Sadly, on December 1, 2012 fire broke out at the abandoned building and destroyed any hope of salvation. The Fleishhacker pool and pool house were built in 1924 by philanthropist Herbert Fleishhacker. The San Francisco Zoo was founded by banker and SF Parks Commission president Herbert Fleishhacker. Please click below to consent to the use of this technology while browsing our site. Underneath the parking lot of the San Francisco Zoo hides one of SF’s most prominent abandoned landmarks: a massive saltwater swimming pool. July 19, 1949: A swim meet at Fleishhacker Pool, which opened in … Fleishhacker Pool was an attraction that was unique to San Francisco. 100% satisfaction guaranteed. Built in 1924 by wealthy philanthropist Herbert Fleishhacker and situated next to the San Francisco Zoo, the pool itself had the capacity for 10,000 swimmers in its heyday. Fleishhacker Pool or Delia Fleishhacker Memorial Building was a public saltwater swimming pool located in the southwest corner of San Francisco, California, United States, next to the San Francisco Zoo at Sloat Boulevard and the Great Highway. Home to an endangered salamander, a full moon celebration, and a large spring-fed outdoor swimming pool. The portals can be viewed from the San Francisco Zoo Customer Parking lot. Join National Geographic author, photographer, and Palm Springs resident Christopher P. Baker on this privately guided, one-of-a-kind photography workshop. The historic Fleishhacker Pool House burned to the ground Saturday morning, marking a tragic end for the iconic San Francisco structure that once served the largest pool in the world. Usage of the pool had been low, and the repair costs exceeded the City's budget,[1] so the pool was converted to fresh water, resulting in poor water quality; it was closed by the end of 1971. The San Francisco Zoo, (previously Fleishhacker Zoo) is a zoo in San Francisco, California housing more than 250 different animal species. All that remians of the great Fleishhacker Pool. And for those who know it's history, it's also the "little engine that could." How a Blacksmith in Jordan Created His Own Sign Language, In Naples, Praying With Skulls Is an Ancient Tradition, Inside a Domed Pyramid With Astounding Acoustics and a History of Miracles, See the Mysterious Horned Helmet of Henry VIII, Searching for Home and Connection Through Typewritten Poetry, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleishhacker_Pool, http://blog.sfgate.com/thebigevent/2012/08/02/shrinkage-vanishing-swimming-pools-of-san-francisco/, http://www.sfcityguides.org/public_guidelines.html?article=290&submitted=TRUE&srch_text=&submitted2=&topic=parks%20and%20recreation, http://blog.sfgate.com/thebigevent/2012/12/01/saying-goodbye-to-the-fleishhacker-pool-house/, http://www.7x7.com/arts-culture/scenes-city-fleishhacker-pool-house. The world's largest swimming pool of its time opened in San Francisco in 1925. This partially buried wreck is one of the most complete of its kind but is only revealed when the sea allows. [3], In 1999, the San Francisco Zoological Society was granted ownership of the pool house. Fleishhacker Pool, located at Sloat Boulevard and the Great Highway, may still hold its superlative title at a length of 1000 feet, width of 150 feet at the midsection, a depth of 5 to 14 feet, and a capacity of 6,000,000 gallons of salt water. After a long period of running as a public saltwater pool, the water output system was damaged in a winter storm. The pool was closed in 1971 with the pool itself being paved over by the San Francisco Zoo for a new parking lot. Amazon.com: Buyenlarge Fleishhacker Pool, San Francisco, Ca Gallery Wrapped Canvas Print, 12" x 18": Posters & Prints Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Originally named the Fleishhacker Zoo after its founder, banker and San Francisco Parks Commission president Herbert Fleishhacker, planning for construction began in 1929 on the site adjacent to what was once the largest swimming pool in the United States, the Fleishhacker Pool. In the early 1940s, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company began the creation of the enormous Parkmerced apartment community on the south side of the lake, while the Standard Building Company opened up the Lakeshore tract on the north side. The water was provided by a series of pumps and piping at high tide, directly from the Pacific Ocean 650 ft (200 m) away, filtered, and heated. Despite initial popularity, and creative use by the military for aquatic drills during the war years, years of neglect led to a slow decline, and in 1971 storms caused damage that would eventually lead to its closure later the same year. The pool's heater could warm 2,800 US gal (11,000 L) of seawater from 60 degrees to 75 degrees Fahrenheit each minute, in theory