Sutro Baths facts for kids
The Sutro Baths was a huge, privately owned public swimming pool complex. It was located in the Lands End area of western San Francisco, California.
Built in 1896, its remains are now near the Cliff House, Seal Rocks, and Sutro Heights Park. A big fire destroyed the building in June 1966. Today, the ruins are part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the Sutro Historic District.
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A Look Back: History of Sutro Baths
The Sutro Baths opened to the public on March 14, 1896. It was known as the world's largest indoor swimming pool place. A rich businessman and former mayor of San Francisco, Adolph Sutro, built the baths. He was mayor from 1894 to 1896.
The building was located in a small beach area below the Cliff House. Adolph Sutro also owned the Cliff House at that time. Both the Cliff House and the old baths site are now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. This area is managed by the United States National Park Service.
The baths had problems for many years. This was mainly because it cost a lot of money to run and keep them in good shape. Eventually, the southern part of the baths was turned into an ice skating rink. A wall separated it from the swimming pools, which were getting old. This lasted until 1964. Then, the land was sold to builders who planned to build tall apartment buildings there.
In 1966, a fire destroyed the building while it was being torn down. Investigators found out someone started the fire on purpose. After the fire, the builders left San Francisco and got money from insurance. All that is left of the site today are concrete walls, blocked-off stairs, and a tunnel with a deep crack in the middle.
What Was Inside? Fun Features of Sutro Baths
Here are some interesting facts from a 1912 article by J. E. Van Hoosear. He worked for Pacific Gas and Electric. The building used a lot of materials. This included 100,000 square feet of glass, 600 tons of iron, 3.5 million board feet of wood, and 10,000 cubic yards of concrete.
How the Water Worked
When the ocean tides were high, water would flow right into the pools from the nearby ocean. This recycled the 2 million US gallons of water in about an hour. When tides were low, a strong water pump could be turned on. This pump was built inside a cave at sea level. It could fill the tanks at a rate of 6,000 US gallons per minute. This meant all the water could be recycled in five hours.
Cool Things to Do
The Sutro Baths had many cool features:
- Six saltwater pools and one freshwater pool. The baths were 499.5 feet long and 254.1 feet wide. They could hold 1.805 million US gallons of water. They also had 7 slides, 30 swinging rings, and 1 springboard.
- A museum that showed a huge collection of stuffed animals, old historical items, and artwork. Adolph Sutro bought many of these things from a sale in 1894.
- A big theater with 2,700 seats. There were also club rooms that could hold 1,100 people.
- 517 private dressing rooms for visitors.
- An ice skating rink.
Getting There: Train Lines
Two train lines once served the baths. The Ferries and Cliff House Railroad ran along the cliffs of Lands End. It had great views of the Golden Gate. This train went from the baths to a station at California Street and Central Avenue. The second line was the Sutro Railroad. It used electric trolleys to go to Golden Gate Park and downtown San Francisco. Later, the Market Street Railway took over both of these lines.
What's Left Today: The Sutro Baths Ruins
Today, the Sutro Baths are mostly ruins. You can still see the concrete walls and parts of the old pools. It's a popular spot for visitors to explore and imagine what the baths looked like long ago.
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An aerial view of the ruins from the south (2016)
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A close view of the northern end of the ruins (2017)
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A view from the north, with the Cliff House in the distance (2018)
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