Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Taktsang Lhakhang, also known as the “Tiger’s Nest”.
Bhutan • 11 days, 10 nights
Festivals & Temples of Bhutan
from
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Karpeles Manuscript Library Mini Museum
Shakespeare’s Death Mask
Oyster Police cannon.
Oyster Wars Cannon
Saint Anthony’s Sign of the Cross
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Omni Parker House Hotel
The Omni Parker House: Inside the History of Boston’s Most Iconic Hotel
about 7 hours ago
The cute capybara.
Animal Takeover: Brace Yourself for Adorable Hordes
1 day ago
The Codex Gigas (the Devil’s Bible) open to the portrait of the devil.
Codex Gigas: Who Drew the Devil in This Massive Medieval Bible?
2 days ago
USDA and Washington State agriculture officials tagged this Asian giant hornet. Sept. 10, 2021.
What Ever Happened to the Murder Hornets?
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States California San Francisco Sweeney Observatory Site

Sweeney Observatory Site

Barely visible foundations remain where Stow Lake’s “observatory” once welcomed visitors.

San Francisco, California

Added By
Annetta Black
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Cracks in the foundation   Annetta Black/Atlas Obscura
Cracks in the foundation   Annetta Black/Atlas Obscura
Red foundation stones are all that remain of Sweeney Observatory   Annetta Black/Atlas Obscura
Remnants of the reflecting pond   Annetta Black/Atlas Obscura
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

At the center of Stow Lake, a small hill offers fantastic views of western San Francisco.

A perfect place for a picnic lunch, the park’s earliest days revolved around Sweeney’s Observatory which stood on this lovely spot until it was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. The Colosseum-like structure was built in 1891 as a picturesque vista point (rather than an astronomical observatory) accessible by carriage ride for day-trippers and picnickers alike.

Today, only the barest traces of possible foundation stones can be discerned, all other traces of the building are sadly long gone. The earthquake of 1906 took out the observatory (along with many other structures around the park), and was never rebuilt. The remains of the artificial pond that once sat next to the observatory are still readily visible, and the empty basin is now a picnic area.

Related Tags

Observatories Architectural Oddities Ruins Parks Lost Wonders Architecture

Know Before You Go

Hike up from the base of Strawberry Hill to the top. The ruins are easy to spot if you know what to look for.

Community Contributors

Added By

Annetta Black

Edited By

Martin, James Ricci, SEANETTA, kimballpc

  • Martin
  • James Ricci
  • SEANETTA
  • kimballpc

Published

December 17, 2012

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.outsidelands.org/sweeney-observatory.php
  • http://www.golden-gate-park.com/strawberry-hill.html
  • http://www.sanfranciscodays.com/park-history/
Sweeney Observatory Site
Strawberry Hill, Stow Lake, Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California, 94118
United States
37.768749, -122.475497
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Arch of Colonial Trees

San Francisco, California

miles away

'Street Whale'

San Francisco, California

miles away

Albino Redwood

San Francisco, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of San Francisco

San Francisco

California

Places 217
Stories 50

Nearby Places

Arch of Colonial Trees

San Francisco, California

miles away

'Street Whale'

San Francisco, California

miles away

Albino Redwood

San Francisco, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of San Francisco

San Francisco

California

Places 217
Stories 50

Related Stories and Lists

Wish You Were Here: Vintage Postcards From Some Of Our Favorite Curious Places

By Allison Meier

In the Footsteps of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

By Annetta Black

Related Places

  • The doorway of the old church of San Isidro.

    Oviedo, Spain

    Portada de la Antigua Iglesia de San Isidoro (Arch of the Old Church of San Isidoro)

    The surviving remnants of a destroyed medieval church now stand in a public park.

  • Pasha Gardens

    Thessaloniki, Greece

    Pasha Gardens

    A little-known park with unusual, half-ruined structures and a mystical energy.

  • Concrete building at the abandoned Murphy Ranch.

    Los Angeles, California

    Rustic Canyon's Murphy Ranch

    World War II-era Nazi compound nestled in the Santa Monica hills.

  • The Hecht Company Warehouse saw prosperous days throughout the 1950s. (Library of Congress)

    Washington, D.C.

    Hecht Company Warehouse

    Art deco landmark on the outskirts of Washington, D.C.

  • Landskrona, Sweden

    Hven

    This Scandinavian island is the site of the first modern observatory.

  • Ariel-Foundation Park

    Mt Vernon, Ohio

    Ariel-Foundation Park

    Constructed from the ruins of a former glass factory, this park incorporates the old with the new.

  • Lower level view 3

    Athens, Greece

    Valerian Wall at Niche Hotel

    The ruins of an ancient fortification wall sit in front of and underneath this boutique hotel.

  • Västerås, Sweden

    Hotell Hackspett (Woodpecker Hotel)

    Unfortunately, you can no longer spend a night in this single-person treetop hotel.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.