The Sutro Baths were officially opened in 1896. Adolph Sutro, mayor of San Francisco created the project that was the largest indoor baths at that time.The baths had seven pools, all but one fed with ocean salt water of varying temperatures. The building was styled similar to a large conservatory with intricate iron framework and hundreds of thousands of panes of crystal glass.
Sutro was a populist and wanted his facility to be accessible to all. Entrance included use of a suit, locker and of the amenities on site. The building had 500
changing booths.
The decor was ornate Victorian with Grecian influences. The building held a large population of palm trees, ferns and other plants.
The baths also had a theater, multiple restaurants, automata displays, mummies and many other strange and exotic items on display.
The baths were a marvel at their time. Recreating them today would be a monumental and expensive
task. This makes their creation in the late 1890's even more amazing.Find out more about the Sutro Baths at these websites.
Historysmith.com
Western Neighborhoods Project
SutroBaths.com
1897 Edison Mfg. film of the baths
