is limited to 30 people and we will follow whatever San Francisco Department of Health regulations are in place at the time.
We're opening a temporary museum in the former Cliff House Gift Shop, in partnership with ACT Art Conservation and The Great Highway gallery, and with support from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s Park Archives and Records Center (PARC) and the Global Museum at SF State.
This temporary exhibition showcases a selection of art and artifacts WNP recently saved from an auction that liquidated historical holdings of the Hountalas family--longtime proprietors of the iconic Cliff House restaurant, which closed in December 2020--and will support an exhibition currently on display at the WNP Office + Gallery at 1617 Balboa Street in the Richmond District. Both are free to the public.
The Museum opened to the general public on Saturday, October 23, 2021 and will welcome visitors to the western edge of San Francisco until April 10th. Historic photographs of the area, bathing suits from the Sutro Baths, charming vintage Cliff House souvenirs, and more from WNP will be displayed alongside archaeological remnants of Sutro Heights statuary, a taxidermied monkey from the Sutro Baths Museum, and other pieces rarely seen from the PARC collection.
Selections from the Egyptian collection amassed by Adolph Sutro, stewarded by the Global Museum, will also be on display in addition to works from local artists. Rounding out the exhibition will be kid-friendly interactives and friendly volunteers to welcome you.
Museum hours are Thursdays through Sundays, 11:00am until 4:00pm.
Special thanks to so many people, but especially to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Grants for the Arts, and District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan for their support of this exhibition.
map to: The Museum at The Cliff 1090 Point Lobos Ave, SF, CA, 94121
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
We're opening a temporary museum in the former Cliff House Gift Shop in partnership with ACT Art Conservation and The Great Highway gallery with support from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s Park Archives and Records Center (PARC) and the Global Museum at SF State.
If you're a part of the extended WNP family, you're invited to attend our Friends + Family Preview on Saturday, October 17, 2021 between 11:00am and 4:00pm. The first 50 people to visit on this day will receive a limited-edition poster of the Victorian-era Cliff House that was once sold in Marilyn Blaisdell's store, San Francisciana. RSVP not required but but you'll have to know the Secret Password to enter. We'll email it to all WNP insiders the week of October 11th. Wanna be in the know? Sign up for our newsletter!
This pop-up exhibition will showcase a selection of art and artifacts WNP recently saved from an auction that liquidated historical holdings of the Hountalas family--longtime proprietors of the iconic Cliff House restaurant, which closed in December 2020--and will support an exhibition currently on display at the WNP Office + Gallery at 1617 Balboa Street in the Richmond District. Both are free to the public.
The Museum opens to the general public on Saturday, October 23, 2021 and will welcome visitors to the western edge of San Francisco until mid-April 2022. Historic photographs of the area, bathing suits from the Sutro Baths, charming vintage Cliff House souvenirs and more from WNP will be displayed alongside archaeological remnants of Sutro Heights statuary, a taxidermied monkey from the Sutro Baths Museum, and other pieces rarely seen from the PARC collection.
Selections from the Egyptian collection amassed by Adolph Sutro, stewarded by the Global Museum, will also be on display in addition to works from local artists. Rounding out the exhibition will be kid-friendly interactives, a team member from Artifact to record your memories of The Cliff House, and friendly volunteers to welcome you.
Special thanks to so many people, but especially to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the Global Museum at SF State, Grants for the Arts and District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan for their support of this exhibition.
map to: The Museum at The Cliff 1090 Point Lobos Avenue, SF, CA, 94121
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
Nicole Meldahl and (usually) Chelsea Sellin in conversation with local historians, artists, longtime west side residents, and other surprise guests, chatting about a variety of historical subjects in a very relaxed atmosphere. Audience members are encouraged to participate and, of course, bring their beverage of choice.
