Palace of Fine Arts

The Palace of Fine Arts is basically just a beautiful rotunda and a picturesque lagoon. It is quite majestic and regal. It is a San Francisco icon for strolling, sitting, and taking pictures. The rotunda is Greco-Roman in design.

Palace of Fine Arts was a featured backdrop in movies such as Time After Time, The Rock, and Vertigo. It was also in a scene from Mission Impossible, Mannix, and Game of Thrones. It takes only a few minutes to walk around the rotunda and pond, but I recommend one person stay with your car due to repeated smash and grab break-ins.

Although this is in a very affluent neighborhood, The San Francisco Police would rather come out four or five times a day to take up to 20 “break-in” reports than station an officer in the area. Most of the parking at the Palace of Fine Arts is within view of the lake and rotunda but that doesn’t seem to deter the bad guys. Last time I was there they had smashed six cars in a row. Third “routine” visit by police that day. And it was only noon.

This is a convenient stop on your way to the Golden Gate Bridge.