• Image of Sutro Baths
  • Image of Sutro Baths
  • Image of Sutro Baths

Built in 1896 by former San Francisco Mayor, Adolph Sutro, Sutro Baths was a gargantuan glass and steel structure that housed seven swimming pools of various temperatures. The pools held 1.7 million gallons of water and could be filled in one hour by the oceans high tides. Sutro Baths also boasted an amphitheater seating up to 3,700 people, and three restaurants that could accommodate over 1,000 guests. The baths also contained a natural history museum exhibiting sculptures, paintings, tapestries and artifacts from Mexico, China, Asia, and the Middle East, including Egyptian mummies. The ruins of Sutro Baths can still be seen today at the edge of Ocean Beach in the Outer Richmond district.