In celebration of Gary Stark allowing WNP to safeguard his incredible creation, www.cliffhouseproject.com, for decades to come, we sit down with him and others who helped make this website so special. Join us as Gary, former NPS ranger and local historian John Martini, and perhaps other special guests share how they've built this incredible west side resource and chat all things Cliff House. It will be delightfully nerdy, you won't want to miss it!
This event is free but donations are appreciated and pre-registration is required through Eventbrite. A Zoom link will be emailed to you with the confirmation email. Please let us know if you have any trouble finding it.
map to: Online San Francisco
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wnp-history-happy-hour-gary-stark-cliffhouseprojectcom-friends-tickets-170035447601
Join historian John Martini and explore the fabled Cliff House and the ruins of Sutro Baths for an in-person history walk as WNP closes out the 18th Annual Architecture and The City Festival!
We will venture around the Cliff House to learn about the history of San Francisco’s most incendiary landmark. 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.
This two-hour Western Neighborhoods Project tour begins at 11:30 AM 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 at least 2 business days before the walk. Tickets are $5 for students, $10 for AIA SF Members and $15 for Non-Members. Please register using the Eventbrite link in the More Info field below, and contact AIA SF if you have any problems.
Note: This tour is limited to 30 attendees; wear comfortable shoes and dress accordingly to the ever-changing San Francisco weather! Please visit San Francisco's COVID-19 resources for current guidelines at https://sf.gov/topics/coronavirus-covid-19.
Join us for an in-person history walk led by historian John Martini.
On this easy walk, we’ll explore the Bay Trail and Coastal Trails skirting the bluff tops of Fort Winfield Scott. We’ll enjoy gorgeous views, walk beneath the girders of the Golden Gate Bridge, see fortifications that guarded the bay from the 1860s through World War II, and a peek at the expansive, waiting-to-be-renovated parade ground and barracks at Fort Winfield Scott.
Tour begins at 10:00am and is expected to take about 2 hours with a moderate grade and some uphill areas. The super-secret meeting location will be emailed when tickets are purchased: $10 for members and $20 for non-members. Please register through Eventbrite, which you can access by clicking the link in the More Info field below this description or by copying and pasting the following URL into your browser: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wnp-batteries-bluffs-bridge-history-walk-tickets-157688736255
The walk is limited to 30 people and we will follow whatever San Francisco Department of Health regulations are in place at the time.
Join historian John Martini and Western Neighborhoods Project (WNP) Executive Director Nicole Meldahl for a guided tour of the Music Concourse in Golden Gate Park on Friday, September 10, 2021 from Noon to 1:30pm.
WNP is partnering with AIA San Francisco for the 18th Annual Architecture + the City Festival. There will be tours, discussions, lectures, films, author talks, and exhibitions throughout the city September 10-30, and it all starts at the Music Concourse with this walk!
Few people know that Golden Gate Park once hosted a World's Fair: the nearly forgotten "1894 California Mid-Winter Exposition.” On this walking tour around the park’s Music Concourse we visit many of the locations of the exotic but short-lived Fair, including scattered surviving remnants of the Exposition from 125 years ago. See things you've never seen before and then enjoy an entire day of festivities to celebrate the Festival.
RSVP is required through the festival website. This free history walk begins promptly at Noon and the route is mostly flat. Please be prepared to follow COVID-19 protocols required by the San Francisco Department of Public Health when we're walking. For more information, please visit the festival's website: https://www.archandcity.org/festival-opening-day
map to: Music Concourse, Golden Gate Park San Francisco
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.archandcity.org/festival-opening-day
Nicole Meldahl and Chelsea Sellin in conversation with local historians, artists, longtime west side residents, and other surprise guests, chatting about a variety of historical subjects in a very relaxed atmosphere. Audience members are encouraged to participate and, of course, bring their beverage of choice.
This month we sit down with a totally badass Bay Area history nerd: Kerri Young. Although she currently works with our friends at SF Heritage as Communications + Programs Manager, her resume is stacked with the names of other incredible organizations such as the California Historical Society and Historypin (to name a couple). We'll talk about her history path, some of Heritage's current west side landmarking efforts in Stern Grove and Lincoln Park, and who knows what else! You never know where happy hour will take you.
