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This Memorial Day weekend, the Golden Gate Bridge turns 88! Here are ways to celebrate:

Visit the Bridge

Take Golden Gate Transit Routes 101, 130, or 150 to the Bridge. There is so much to do, like exploring the on-site exhibits, taking a selfie in front of the spectacular 746-foot towers, or walking across the 1.7-mile span. Please note that on weekends and holidays, the Welcome Center and Vista Point parking lots are closed. We recommend taking transit, parking in the Presidio, or riding your bike.

Visit the Bridge… Virtually

If you cannot make it to the Golden Gate Bridge, our website provides virtual tours of the exhibits, as well as technical and historical information that you will find very interesting. You can also watch our YouTube channel for videos about how the Bridge was built and how we keep it standing strong today.

 

 

Share your Bridge Anniversary Story

Tell us about a time you celebrated the Bridge anniversary on social media. Whether you watched the fireworks on the 75^th, or walked across (or tried to…) on the 50^th, or even if you - or a person you know - was there on opening day in 1937! We would love to hear from you and feature your story. Tag us using the handle @GoldenGateBridgeDistrict 

A Brief History...

Bridge construction began on January 5, 1933. By the end of that year, the Marin tower construction started. A year later, the San Francisco tower construction started, after completion of the complex fender wall in the middle of the Golden Gate Strait.

By August 1935, Bay Area residents could see the first main cable linking the North Bay to San Francisco.

In November 1936, two sections of the Bridge's main span were joined in the middle. A brief ceremony marked the occasion when groups from San Francisco and Marin met and exchanged remarks at the center of the span.

It would take a few more months to complete the roadway and open the Bridge to the public. On May 27, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge opened to the public. The Fiesta began at 6:00 am with Pedestrian Day – the entire roadway was opened exclusively to pedestrians from dawn to dusk. By 6:00 am, it is estimated that 18,000 people were waiting to cross! An estimated 15,000 visitors an hour passed the turnstiles in a steady stream, each paying 25 cents to cross.

The Fiesta’s second day would be for automobiles. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt pressed a telegraph key in the White House declaring the span open to the entire world!