Experts' Choice Award Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
What the experts agree on
This Maybeck-designed Greco-Roman rotunda, the last relic of the 1915 Panama-Pacific Expo, charms visitors with its lagoon setting—ideal for photos, strolls, and soaking up old-world grandeur.
“Ranking among San Francisco's best-known landmarks, this grand rotunda and peristyle were replicated from structures designed by renowned architect Bernard Maybeck.”
– Michelin Guide
Fodor's "At first glance this stunning, rosy rococo palace seems to be from another world, and indeed, it's the sole survivor of the many tinted-plaster structures." Full review
Concierge "A mock-classical ruin erected for the Panama-Pacific International Exhibition in 1915, the Palace of Fine Arts was originally fashioned from wood, plaster, and burlap."
Lonely Planet "Like a fossilized party favor, this romantic, ersatz Greco-Roman ruin is the memento San Francisco kept from the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition." Full review
Condé Nast Traveler "A mock-classical ruin erected for the Panama-Pacific International Exhibition... was eventually recast in concrete in the '60s." Full review
Not For Tourists "Designed for the 1915 World's Fair by Bernard Maybeck, the Roman ruin's grandeur is strikingly beautiful."
Where "Featuring a lagoon with swans, today this is a popular spot to stroll and take photos." Full review
Atlas Obscura "The last remaining relic of San Francisco's glittering 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition. " Full review
Afar Magazine "Standing out in San Francisco's Marina District, this historic landmark is a leftover from the 1915 Pan-Pacific International Expo and was designed by Bernard R. Maybeck." Full review
Afar Magazine "One of my favorite things to do in San Francisco is to walk on the Bay Trail from the parking lot by the Beach Hut Cafe west to Torpedo Wharf." Full review
Monocle "Like a fantasy of classical antiquity, the Palace of Fine Arts was built by beaux arts disciple Bernard R Maybeck for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition."
