Presidio Kicks off Golden Gate Bridge 75th Celebration

Presidio of San Francisco (May 9, 2012) — The Presidio Trust and its partners are celebrating the Golden Gate Bridge’s 75th anniversary with a trio of events: a new exhibit about the Golden Gate before the bridge was constructed, a Golden Gate Bridge film festival, and two-evening concerts. The Presidio events are part of 75 community tributes to the bridge being held throughout the Bay Area and beyond.

The new exhibit, Before the Bridge: Sight and Sound at the Golden Gate, combines rarely seen images including historic photographs, maps, charts, drawings, paintings and computer graphics with the sounds of the ocean, foghorns, sailors and soldiers to immerse visitors in an era before construction of the bridge. The first half of the exhibit traces the history of the Golden Gate Strait. A second gallery explores the Presidio’s role in more than two centuries of harbor defense and the earliest vision of a national park by the bay. A kids’ treasure hunt and a variety of evening programs complement the exhibit. The free exhibit opens May 23 and will be in one of the newly rehabilitated Montgomery Street Barracks.

Before the Bridge: Sight and Sound at the Golden Gate runs from May 23 through November 18 on the ground floor of 103 Montgomery Street on the Presidio’s Main Post. The exhibit is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 11 am to 5 pm. Admission is free.

Presented with the Walt Disney Family Museum, The Bridge on the Big Screen: Movies Starring the Golden Gate Bridge features seven popular movies showcasing the “international orange” icon. The first three films are outdoors on the new Presidio Main Post Green. The final four films are indoor screenings in the Walt Disney Family Museum Theater.

The series kicks off with 1955’s It Came from Beneath the Sea on Saturday, May 26 at 6 pm on the Presidio’s new Main Post Green. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and a picnic, or enjoy food from Off the Grid Food Trucks and the Disney Café. Pre-show entertainment includes live music from Poor Man’s Whiskey. Moviegoers can also take advantage of extended hours at the Walt Disney Family Museum, with spectacular views from its galleries of the Golden Gate Bridge after dark. Bridge-themed movies will be shown each Saturday through September 15. Programs begin at 6 pm. Admission is free.

Finally, celebrate the bridge’s opening in song when the popular Concerts at the Presidio series presents Music of the Golden Gate Bridge Era featuring standards from the 1930s and 40s. The concerts will be held Thursday and Friday May 24 and 25 at 7:30 pm at the Golden Gate Club, 135 Fisher Loop on the Presidio’s Main Post. Seats can be reserved by calling (415) 447-6247. A $10 donation ($5 for children and seniors) is suggested.

For more information on Golden Gate Bridge Anniversary events at the Presidio visit Golden Gate Bridge 75. For details and a complete listing of all 75 community tributes, including the Golden Gate Festival on Sunday, May 27, visit the Golden Gate Bridge 75th Anniversary’s official website.

One of the modern Wonders of the World according to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Golden Gate Bridge was constructed at the height of the Art Deco era. Its completion — both ahead of schedule and under budget, a feat almost unheard of today — along with that of the Bay Bridge to the east, transformed the Bay Area landscape and helped unite the region. Today the 1.7 mile span is one of the most recognizable structures in the world and is a primary reason visitors flock to the Presidio which offers breathtaking views of the bridge from points throughout the park, from Lovers Lane to Crissy Field and Fort Scott to Baker Beach. For more interesting and quirky facts about the bridge, visit Golden Gate Bridge Facts. And for a complete history of the bridge visit the Golden Gate Bridge District website.

The Presidio Trust was established by the United States Congress in 1996 to administer the Presidio of San Francisco, an urban national park site that is located at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. The areas overseen by the Trust include expansive open space and spectacular views, a 300-acre historic forest, and rare and endangered plants and wildlife. The park comprises nearly 6 million square feet of buildings, including 469 historic structures that contribute to the Presidio’s status as a National Historic Landmark District.”