This event is free but donations are appreciated and pre-registration is required through Eventbrite. A Zoom link will be emailed to you with the confirmation email. Please let us know if you have any trouble finding it.
map to: Online San Francisco
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wnp-history-happy-hour-with-kerri-young-tickets-169524459221
Join us for this in-person walking tour led by former Western Neighborhoods Project board member and historic preservation consultant Richard Brandi through Forest Hill Extension this Labor Day weekend on September 4, 2021 at 10:00 am.
The area called Forest Hill Extension on the San Francisco Realtors map includes four other residential developments: Claremont Court, Laguna Honda Park, Rockridge Terrace, and Edgehill. Some of these developments are not well-known or have lost their identities. Brandi, who wrote the book “Garden Neighborhoods of San Francisco,” will explain how they came into being and what makes them unique.
Our two-hour tour begins at 10:00am and is generally level, except for Edgehill Way. The super-secret meeting location will be emailed when tickets are purchased: $10 for members and $20 for non-members.Please register through Eventbrite, which you can access by clicking the link in the More Info field below this description or by copying and pasting the following URL into your browser: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wnp-forest-hill-extension-history-walk-tickets-157878608167
The walk is limited to 30 people and we will follow whatever San Francisco Department of Health regulations are in place at the time.
Join us 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 to2 hours. The super-secret meeting location will be emailed when tickets are purchased: $10 for members and $20 for non-members. Please register through Eventbrite, which you can access by clicking the link in the More Info field below this description of copying and pasting the following URL into your browser: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wnp-sutro-heights-history-walk-tickets-157687015107
The walk is limited to 30 people and we will follow whatever San Francisco Department of Health regulations are in place at the time.
Nicole Meldahl and Chelsea Sellin in conversation with local historians, artists, longtime west side residents, and other surprise guests, chatting about a variety of historical subjects in a very relaxed atmosphere. Audience members are encouraged to participate and, of course, bring their beverage of choice.
This month Nicole is on her own as she sits down with WNP pal and Richmond District native, Jamie O\'Keefe. When not working as Registrar for The Walt Disney Family Museum, she\'s busy protecting the collection at Guardians of the City and helping with the San Francisco Old Car Picnic, which was founded by her Dad, that will be held in Golden Gate Park on August 14, 2021. We'll talk about her deep roots on the west side and cool things she\'s tripped across while working in San Francisco museums for most of her adult life.
This event is free but donations are appreciated and pre-registration is required. Please register through Eventbrite, which you can access by clicking big orange button below.
A Zoom link will be emailed to you with the confirmation email. Please let us know if you have any trouble finding it.
Join us for this in-person history walk led by our pal John Martini through his old stomping grounds at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
The Main Post of the Presidio of San Francisco encompasses more history than any other site within the GGNRA: Ohlone people, Spanish colonists, Buffalo Soldiers, Japanese Internment. Highlights of this mile-long walk include the newly renovated Presidio Officers Club and Heritage Center, the Inn at the Presidio, the San Francisco Film Institute, and the new Presidio Parkway project.
Our journey begins at 10:00am and is expected the to take about 2 hours. The super secret meeting location will be emailed when tickets are purchased: $10 for members and $20 for non-members. Please register through Eventbrite, which you can access by clicking the link in the More Info field below this description or by copying and pasting the following URL into your browser: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wnp-presidio-main-post-history-walk-tickets-157682702207
The walk is limited to 30 people and we will follow whatever San Francisco Department of Health regulations are in place at the time.
Nicole Meldahl and Chelsea Sellin in conversation with local historians, artists, longtime west side residents, and other surprise guests, chatting about a variety of historical subjects in a very relaxed atmosphere. Audience members are encouraged to participate and, of course, bring their beverage of choice.
