Palace of The Legion of Honor, San Francisco

This is a beautiful art museum, with art and artifacts of various types from ancient to modern. It is set in a beautiful Beaux-Arts building in a beautiful setting in Lincoln Park, overlookng the mouth of the Golden Gate and the Golden Gate Bridge.

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The Palace of the Legion of Honor was a gift of Alma de Bretteville Spreckels in memory of Bay Area soldiers who died in France during WWI. Completed in 1924, the building is a three-quarters scale replica of the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur, also known as the Hôtel de Salm in Paris by George Applegarth and H. Guillaume. The Court of Honor is a favorite for wedding ceremonies, but beside the neo-Grecian columns, there is the famed Rodin bronze known as The Thinker. Inside are several other Rodin casts part of the museum's permanent collection.

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Alma de Bretteville Spreckels was the wife of sugar producer Adolph Spreckels, and the model for the figurine atop the 97 foot tall Dewey Memorial in the center of Union Square. She was very fond of French culture and concerned for the tragic consequences of WWI. One of her many gifts to the city, the California Palace of the Legion of Honor is a 3/4 scale replica of the Parisian Palais de la Légion d'Honneur, and includes artwork donated by her and other city donors.

The elevated location in the center of Lincoln Park Golf Course provides not only a stunning architectural statement, but also a great views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Downtown. Lincoln Park was originally a cemetery that in 1908 had been closed and most bodies removed to the Cyprus Lawn Cemetery in the cemetery rich city of Colma, just south of San Francisco.

The Parking lot in front, which is graced in the center with a circular fountain, and extends around a large red steel geometric sculpture, is the western end of the Lincoln Highway, America's first transcontinental automobile highway, completed in time for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. The highway generally follows today's Interstate 80 route.

On the slope below the front of the building are a circular fountain and two bronze equestrian statues by wealthy philanthropist and prolific equestrian sculpture artist Anna Hyatt Huntington, circa 1927. The statue depicting Joan of Arc wielding a sword overhead is one of four such bronze casts originally dedicated in 1915 in Manhattan's Riverside Park (New York) to commemorate the 500th birthday of the saint. Other casts of this are in Washington D.C. and in Balboa Park in San Diego. The other statue is of El Cid Campeador, who holds a lance overhead, was the product of Huntington's husband's fascination with Spanish culture. Both statues symbolize victory in the post WWI period.

The large red geometric sculpture is the 1961 work of world famed but San Francisco based geometric modern artist Fletcher Benton.

Slightly down elevation, west of the parking lot, is a white painted bronze Holocaust Memorial by famous Pop Art sculpture George Segal. Added in 1984, this sculpture has been vandalized by anti-Semitic symbols several times.

Before any of this was built, Frances Willard, famed world organizer of women, stood on the hilltop and utter a quote that is commemorated on a bronze plate on the west side of the parking lot

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Built by rich San Franciscan socialite Alma de Bretteville Spreckels in the 1920's to commemorate Californians who died in WW I. This museum focuses on European art and includes works by Rembrandt, Rubens, Monet, and over 70 sculptures by Rodin which Spreckles bought bought from the artist himself!
Paid admission to the deYoung will allow you to visit this museum on the same day as well.

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One of the best small art museums I have ever been to, the Palace of the Legion of Honor has some really wonderful gems among its collection. The size of the musuem makes it a great place to visit if you are pressed for time. I love visiting small museums were you don't feel so overwhelmed by all the art work.

The Palace of the Legion of Honor has some excellent works from all of the well known impressionists.

During my recent visit there was a special exhibit titled "Women Impressionist". Four of the major women impressionist were showcased. There were also quite a few works from "Chihuly" which are quite amazing.

Once you're done visiting the musuem, take some time to stroll along the grounds, or enjoy a picin with was breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

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Every 1st Tuesday of a month, you can save $10 to go to the Legion of Honor museum. Exhibit tickets are discounted to $5 per person.
LOCATION: Lincoln Park. 100 34th Avenue.
HOURS: 9.30am - 5.15pm. Closed on Monday.
By BUS from downtown: take #1 (get off at Geary/33rd str), then either walk to it or take a short bus ride #18.

NOTE: There is a good view of Golden Gate bridge from there too.

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Next to the Palace of the Legion of Honor lies this beautiful oceanside park. Providing some gorgeous views of the sea and Golden Gate, it also has some nice hiking trails. In addition, the park has a memorial to victims of the Holocaust.

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One of the finest art museums on the West Coast, with a huge collection of ancient art and many works by old European masters. The museum also has a vast collection of antique crafts.

While visiting, be sure to stroll the nearby Lincoln Park, which affords some additional exhibits and some great views of the Golden Gate and the rugged coastline.