Huntington Park and the Fountain of the Tortoises: The Roman Replica

Why is it significant?

Stroll onto the manicured gravel pathways of Huntington Park, an elegant one-block oasis of classical peace framed by Grace Cathedral and the Pacific-Union Club. This high parcel was originally occupied by the lavish Italianate mansion of Collis P.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Stroll onto the manicured gravel pathways of Huntington Park, an elegant one-block oasis of classical peace framed by Grace Cathedral and the Pacific-Union Club. This high parcel was originally occupied by the lavish Italianate mansion of Collis P. Huntington, one of the 'Big Four' railroad tycoons who built the Central Pacific Railroad. Following the 1906 earthquake, Huntington's widow Arabella donated the valuable real estate to the City of San Francisco under the strict condition that it remain forever an open public park for children, residents, and visitors.

In the center of the park stands its crowning artistic jewel: the Fountain of the Tortoises, an exquisite marble and bronze fountain gifted to the city in 1954 by the Crocker family. This stunning work is an exact full-scale reproduction of Rome's celebrated sixteenth-century Fontana delle Tartarughe in the Piazza Mattei, designed by Giacomo della Porta and sculpted by Taddeo Landini. Four slender bronze youths balance gracefully upon leaping dolphins, guiding bronze tortoises over the upper marble rim as water splashes into the basin.

Look south across California Street to the imposing brownstone mansion of the Pacific-Union Club. Built in 1886 for silver king James Clair Flood, it was the only private residence on Nob Hill to survive the 1906 earthquake, protected by its thick exterior walls of fireproof Connecticut brownstone. Taking time to observe these surroundings reveals layers of cultural perseverance, artistic brilliance, and civic pride that continue to inspire residents and travelers alike. Taking time to observe these surroundings reveals layers of cultural perseverance, artistic brilliance, and civic pride that continue to inspire residents and travelers alike. Taking time to observe these surroundings reveals layers of cultural perseverance, artistic brilliance, and civic pride that continue to inspire residents and travelers alike.

On foggy afternoons, the park takes on an ethereal, timeless beauty as the church bells of Grace Cathedral echo across the manicured boxwood hedges.

Walk north along Taylor Street to Clay Street, enjoying the breathtaking descent down toward Chinatown and North Beach.