Discovering the Adventure
San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge: Superstar of San Francisco

The Golden Gate Bridge ranks right up there with New York's Statue of Liberty and Paris' Eiffel Tower as an icon that's recognizable world-wide!

I'm very sure you could show a picture of this bridge to just about anyone in the world and they would know what it is and where it's located!

And - like the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower, visitors to the city of San Francisco can experience this famous bridge up close and personal.

Drive across it; walk, jog, or bike across it; stand on the bridge in the middle of the bay and try to imagine the unfathomable problems that must have presented barriers to the building of this engineering marvel. The history of how the creators managed to get it done is simply fascinating.

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Here are a few Golden Gate Bridge Facts to Share with Your Friends and Family

You can shop at the bridge. Yup - check out the Roundhouse Gift Center. It's in the old Roundhouse - hence the name - was built in 1938, and was originally a restaurant.

I remember having breakfast there on my way across the bridge to Marin County when I was a teenager!

You'll find some interesting items on sale at the Gift Center:

Books about bridge history

• A toddler's tee that says, "Golden Gate Bridge; Big, Strong & Awesome; just like my Dad"
• And for the true aficionado - you can purchase an authenticated, four-inch piece of the original steel cable that supported the bridge during its first 40 years!

Be sure to take a stroll through the renovated gardens too. The gardens are beautiful, and you'll get a different view of the bridge!

I remember having breakfast there on my way across the bridge to Marin County when I was a teenager!

You'll find some interesting items on sale at the Gift Center:

• Books about the bridge's history
• A toddler's tee that says, "Golden Gate Bridge; Big, Strong & Awesome; just like my Dad"
• And for the true aficionado - you can purchase an authenticated, four-inch piece of the original steel cable that supported the bridge during its first 40 years!

Be sure to take a stroll through the renovated gardens too. The gardens are beautiful, and you'll get a different view of the bridge!

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Golden Gate Bridge: An Object Lesson in How to Build a Bridge

• It's a suspension bridge, and from 1937 to 1964, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world.
• It was built under grueling conditions: strong, swirling, unpredictable currents; water that's 335 feet deep and 47F; dense fogs; 60 mile per hour winds.
• Designer Joseph Strauss was responsible for the innovative safety netting that was used beneath the construction.
• The 19 men saved by the netting called themselves the
  Halfway to Hell Club.
• Engineer Charles Ellis offered much theoretical and technical support for the building of the bridge, but was not officially recognized for his contributions until 2007.
• Not everything that's gold glitters. The color of the bridge is
  not gold - it's an orange vermilion known as International Orange. The color was chosen to compliment the natural surroundings yet provide high visibility to ships during debilitating fogs.
• The bridge has only been closed three times in hits history: all three were due to extremely high and dangerous winds.

It's no wonder this bridge is such a superstar San Francisco attraction, with its history and its unique qualities!

Learn more about the bridge at Golden Gate Bridge.

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Follow one of the links in the right-hand column for more SF attractions.

Or follow the links below to discover more about San Francisco, beyond the most famous tourist attractions:

• San Francisco Neighborhoods
  Our favorite part of The City
• San Francisco Nude Beaches
  Who knew?
• Things To Do in San Francisco
  Some of them are free!

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