Palace of Fine Arts - in Culture

In Culture

The dome of the Palace of Fine Arts just outside the Exploratorium and the adjacent lagoon have often been used as backdrops.

Film

• Vertigo (1958) - Alfred Hitchcock's classic psychological thriller about a police detective who has acrophobia.
• Time After Time (1979) - Several scenes including one between (Malcolm McDowell) and (Mary Steenburgen) as well as the climax stand off with (David Warner).
• Jagged Edge (1985) - Briefly seen in a scenic view out a window in a home.
• Kuffs (1992) - Christian Slater begrudgingly leaves a taxi in the city's Marina neighborhood, a prominent shot of the Palace of Fine Arts behind him.
• So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) - Mike Myers and Nancy Travis take a scenic walk on their first date, where they encounter Russian sailors at the Palace of Fine Arts.
• The Rock (1996) - FBI agent Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage) goes to confront John Mason (Sean Connery) during daylight, who is speaking with his estranged daughter (Claire Forlani) in the dome.
• The Other Sister (1999) - Juliette Lewis has a conversation with mother Diane Keaton near the dome before running off to feed the ducks on the palace's lake shore.
• The Bachelor (1999) - With a helpful priest (James Cromwell) by his side, reluctant groom Jimmy Shannon (Chris O'Donnell) has an epiphany while sitting in a canoe on the palace's lake.
• Bicentennial Man (1999) - Andrew (Robin Williams) and Portia (Embeth Davidtz) take a stroll in the park, discussing the limitations of their relationship. The Palace of Fine Arts is seen in a CG-composited shot at the beginning of the scene.
• The Room (2003) - Shots of the Palace of Fine Arts are used in the film's opening and as transitions between scenes. This location is otherwise not featured in the film and is seemingly unrelated to the plot but for a brief scene in which Johnny (Tommy Wiseau) is seen to walk past it.
• Twisted (2004) - Police officer Ashley Judd finds herself being stalked in a foggy scene throughout the dome.

My Name Is Khan (2010 Bollywood Film)

Television

• The Streets of San Francisco - In the episode, The Set-Up, a hit-man leads a blind bar owner through the grounds at night as Stone and Keller trail behind.
• Monk - In the episode Mr. Monk Goes to the Ballgame, Adrian Monk and his trusty assistant Sharona take a casual walk through the Palace of Fine Arts.
• Nash Bridges - The landscape and its surrounding neighborhood were occasionally featured in episodes of the Don Johnson cop series.
• Charmed—In Season 6 episode Chris-Crossed, the Palace serves as spot for the magical couple Chris Halliwell and Bianca. It was here that, in the Dark Future, Chris proposed to Bianca before he time traveled to save his brother, Wyatt.
• Journeyman (TV series)—In the episode Game Three, Dan Vasser winds up at the Palace of Fine Arts many times when he travels back in time to the day of the Loma Prieta earthquake
• Late Show with David Letterman—Show travels to San Francisco May 6–10, 1996 for a week long broadcast from the Palace of Fine Arts Theater.

Video games

• Sim City 2000, Sim City 3000 Unlimited, and Sim City 4 feature this building as an optional landmark.
• Midtown Madness 2 shows the Palace of fine arts nearby the Golden Gate Bridge.

Fiction

• In S.M. Stirling's alternate history book, Conquistador, the Gate Control Commission headquarters contains an exact replica of the rotunda of the Palace of Fine Arts—but constructed in stone, or at least faced in stone.