Explore the Ruins of the Sutro Baths

Once upon a time, that’s 1890 to be precise, the Sutro Baths was home to the world’s largest indoor swimming infrastructure. Today, it lies in ruins but it still is at one of the most mesmerizing places in the city of San Francisco. The history of the site dates back to the time of Adolph Sutro, the former mayor and a wealthy resident of San Francisco. He owned a majority of the land in western San Francisco where among other developments he chose to construct a massive structure with a glass roof that could house seven saltwater pools. The tides at the bay would feed the swimming pools with enough water for locals while they would also get to explore his collection of a myriad of specimens amassed along his travels, from Egyptian mummies to stuffed apes and polar bears.

About Sutro Baths

Visiting the Sutro Baths Ruins is one of the historic sites in SF as one of the places to visit in San Francisco that celebrate what is preserved. The Sutro Baths were developed bearing in mind the needs of the working people of the city. The admission fees were affordable, there was a train people could take to get here and there was plenty of entertainment, from music and dance to dining at the restaurants. As the popularity of the baths waned and it became expensive to maintain in the forties, there was a steady decline that eventually led to its closure in 1965.

Sutro Baths could have been redeveloped. There were proposals to convert the site into a residential hub with a shopping center. Such attempts were unsuccessful due to public sentiment in favor of letting the ruins be as they were. In 1980, the National Park Service purchased the baths. As you visit the baths today, you will find ruins of the pools, rusting iron and crumbling walls. The views are still gorgeous and it is indeed a romantic setting in its own way. The ruins are close to Cliff House. You can drive or take a bus. You can park at the lot off Point Lobos Avenue or 48th Avenue. You may also consider visiting Land’s End, Ocean Beach, The Cliff House and the SF Zoo or the Golden Gate Park en-route.

Stay at Travel Inn, San Francisco

Travel Inn is just six miles east of Sutro Baths. It would take you just fifteen minutes to get to the western end of The City from our location on Lombard Street. Reserve your accommodation at the hotel website to get the best deals and lowest rates at www.travelinnsf.com.