Still Yet Even More Fun-Filled Facts 'bout San Francisco: The Palace of Fine Arts

From the SFHotelstories History File: Buildings

Built as a temporary structure for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, it is the only structure remaining from that event.

As it was made of plaster and chicken wire, it amazingly lasted for over 50 years until it started to fall apart.

It is where Jimmy Stewart strolled with Kim Novak in Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 classic, Vertigo. 

Ronald Regan's former Secretary of Defense, Caspar Weinberger, was a San Francisco Assemblyman in the 1950s.  He spearheaded  the effort to completely restore the Palace and secured a $2 million matching grant from the State.

It was home to the hands-on science museum, the Exploratorium, for over 40 years.

Aa former location manager in the film business, I worked on many commercials and film productions under its famous dome.

It is where Sean Connery's character met his estranged daughter in the 1995 action thriller, The Rock.