That big bridge swathed in International Orange in our backyard is turning 75 years old this weekend. In addition to a bevy of events, exhibitions and concerts taking place in the Presidio, be on the lookout for some changes in traffic conditions. Plus some great fireworks on Sunday night!
MAY 23-25
Before the Bridge: Sight and Sound at the Golden Gate Exhibit
May 23 – November 18, Wed – Sun, 11am-5pm | Montgomery Street Barracks, Building 103 (near the Walt Disney Museum)
A newly rehabilitated Montgomery Street Barracks is the setting for a sensory experience of the Golden Gate before the iconic bridge was constructed. The show combines rarely seen images including historic photographs, maps, charts, drawings, paintings and computer graphics with the sounds of the ocean, foghorns, sailors, and soldiers to immerse visitors in an era before construction of the bridge. A kids’ treasure hunt and evening programs complement the exhibit.
Music of the Golden Gate Bridge Era
May 24 & 25, 7:30pm | Golden Gate Club
Celebrate the 1937 opening of the Golden Gate Bridge. A tenor and three sopranos will present fabulous 1930s and ‘40s songs that forever defined that era: Bye Bye, Blues, As Time Goes By, The Very Thought of You, In Apple Blossom Time, Bei Mir Bist Du Sch?n and many others. $10 suggested donation.
SATURDAY, MAY 26
The Bridge on the Big Screen: It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955)
May 26, 6-10pm | Main Post Green
This is the first film in a cinematic series celebrating films that feature the Golden Gate Bridge prominently. Bring a blanket or low lawn chair – the flm is outdoors. Plus enjoy food from Off the Grid Food Trucks, Disney Café, and Presidio Bowling Center. Also featuring live music with Whiskey Family Band and extended hours at the nearby Walt Disney Family Museum. The film series continues into September – visit the website for full details.
SUNDAY, MAY 27
This is THE day when all of the major events will be taking place. And also the day when the Presidio will be closed to car traffic from 11am until 9:50pm. So don’t plan on driving into the Presidio on Sunday (except for Presidio residents with special passes).
If you want to attend events or just gaze in admiration at the bridge, plan to walk or bike there. Free bike parking will be available. Transit tips for the festival
The Bridge’s east and west pedestrian and bicycle sidewalks will be accessible during the day but will close at 6pm. The sidewalks will reopen to pedestrians and bikes from 10pm to midnight. And the bridge will be closed to car traffic as well during the fireworks display (9-10pm).
The main activities will be held at Fort Point, Crissy Field, The Presidio and Marina Green. Download the festival map (PDF)
While you’re walking around and admiring the bridge, be sure to walk up to the new overlook that recently opened (enter at Lincoln Blvd. and Merchant Road). You’ll get a great overview of the bridge from a new angle.
Highlights for the day include:
- International Orange Artists’ Exhibition at Fort Point, 10am–7pm. This exhibition presents new work by contemporary artists responding to the bridge as icon, historic structure, and conceptual inspiration. The artworks on view were developed specifically for installation at the fort, and the interplay between the bridge and the fort enrich the experience of the exhibition as a whole.
- Dance, Music and Local Bands at the Crissy Field and Marina Green stages, 11am-11pm. Including SF Gay Men’s Chorus, Beach Blanket Babylon, Mickey Hart Band, Golden Gate Brass Band and many more.
- Road Trip through History featuring vintage cars and motorcycles from 1937 to the present. East Crissy Field, 11am–5pm.
- Vintage Maritime Display and Historic Watercraft Parade with classic boats spanning 75 years. St. Francis Yacht Club, 11am–3pm
- Fireworks, 9:30pm–9:50pm. Spectacular grand finale showcasing the Bridge, Bay and surrounding national parklands. Optimum visibility along the waterfront from Fort Point to east Marina Green. The hills above Marina/Cow Hollow and in the Marin Headlands also provide stunning views. Soundtrack aired live on KFOG 104.5/97.7FM. THE BRIDGE WILL BE CLOSED TO ALL TRAFFIC – AUTO AND PEDESTRIAN – DURING THE SHOW (9-10PM).
GoGGBRIDGE MOBILE APP
I also recommend downloading the new GoGGBridge app for iPhone or Android. It’s full of great photos – like ones from the opening in 1937, historic information, trivia (the bridge contains 600,000 rivets in each tower and took 4 1/2 years to build), fun activities (“Paint the Bridge” where you can recolor the bridge in yellow and black like the US Navy originally proposed), a foghorn ringtone you can download, historic videos like one of Blackie, the horse that swam under the bridge from Ocean Beach, plus an easy link to the calendar of events for Sunday, May 27. The app makes a great accompaniment to the anniversary celebration.
SHARE YOUR OWN BRIDGE MEMORIES AND HIGHLIGHTS
Wells Fargo, one of the sponsors of the 75th celebation, started a website called Built in the Bay, inviting people to share their stories, photos and videos about the bridge which will be put into a digital mosaic later this year.
Happy 75th Anniversary to the Golden Gate Bridge!
Sarah B.
This is a great collection (playlist) of videos related to the Golden Gate Bridge, assembled to celebrate the 75th anniversary:
This video contains vintage 8mm footage of the Golden Gate Bridge opening in 1937:
Will you be able to see the fireworks from baker beach?
@Andre – I was also wondering what the viewing would be like from the western shoreline, like at Eagle’s Point. I’m guessing the fireworks will be launched east of the bridge, the question is how far over the bay will they arc. The Presidio hills might block sight of the initial trajectories.
I don’t think you’ll be able to see from the Baker side, fireworks won’t be that high.
Sarah B.
awesome post! thanks for collecting all this info. Glad to see we’re celebrating the bridge in style.
75th Anniversary of the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge in the spring of 1937…my mother, Jane Ramirez (maiden name) and a classmate, Joe Rodriguez represented Washington Irving Grammar School. They attended the ceremonies on the Bridge, then walked to an area of bleachers specifically to honor the men who had died building it. Mom was 11 years old. She remembered that 11 men had died and their families attended the ceremony honoring their sons, husbands and fathers. She and Joe lent their voices with children from other grammar schools in San Francisco accompanied by the city’s orchestra. They sang The Star Spangled Banner, My Country ‘Tis of Thee and America the Beautiful. Mom is 86 years old.