Located at the northwest corner of San Francisco, the first Cliff House opened on October 15, 1863. Samuel Brannan[1] purchased the lumber from a ship that had run aground at Seal Rock[2], and built a small tavern a little higher up the hill than where the Cliff House building stands today. It originally catered to horseback riders and small-game hunters. That same year, Senator John Buckley and CC Butler built a second Cliff House on its current site. In 1864, a toll rode was created, which opened the destination to carriages. Later, omnibus and streetcar lines would end at Lone Mountain[3], where one could transfer to a stagecoach to the beach. The toll road – now Geary – was purchased by the City in 1877.
In 1883, the Cliff House was purchased by Adolph Sutro[4], who bought up the surrounding land for his estate and Sutro Baths. In 1887, the Cliff House was severely damaged by a dynamite explosion from a ship that had also run aground at Seal Rock. The building was repaired. It burned to the ground seven years later.
In 1896, Sutro rebuilt the Cliff House as a seven story Victorian chateau. He purchased stuffed animals, artwork and memorabilia from Woodward’s Gardens[5], which he displayed at both the Cliff House and Sutro Baths. The Cliff House survived the 1906 earthquake[6], only to burn to the ground the following year as it was being remodeled.
In 1909, the Sutro family rebuilt the Cliff House, this time in a new-classical style that still exists today. During World War I[7], the military closed down the Cliff House because of the number of infractions by military personnel stationed at nearby Fort Miley. The Cliff House also closed down during Prohibition[8].
In 1937, George and Leo Whitney purchased the Cliff House to complement their neighboring (on the other side from Sutro Baths) Playland at the Beach[9]. They remodeled the building to look more like a road house. In 1955, a sky tram was installed that went from the Cliff House balcony, past the then closed Sutro Baths, over to a manmade saltwater waterfall. The tram could hold 25 people, but was never a money maker, ultimately closing down a decade later.
In 1977, the land, including the building, was acquired by the National Park Service. The NPS contracted with Dan and Mary Hountalas to operate the Cliff House. In 2003, the building was extensively remodeled back to its original design, including a two story wing that overlooks the ruins of Sutro Baths. The Musee Mecanique, located in the Cliff House basement and filled with memorabilia from Playland at the Beach, was moved to Fisherman’s Wharf[10] where it still exists today.
On December 31, 2020, the Hountalas, who were forced to close the two restaurants and bar in the Cliff House during the COVID-19 pandemic, permanently closing when they could not reach a lease agreement with the NPS. The Hountalas had secured the Cliff House trademark, and on January 1, 2021, a crowd gathered to watch the iconic Cliff House sign perched on top of the restaurant taken down. On February 2, 2021, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution urging the NPS to find a new tenant for the now vacant building. The San Francisco Historical Society[11] has been arduously working to obtain the wealth of art and memorabilia that was left behind, and in July 2021, it was announced that a temporary museum for Cliff House artifacts will open before a permanent tenant moves in next year.
[1] Samuel Brannan: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=4848
[2] Seal Rock is actually four separate rocks that Adolph Sutro named Arch, Hermit, Cone and Repose.
[3] Lone Mountain: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=3762
[4] Adolph Sutro and Sutro Baths: see story coming March 14th
[5] Woodward’s Gardens: see story coming January 19th
[6] 1906 earthquake: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=2849
[7] World War I: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=4079
[8] James “Sunny Jim” Rolph and Prohibition: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=5365
[9] Playland at the Beach: see story coming August 16th
[10] Fisherman’s Wharf: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=4431
[11] Visit them at www.sfhistory.org
