Life Complements Art – Palace of Fine Arts, Marina District, San Francisco, California

After the devastation of the 1906 earthquake and fire, San Francisco was anxious to show the world that it had risen from the ashes. So in 1910, business and civic leaders gathered to discuss making San Francisco the site of the century’s first great world’s fair. Built on 635 acres reclaimed from San Francisco Bay, the exposition featured 11 great exhibit palaces showcasing objects from every corner of the globe, more than 1,500 sculptures commissioned from artists all over the world, 65 acres of amusement concessions, an d an aviation field. Twenty-one countries, 48 U.S. states, and 50 California counties mounted displays in the exhibition’s grand pavilions.

When creating the Palace of Fine Arts, architect Bernard Maybeck believed it would be "the water and the trees" that people would come to see. Today, Australian eucalyptus trees fringe the eastern shore of the lagoon. The natural scenery was integral to his design, and swans were part of his original drawings for the Palace. There’s nothing more relaxing than sitting by the Palace of Fine Arts on a sunny day and watching the swans gracefully floating by on the lagoon. Long a symbol of the Palace, the whooper swans draw nature lovers, birdwatchers and shutterbugs alike. A vibrant part of the Palace’s romantic setting, the swans and the lagoon are captured year round in photos of family outings, engagements, and weddings.

But the swans aren’t the only wildlife that the lagoon supports. A remnant of an ancient tidal wetland, the lagoon is an important environmental resource in the midst of a dense urban setting. As the closest freshwater habitat to the San Francisco Bay, the lagoon offers food and shelter to birds migrating the Pacific Flyway. Its little island provides a safe place for black-crowned night herons, ducks, and songbirds that breed and rest on its protected shores. Sea gulls fly over from the bay’s nearby shoreline to look for tasty tidbits. Many other forms of wildlife have made their home here including turtles, frogs, and raccoons. And of course, it wouldn’t be a city park without pigeons!