providing a constant pool water temperature of 72 degrees for AAU swim meets,[3] but in practice tended to vary between 65 and 75 degrees, which many swimmers found chilly. The pool was the largest swimming pool in the United States. It was eventually demolished in 2000. There is no direct access to the archways, they are surrounded by a chainlink fence with barbed wire. There, he engaged in a general merchandise business. Measuring 1,000 by 150 ft (300 by 50 m) and holding 6,500,000 US gal (25,000,000 L) of seawater, it accommodated 10,000 bathers and at its opening the largest swimming pool in the United States[1] and one of the largest heated outdoor pools in the world. Fleishhacker Pool, San Francisco, CA (Photo by Buyenlarge/Getty Images) Buyenlarge/Bob Bragman Show More Show Less 7 of 20. We're pleased as punch to present the first entry in an ongoing series titled Hidden History, where Curbed Contributor Alex Bevk highlights a San Francisco location with a secret past. Fleishhacker Pool, San Francisco, California Art Print. After a few years, he moved briefly to New York City until he heard the “call of the West.” Offer subject to change without notice. The swimming pool itself was filled with rocks and gravel, with the space now serving as a parking lot for the zoo. See. I can remember as a kid swimming at the largest heated saltwater venue in the world, the Fleishhacker Pool in San Francisco. Tenacious mummies survived dental problems, eternal entombment, and more than their fair share of devastating fires. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. The pool measured 1000 feet in length by 160 feet across at the middle section and 100 feet across at each end. There were rumors of a shark in the pool. Wells Fargo is a proud sponsor of our 80th Anniversary. [7], Fleishhacker Pool and Bath House (closed) (1979), U.S. National Register of Historic Places, "The largest pool in the U.S. was once in San Francisco", "Fleishhacker Pool House Next To SF Zoo On Fire", "Fleishhacker bathhouse facing demolition", List of 26 photos of Fleishhacker Pool at Library of Congress, Ocean Beach Bulletin: "Before Now – Fleishhacker Pool and its 6 million gallons", Terrastories.com: Contemporary photos of the Fleishhacker Bath House & History of the Pool, SFgate.com: "Shrinkage: The vanishing swimming pools of San Francisco", Bcx.news: "Fleishhacker Pool 1954 by San Francisco Zoo, San Francisco, California", Guidelines-Newsletter for San Francisco Guides and Sponsors: "Fleishhacker Pool" by James Smith, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fleishhacker_Pool&oldid=981868370, Demolished buildings and structures in San Francisco, Mediterranean Revival architecture in California, Buildings and structures demolished in 2000, Articles with dead external links from April 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 4 October 2020, at 21:57. Upon its completion in 1925, it was one of the largest heated outdoor swimming pools in the world and remained open for more than four … [1][5][6] The remaining ruins were demolished, and only a fragment consisting of three ornate entrances remains. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. When San Francisco opened the Fleishhacker Pool to the public in 1925, it was thought to be one of the largest in the world. It rightfully claimed its status as the world's largest heated salt-water pool. This stop on the Camino de Santiago stands high above the underwater ruins of a medieval town. You would take a leap of faith and step off the top platform, a distance of some thirty feet to the water (at that end, it was fifteen feet deep). How Did Madagascar Become the World's Biggest Producer of Vanilla? The sole surviving relic of the San Francisco neighborhood cobbled together from old horsecars and streetcars. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the world’s hidden wonders. Fleishhacker Pool or Delia Fleishhacker Memorial Building was a public saltwater swimming pool located in the southwest corner of San Francisco, California, United States, next to the San Francisco Zoo at Sloat Boulevard and the Great Highway. Its storied history includes movie stars the 1920’s and 1930’s such as Johnny Weismuller, Esther Williams and Ann Curtis. The pool closed in 1971 and was eventually acquired by the adjacent SF Zoo, which filled in the giant pool to make its present parking lot. Sitting behind fencing, abandoned and with the roof slowly caving in, in its last years the poolhouse was mostly populated by raccoons and the occasional bold squatter, while hope remained in some quarters for a restoration before it was too late. Find art you love and shop high-quality art prints, photographs, framed artworks and posters at Art.com. 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