Eras of the Golden Gate Bridge
Trace the Golden Gate Bridge story across 8 defining eras, from the first proposals in the 1870s through modern-day preservation and reimagining.
The bridge cemented its place in global popular culture through countless films, photographs, and postcards, becoming arguably the most photographed man-made structure...
Financed by a $35 million bond issue sold during the darkest years of the Great Depression, construction began on January 5, 1933....
After decades of debate and controversy, construction of a stainless steel suicide deterrent net finally began, representing a profound shift in how...
On May 27, 1937, roughly 200,000 pedestrians streamed across the bridge on its first public day, and it opened to automobile traffic...
A massive seismic retrofit program costing over $400 million reinforced the bridge’s ability to withstand a major earthquake on the nearby San...
Postwar suburbanization in Marin County sent traffic surging far beyond original projections, transforming the bridge from an engineering marvel into a daily...
Joseph Strauss, a tenacious engineer known for building drawbridges, launched an obsessive campaign to make the bridge a reality. He faced fierce...
For decades, the idea of spanning the Golden Gate strait was dismissed as engineering fantasy. Railroad magnate Charles Crocker floated the concept...