For those of us who weren't around in San Francisco when the Sutro Baths weren't just ruins, it's kind of hard to imagine that there was actually a huge attraction like it on Ocean Beach. If only there were a time machine where we could see the former public bathhouse – which covered three acres, used water from Ocean Beach, and could fit 10,000 people at once – up close and personal, and swim inside of it. We can enjoy photos and even video of its past glory (really, watch the video of the 50-foot toboggan slide that was inside of it!), and now, we can actually see this footage of when it burned down in 1966:
Posted by the Western Neighborhoods Project, this 48-year-old, three-minute video of the Baths' final moments on June 26, 1966 was originally shot on 8mm film by Joel Springer. When this fire happened, the Baths were already closed for two years; in its last iteration, the building was used as an ice-skating rink until 1964. And before the burning devastation, there were actually plans to build high-rise apartments at this location, which the city dropped after the fire. Imagine that eyesore that could've been the next time you're enjoying a gorgeous sunset sinking over Ocean Beach.
[Via: Curbed SF; Richmond SF Blog; Western Neighborhoods Project]