Sigmund Stern Recreation Grove
Address:
2750 19th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132
Phone:
+1 415 391 2000(Tourist Information)
NileGuide Expert tip:
Don't miss the Stern Grove Music Festival ever summer Sunday starting at 2pm. Arrive extra early with a bottle or two of wine and some grub if you want to claim a good picnic spot.
Description:
When city father Sigmund Stern passed away in 1931, his wife Rosalie purchased a swath of land, some 160 acres, in the midst of the rapidly developing Sunset District, as a permanent memorial to him, and deeded the land to The City to be used in perpetuity as a recreation ground. Before becoming a public park this plot of land, a green oasis amidst sandy dunes, had a rough and tumble history. At one point it was successfully defended during a siege by a gang of henchmen from San Mateo who were trying to "move" their holdings northward towards San Francisco. After title disputes were settled, and the blood had dried, the place was transformed into a resort ground of the finest order, with the still standing
Trocadero hotel building at the center. Upon its sale to Rosalie Stern, the hotel was shuttered and repurposed, and the natural acoustics of the narrow valley edged by redwoods and eucalypts led to the construction of a concert pavilion and the founding of the Stern Grove Music Festival. This summer Sunday concert series still charms locals and visitors alike with
free shows by some of music's finest performers as well as annual appearances by the San Francisco Opera, Symphony and Ballet.
Map:
