Sutro Heights Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sutro Heights Park |
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Sutro Heights Park sign.
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| Location | Richmond District, San Francisco, California |
| Area | 18 acres (7.3 ha) |
| Operated by | Golden Gate National Recreation Area |
Sutro Heights Park is a special public park in western San Francisco, California. It's a historic place located in the Richmond District. This park is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
The park sits high above the famous Cliff House. From here, you can see amazing views. You can spot the Seal Rocks, the long stretch of Ocean Beach, and the huge Pacific Ocean.
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History of Sutro Heights Park
Sutro Heights Park covers about 18 acres of land. It used to be the private estate of a man named Adolph Sutro. He was a very rich businessman and also served as the mayor of San Francisco.
Adolph Sutro's Vision
In 1881, Adolph Sutro bought 22 acres of land. This land was undeveloped and had a great view of the Pacific Ocean. He could see the Marin Headlands, Mount Tamalpais, and the Golden Gate. Sutro decided to build his large home on a rocky spot overlooking the first Cliff House.
His estate included a big mansion with towers, a carriage house, and other buildings. These were all surrounded by beautiful gardens. The entrance to his estate was very grand. He spent over a million dollars to create a garden in the style of an Italian garden.
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Gardens for Everyone
Sutro's gardens were filled with many interesting things. There were fountains, decorative urns, and statues. He had Victorian flower beds, hedge mazes, and different patterns of plants called parterres. There were also many trees and a glass plant conservatory.
He created special viewing spots like the "observation plaza." This spot looked out over the Cliff House. Another area was the "Dolce far Niente Balcony." This long terrace overlooked Ocean Beach. To decorate his gardens, he brought over 200 concrete copies of Greek and Roman statues from Belgium. He wanted to share European culture with visitors.
In 1883, Sutro opened his gardens, called Sutro Heights, to the public. People could walk around the grounds for a small fee of ten cents. This small fee helped pay the 17 gardeners, machinists, and drivers who kept the grounds beautiful.
Sutro's Other Projects
Adolph Sutro developed other attractions nearby. These included the Sutro Baths (open from 1894 to 1964). He also built the second, very fancy Victorian style Cliff House (open from 1896 to 1907). He even created an amusement park called Sutro Pleasure Grounds at Merrie Way.
To make it easy for people to visit these places, he built a special passenger steam train. This train ran from downtown San Francisco all the way to Lands End.
Changes Over Time
Adolph Sutro passed away in 1898. His daughter, Emma Sutro Merritt, then moved into the Sutro Heights estate. As she got older, it became harder to take care of the large grounds. The house started to fall apart. She lived there until she passed away in 1938.
During the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, many of the rose garden plants were taken. Some of the statues were also damaged by people.
Sutro Heights Park Today
The Sutro family gave the estate to the City of San Francisco in 1938. In 1939, a government program called the Works Progress Administration (WPA) tore down the old mansion. Most of the remaining statues were removed.
However, a few statues were kept. These include "The Lions," which are copies of the famous lions in London's Trafalgar Square. They stand at the park's entrance gate. Also, a statue of Diana the Huntress remains. This is a concrete copy of a Roman statue found in the Louvre Museum. After these changes, the 18-acre city park officially opened.
Today, Sutro Heights Park is no longer just a city park. It is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. A local group called Friends of the GGNRA helps maintain the park. Many of these volunteers live in the neighborhoods around the park.
Images for kids
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Street map of 1937
