Sutro baths are a series of abandoned indoor salty water pools at the shore of San Francisco Bay. Sutro Baths were constructed in1894, by a wealthy former mayor Adolph Sutro to provide cheaper alternatives of recreation to the people of San Francisco.

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What are the stories behind Sutro Baths?

Sutro Baths were constructed in the year 1894 by Adolph Sutro (a wealthy former mayor) his motivation to build Sutro Baths was to create a place where residents of San Francisco could enjoy at cheaper prices. Sutro Baths had 6 mega pools and 1 freshwater pool with each varying in temperatures. The roof was made of classy glass that gave it glamor during the day when hit by sun rays. Over the years, Sutro Baths became one of the best and cheapest recreation facilities in the region. On top of that, it had railroads that transported visitors to the bay to get a taste of the famous Sutro Baths. Years later Adolph Sutro died and the pools together with his other properties were inherited by his family. The family in the next few years struggled to manage Sutro Baths as its maintenance proved to be a daunting task. At a time, a section of the pool was turned into an ice-skating rink to help generate extra revenue to maintain the complex. Adolph’s family sold the property a few months after it closed.

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Final days of Sutro Baths

Sutro Baths offered cheap services to the public and this made it end up making losses in the long run. After the death of Adolph Sutro, the family took over the property but were unable to maintain it for long. Due to its large size, it meant that almost half of its revenue would go into its management and maintenance. Since it offered cheap services, the revenue collected was not enough to carry out the maintenance. The family, therefore, opted to turn a section of the pools into an ice-skating rink in an effort of generating extra revenue. This effort also failed since Sutro Baths’ popularity dwindled with the death of its wealthy owner. Adolph Sutro’s family finally gave up on the property and sold it to a local real estate developer. The new owners had plans of turning the property into an apartment complex but later gave up after a fire outbreak that destroyed a large portion of the building disrupted their demolition process.

What is the current situation of Sutro Baths?

The fire outbreak destroyed the whole roof of the complex which left its wall standing in ruins. Sutro Baths are now empty pond-like structures full of dirty water. You can visit Sutro baths at any moment at zero charges as the San Francisco City Guides offer free tours all around Sutro Heights Park.