About the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre

Dating back to 1915, the Panama Pacific International Exposition was a world’s fair that was held in San Francisco, CA in what is now known as the Marina District, and it lasted from February 20th to December 4th, 1915. The original purpose of the fair was to celebrate the Panama Canal being finished, but the city saw it as a way to show how far it had recovered from the massive fire and earthquake that happened in 1906. Most of the buildings during the fair weren’t intended to be permanent, but the citizens of San Francisco thought that the Palace Of Fine Arts Theatre was too beautiful to tear down. The architect who designed the building with inspiration from Roman ruins, named Bernard R. Maybeck, stated that he designed the building with the intention for it to fall into ruin on its own. In the following years, the building was used for multiple different purposes; during World War II it was a storage depot for the military, used as a warehouse for the Parks Department, and it was even temporary headquarters for the fire department.

Despite being loved and well used over the decades, the building wasn’t meant to last, but that didn’t stop people from trying to keep it standing. In 1959, an assemblyman named Caspar Weinberger tried to rally everyone together and lead an effort to restore the Palace to its former glory. There was a lot of money needed to be raised to rebuild the Palace, and even though Caspar had both public and private funding underway, they weren’t going to make the cut; until Walter S. Johnson, a businessman and philanthropist, donated the remaining amount needed of two million dollars. After being fully restored, the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre finally opened in 1970.

There is typically always an event in place, be it a private event, a wedding, corporate event, or one that the Palace itself is hosting, such as the 34th Annual San Francisco Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival.

About the Hotel

Located 3.7 miles (27 minutes) away from the Palace is the Soma Park Inn – Civic Center. Soma Park Inn offers nothing but the best to ensure comfort and relaxation for their guests while on their trip; for instance, in each of their rooms you will find comfortable beds with soft linens, and the room also features an in-room coffee maker, complimentary WiFi, direct dial phones, a refrigerator, a microwave, and a flat-screen TV with premium cable channels. The hotel has a 24-hour front desk staff service, and fax service available for guests. Book your room and find the best affordable rates at SoMa Park Inn – Civic Center today.