San Francisco: Exhibition planned for Golden Gate Bridge, recipient of $3 million grant

Sure, the Golden Gate Bridge is awe-inspiring, but what is it really all about? If you’re interested in the inner and outer works of the bridge, as well as its past, you will soon—well, in a couple years or so—be able to indulge your curiosities through an outdoor exhibit planned for the tourist landmark.

Earlier this week, the National Science Foundation granted the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District $3 million to build educational exhibits related to the San Francisco icon’s history and engineering.

At the south side visitor area, which sees over 10 million annual visitors, a central feature of the exhibit will be a 92-foot-long scale model of the bridge. Next to that will be 24 interactive satellite exhibits, where you might learn, among other facts and figures,  that 250 pairs of vertical suspender ropes hold up the roadway that you see.

Aiming to “engage and surprise visitors with how enjoyably and easily they can explore science, engineering, and historical topics,” according to a news release, the exhibits will be accessible to visitors of various ages and people with disabilities.

Installation of the exhibits will begin in 2011. Officials of the bridge district are hoping for completion in May 2012, which will mark the bridge’s 75th anniversary, reported the San Francisco Chronicle.

—Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

Photo:The Golden Gate Bridge at dusk, with San Francisco in the background. Credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press

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This entry was posted on Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 4:29 pm by Susan Derby and is filed under California, News, Tips & Advice, Northern California, San Francisco. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.