This week we sit down with Katherine Petrin, an Architectural Historian and Preservation Planner who is also a native of the west side! She’s a writer, speaker, and Vice President of the San Francisco Neighborhood Theater Foundation, keeping an eye on our favorite historic movie houses since 2000. We’ll talk about old projects, new projects, and our favorite spots in the western neighborhoods.
This event is free but donations are appreciated and pre-registration is required. Please register through Eventbrite, which you can access by clicking big orange button below. A Zoom link will be emailed to you with the confirmation email. Please let us know if you have any trouble finding it.
What is the purpose of public art? How can we rethink existing cultural landscapes by adding context, challenging preconceptions, and bridging the gap between art and history?
Join us as Executive Director Nicole Meldahl moderates a panel discussion with local artists Cheyenne Concepcion, Ben Davis, Anna Lisa Escobedo, Dana King and Ben Wood, each of whom are finding innovative ways to dialog with public art and history. We’ll talk about current projects and the bigger picture of why their work is important, what it means to San Francisco, and where we can go from here. Pre-registration is required to attend this Zoom webinar. Please register through Eventbrite, which you can access by clicking the link in the More Info field below this description or by copying and pasting the following url into your browser: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/monuments-murals-and-memorials-tickets-158303202139. This event is free but donations are appreciated and will be split evenly between the panelists and moderator. Please email nicole@outsidelands.org if you have any issues with registration, or if you do not receive the Zoom link.Join historian John Martini and explore the fabled Cliff House and the ruins of Sutro Baths for an in-person history walk.
We’ll venture around the Cliff House to learn about the history of San Francisco’s most incendiary landmark. 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. Please register through Eventbrite, which you can access by clicking the link in the More Info field below this description or by copying and pasting the following url into your browser: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wnp-cliff-house-sutro-baths-history-walk-tickets-157674283025
The walk is limited to 30 people and we will follow whatever pandemic guidelines are outlined by the San Francisco Department of Public Health at the time of the walk.
Nicole Meldahl and Chelsea Sellin in conversation with local historians, artists, longtime west side residents, and other surprise guests, chatting about a variety of historical subjects. Audience members are encouraged to participate and, of course, bring their beverage of choice.
This week we sit down with our friends from the San Francisco Cable Car Museum to nerd out about all things transit, covering ground from cemeteries to world's fairs and who knows where else these rails will take us!
This event is free but donations are appreciated and pre-registration is required.
A Zoom link will be emailed to you after registration. If you don't receive it immediately, please let us know.
map to: Virtual Event San Francisco
Contact: Nicole Meldahl nicole@outsidelands.org
The Outside Lands are home to many residence parks, developments with detached houses, picturesque streets, and landscaping that convey the feeling of living in a park. Luckily for us, this type of development seen in St. Francis Wood, Forest Hill and Sea Cliff is the specialty of former Western Neighborhoods Project board member and historic preservation consultant Richard Brandi, who has written the forthcoming book “Garden Neighborhoods of San Francisco: The Development of Residence Parks, 1905-1924.
Join Brandi on June 5, 2021 at 10:00 am for a Zoom walking talk that covers four ambitious projects never built: Lake Merced, Visitation Valley, Bayshore, and Presidio Gardens (the Marina).
This event is free but donations are appreciated and you must register in advance to receive a Zoom link. Please let us know if you don’t receive a confirmation email after you’ve completed registration.
Be part of the live "studio" audience at our weekly podcast recording! Join the Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast crew for this exclusive behind-the-scenes session with added visual content, outtakes, and access to the after party.
This week, Michael and Nicole nerd out about two prolific photographers whose work can be found in our OpenSFHistory archive as well as archives all over the Bay Area and beyond: Carleton Watkins and Isaiah West Taber.
This event is an exclusive benefit for WNP Members. Not a member yet? Join at the link and claim your spot backstage!