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San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge History

The Golden Gate Bridge, completed after more than four years of construction at a cost of $35 million, is a visitor attraction recognized around the world. The GGB opened to vehicular traffic on May 28, 1937 at twelve o’clock noon, ahead of schedule and under budget, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a telegraph key in the White House announcing the event.

The Marin Headlands side of San Francisco’s GGB is a great place to take pictures—such as this July 4th fireworks photo—and watch freighters and sailboats cruise under the bridge. You will enjoy a view that stretches from Golden Gate Park and Twin Peaks to The Bay Bridge and beyond.

The design of the Golden Gate Bridge echoes an Art Deco Theme. Wide, vertical ribbing on the horizontal tower bracing accents the sun’s light on the bridge.

The towers that support the Golden Gate Bridge’s suspension cables are smaller at the top than at the base, emphasizing the tower height of 500 feet above the roadway.

Coit Tower is another San Francisco landmark with an Art Deco design. Timothy Pflueger was probably the most prolific and renowned Art Deco Architect in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Golden Gate Bridge’s 4,200 foot long main suspension span was a world record that stood for 27 years. The bridge’s two towers rise 746 feet making them 191 feet taller than the Washington Monument. The five lane bridge crosses Golden Gate Strait which is about 400 feet, or 130 meters, deep.

Linking San Francisco with Marin County the Golden Gate Bridge is a 1.7 mile-long suspension bridge that can be crossed by car, on bicycles or on foot.

The Brooklyn Bridge, completed 54 years earlier in 1883 and designed by wire rope patent holder John A. Roebling, was the first famous suspension bridge. It helped to define and add fame to New York City in much the same way that the Golden Gate Bridge has for San Francisco.

Golden Gate Bridge
Picture Galleries

View and purchase archive quality Golden Gate Bridge pictures and panoramas

Joseph Baerman Strauss (top section is about the Bay Bridge, scroll down for Golden Gate Bridge information) had a dream of building a bridge across the Golden Gate.

Though Strauss only lived a year beyond completion of construction he disproved the conventional wisdom of the time which stated that “no one can bridge the Golden Gate because of insurmountable difficulties which are apparent to all who give thought to the idea.”

Fort Point—at the south end of the bridge— was designated a National Historic Monument October 16, 1970. Fort Point was built out of brick in 1853–1861 at the beginning of the Civil War.

The historic fort was used as a base of operations for building the Golden Gate Bridge as seen in this historical photograph. The Fort Point Lighthouse — visible in my panorama shot from the roof of Fort Point was the second lighthouse built in California. The locations of the first and third California lighthouses are also visible from here. The first was on Alcatraz Island and the third was built at Point Bonita.

Golden Gate Bridge facts and other information can be found on this PBS page. For instance, did you know that Golden Gate refers to Golden Gate Strait—a name that originated around 1846, and that the Golden Gate Bridge has always been painted orange?

A one and one half hour San Francisco Bay Cruise will take you under the Golden Gate Bridge, past Angel Island and around Alcatraz Island on a sailboat.

I shot the photo on the right on a recent sunset cruise. Read about my experience and view more pictures here.

In 1902 the Thomas Edison company shot a movie (No.37) from a passenger train going from the Cliff House and Sutro Baths along the cliff at Lands End to the Golden Gate. Of course, this was before the Golden Gate Bridge was built so you won’t see it in the movie.

This and another 25 early San Francisco movies are provided by The Library of Congress. I recommend the MPEG version if you are willing to wait for the download.

You can learn more at the Golden Gate Bridge official site and at this Fort Point National Historic Site. The toll on the Golden Gate Bridge increased to $5.00/4.00 FasTrak on September 1, 2002. There are no carpool lanes on the Golden Gate Bridge.

If you want to take a Golden Gate Bridge photo, the bridge can be seen from a number of San Francisco locations. Be sure to view the panoramas on my Alcatraz, Aquatic Park, Coit Tower, Twin Peaks and Marin Headlands pages for additional Golden Gate Bridge pictures.

After your virtual photo tour of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco on iNeTours.com you might want to visit the City and take a real San Francisco Tour. Several SF tours cross over or sail under the Golden Gate Bridge. Save money by booking on-line. Many tours sell out a week or more in advance, especially during the busy summer season, so be sure to book ahead.