San Francisco, California

Sweeney Observatory Site

Barely visible foundations remain where Stow Lake’s “observatory” once welcomed visitors

Architectural Oddities, Incredible Ruins

Vintage postcard showing Sweeney Observatory atop Strawberry Hill
| Copyright: Public Domain
Cracks in the foundation
Photo by Annetta Black/Atlas Obscura
Red foundation stones are all that remain of Sweeney Observatory
Photo by Annetta Black/Atlas Obscura
Remnants of the reflecting pond
Photo by Annetta Black/Atlas Obscura
1906 earthquake damage to Sweeney Observatory
Photo by Stoddard collection, Southern Methodist University, Central University Libraries, DeGolyer Library | Copyright: Public Domain
1906 earthquake damage to Sweeney Observatory
Photo by Stoddard collection, Southern Methodist University, Central University Libraries, DeGolyer Library | Copyright: Public Domain

Contributors: Rachel, Annetta

At the center of Stow Lake, a small hill offers fantastic views of western San Francisco.

A perfect place for a picnic lunch, the park’s earliest days revolved around Sweeney’s Observatory which stood on this lovely spot until it was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. The Colosseum-like structure was built in 1891 as a picturesque vista point (rather than an astronomical observatory) accessible by carriage ride for day-trippers and picnickers alike.

Today, only the barest traces of possible foundation stones can be discerned, all other traces of the building are sadly long gone. The earthquake of 1906 took out the observatory (along with many other structures around the park), and was never rebuilt. It still remains a lovely spot for a picnic.