Golden Gate Park in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
The de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park
In 1919, major portions of the second de Young museum were completed in the Spanish Plateresque style. The central section and the tower were added in 1921, and the west wing in 1925. The original building was deemed unsafe and demolished in 1929. The 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake severely damaged the second building and inevitably it was demolished.
On October 15, 2005, the de Young Museum designed by Herzog & de Meuron re-opened its doors in a state-of-the-art new facility. Its perforated copper façade is patterned on the play of light beneath the canopy of trees within the Music Concourse. The new de Young showcases the museum's priceless collections of American art from the 17th through the 20th centuries, and art of the native Americas, Africa, and the Pacific.
The Sphinxes that you see today originally marked the entrance to the Egyptian Building at the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition, the first home of the de Young museum.
M.H. de Young
The de Young Museum was created when the Egyptian Revival Fine Arts building of the 1894 Mid Winter Exposition was given to the Park Commission. Micheal de Young, the founder and publisher of the San Francisco Chronicle, led the charge in organizing the public museum which housed 6,000 objects left over from the exposition, his own collection, as well as thousands of items donated by San Francisco families.
Erected by San Francisco Recreation & Parks.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Arts, Letters, Music. A significant historical date for this entry is October 15, 2005.
Location. 37° 46.251′ N, 122° 27.984′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in Golden Gate Park. Marker is on Music Concourse Drive south of Bowl Drive, on the left when traveling east. Marker is at the east end of the Music Concourse in Golden Gate Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: San Francisco CA 94118, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. General Pershing Memorial (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The California Academy of Sciences (about 300 feet away); The Music Concourse (about 400 feet away); Pair of Sphinxes (about 400 feet away); The California Midwinter International Exposition (about 400 feet away); The Vintage Vase (Le Poème de la Vigne) (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named California Midwinter International Exposition (about 600 feet away); Golden Gate Park: A Brief History (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Francisco.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 13, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 260 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 13, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. 5. submitted on August 24, 2020, by Diane Phillips of Pittsburg, California.