Temple of Music, Golden Gate Park - San Francisco, CA
Posted by: 
Hikenutty
N 37° 46.195 W 122° 28.110
10S E 546809 N 4180420
The Spreckels' Temple of Music, built in 1900, was a gift of sugar magnate, Claus Spreckels. It can be found at the southwest end of the music concourse in Golden Gate Park.
Waymark Code: WM3D6C
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 03/17/2008
Views: 33
The music concourse was originally constructed as a grand court for the 1894 California Mid-winter International Exposition. It was completed in 1900 when the bandshell, commonly known as the Temple of Music, was constructed. This structure, built for $75,000, was a gift to the city from sugar magnate, Claus Spreckels.
The following information about the shell is from Golden Gate Park's Website:
The Spreckels Temple of Music was constructed in 1900. The Music Concourse was planned with terraces for seating around the perimeter for an anticipated capacity of 20,000. Its depressed elevation was intended to provide protection from summer winds. The Spreckels Temple of Music and the M.H. de Young Museum, which remained from the 1894 fair, were originally the only structures in the Music Concourse area. Other structures were added later such as the California Academy of Sciences in 1916 and the Rideout Fountain in 1924.
Many other monuments and statues are located in and around the Music Concourse. Most monuments were donated. The pollarded trees in the Music Concourse include primarily London plane trees and Wych elms with some maples and walnuts. It is not clear when the present trees were planted. Original drawings and photos of the Music Concourse indicate fewer trees than at present. Other historic features of the Music Concourse include three pedestrian tunnels under adjacent roadways.
The temple was damaged by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and was rededicated in 1994 after a complete seismic reconstruction.