F I R S TP R E V588NEXTLAST

Seward Slides, Eureka Valley
Pictured above are the 33-year old Seward Street Slides, a hidden alternative to the steep staircases that dot the hills overlooking the Castro Districts. Thrill-seekers can grab a piece cardboard to sit on and zoom down the steep concrete slides.

In the late 1800s, water slides were one of the most popular amusements in San Francisco. The Chutes on Haight featured a 350-foot water flume that rose 75-feet above a pond. At the bottom, flat-bottom boats would skip across the water at 60 miles per hour, occasionally flipping over and dunking passengers. The Chutes were the centerpiece of an entire amusement park featuring a carnival house, the Chutes Cafe, the Chutes Theatre, and the Chutes Museum. Outgrowing the space the Chutes expanded to 10th and Fulton in 1902 and added more attractions including a movie house, stunt cyclists, house of mirrors, rollers skating, and Pavilion Theatre. In 1909 the Chutes moved again to Fillmore and Turk by which time the stage performances, with acts such as Sophie Tucker, began to outdraw the Chute rides. A fire in 1911 wiped out the Chutes for good.
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