F I R S TP R E V573NEXTLAST

The New de Young Museum, Golden Gate Park
The original M. H. de Young Museum was built to house fine arts exhibit for the 1894 California Midwinter International Festival which covered 180 acres of Golden Gate Park. The building was the only structure that remained after the Festival and was then given to the city by M. H. de Young, co-founder of the San Francisco Chronicle, as an art museum.

Damaged by earthquakes and over 110 years of age, the museum was rebuilt in 2005 into a stunning new jewel for the city's arts community. The 300,000 square-foot, $200 million museum's striking perforated patina facade features over a million pounds of copper and 70,000 pounds of bronze. Visitors can enjoy a 360 degree view from the top of the museum's 144-foot-tall twisting observation tower. Today the museum houses collections ranging from modern pieces as well as some dating to 1500 B.C.
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