What fun it all was - those halcyon days when Playland and Sutro Baths were the mecca of entertainment for San Franciscans as they flocked to the western edge of the City to swim and enjoy the rides. Playland was three city blocks of fun and games, including roller coasters, a 64-horse carousel, a fun house dominated by the infamous Laffing Sal, and the famous Camera Obscura, now at the Cliff House. It was here that the unique San Francisco treat, the It’s It Ice Cream Sandwich, was first introduced. Playland closed in 1972 and a housing development now occupies the site along the Great Highway.

Nearby this historic beachfront, financier Adolph Sutro, populist San Francisco mayor from 1894 to 1896, opened his famous Baths in 1896. It was the world’s largest indoor swimming pool extravaganza with seven different fresh and salt water pools. He also created a museum and filled it with antiquities from his world travels.

Sutro Baths burned down in 1966 and the ruins are still visible today.

The site is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. John Martini, National Park Ranger and historian, and John Freeman, Richmond District resident and historian, will tell the story of both sites through words and pictures of the time the western edge of San Francisco along the Pacific Ocean was truly our Disneyland.

In conjunction with this month’s program, National Park Service Docent Tom Bratton will lead a tour of Sutro Baths on Saturday, July 12, at 2:00 P.M. Please see the walks page for details.

Please join us before the program for a 7:00 PM reception