|
Victorian Cliff House
Although this grand structure burned down in 1907 it is fondly remembered in photographs and antique postcards. Fashioned after a French Chateau, it stood 8 stories and two hundred feet above the ocean. Although commonly thought to have been a hotel it actually was a dining establishment. |
|
Today's Cliff House Today's Cliff House was built in 1909 in a neoclassic design. It has undergone numerous renovations and remodelings. Today it is home to two restaurants and two bars. Breakfast is available from 8 A.M. at the Upstairs-at-the-Cliff House restaurant. The main dining room is open at 11 A.M. and specializes in seafood lunches and dinners. The Phineas T. Barnacle bar, situated in front of the main dining room, caters to a lively and active crowd. It looks out over Seal Rocks and northerly toward Marin Headlands. The Ben Butler bar is more subued and looks south along ocean beach. A deli, which serves prawns, sandwiches and chowder is available in both bar areas. |
|
|
Mussee Mechanique The Musee Mecanique, was located in the basement of the Cliff House, one flight of steps down from Point Lobos Avenue was a vast collection of antique coin-operated mechanical arcade games and musical instruments. One of the earliest gaming arcades in California, many of these nineteenth-century machines were originally located at Sutro Baths and Playland. They are currently located on Fisherman's Wharf. Open everyday from 11 AM to 7 PM, admission is free. |
|
Giant Camera (Camera Obscura) The Camera Obscura at the Cliff House has been billed as "The World's Largest Camera." This ancent form of camera was the technological foundation of modern photography. The camera's viewing aperature pivots 360° every minute to display a live-action panoramic image on a 5-foot plus parabolic screening table. Inside the darkened room you are literally standing inside a giant camera. A very unique experience and a great way to view Seal Rocks. |
|
