The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, California, is located in the Marina district. It was initially constructed in 1915 for the famous Panama-Pacific Exposition by Bernard Maybeck and was inspired by ancient Greek and Roman architecture. While many buildings comprising the Panama-Pacific Exposition were demolished, the Palace of Fine Arts was only one of two that survived. Decorating the Palace are sculpted allegorical figures and friezes, which are the work of artist Ulric Ellerhusen. Some of these impressive works of art represent Meditation, Wonderment and Contemplation.
The Palace's colonnades are ochre in color and its dome is decorated with panels depicting warriors and centaurs in battle over young maidens. The domed Palace is located on a lagoon, which also recalls the Old World. Indeed, it brings to mind classical landscape paintings, in which water reflects and enhances the grandeur of certain architectural constructions. The lagoon is surrounded by Australian eucalyptus trees and native wildlife, including frogs, turtles, geese, ducks and swan. The 1960s saw the Palace itself refurbished and its exhibition hall became destined for new functions.
The entire structure has been used countless times by wedding photographers, as well as a backdrop for many TV shows and movies. For example, the Palace has been featured in "So I Married an Axe Murderer", "The Bachelor", "Twisted", "The Rock", Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo", as well as "Monk" and "Nash Bridges". More specifically, the hall that was initially populated by important Impressionist paintings (for the Exposition) today houses an extremely modern interactive science museum, called the Exploratorium. The surrounding area contains a number of picnic benches where visitors can relax and enjoy the stunning view of this San Francisco landmark.
