There aren’t many man-made structures in the world that are as iconic as the Golden Gate Bridge. This feat of engineering was constructed over a mere four years from January 5, 1933 to the date of its opening: May 28th, 1937, but the dream of spanning the massive Golden Gate Strait had been long on the minds of men in San Francisco for well over a century they say. Good on ya, boys! However, with big dreams come even bigger consequences: Eleven men died during the construction of this thirty-five million dollar bridge. The cost to construct a new Golden Gate Bridge in this day and age would be approximately $1.2 billion dollars. Well, that’s just kind of insane.

San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge used to be the longest span in the world at 4,200 feet until New York’s Verrazano Narrows Bridge came along in 1964 and stole GGB’s thunder. Not cool, NY! We’re coming for you! The Verrazano is only sixty feet longer, but it too got over-shadowed by another great bridge, the Humber Bridge, in the UK. Reap what you sow my friends. Reap what you sow…

But hey! This isn’t some kind of wacky bridge competition! Everyone knows that size doesn’t really matter, amiright? So, let’s have a look at what makes the Golden Gate Bridge so darn awesome. Sure it’s iconic, but what else do we know about this guy?

The Golden Gate Low-Down

Fun fact: The Golden Gate Bridge is not just a bridge. There’s something for everyone here! For instance, The Bridge Pavilion has a wonder shop with all kinds of bridge-related paraphernalia and historical information of the construction of this beaut. Open from 9-6 everyday, the Pavilion is the first on-site centre that is dedicated to telling the riveting stories of the Gold Gate Bridge. Speaking of riveting, did you know that each tower has 600,000 rivets holding the structure together?! If that’s not riveting, I don’t know what is. But I digress.

Exhibitionists Welcome

Well, more historical exhibitions that is. The rest of you can go to the local nude beaches. With the incredible outdoor exhibits, visitors to the Golden Gate Bridge can learn more about the history, science and the mastery of engineering of the Bridge’s construction through both interactive and stationery exhibits.

Walk Like a San Franciscan

If you’re truly interested in the history of the Golden Gate Bridge, there are free walking Bridge tours offered twice-weekly (Thursdays and Sundays) by San Francisco City Guides, a non-profit organization associated with the San Francisco Public Library. Keep in mind that roller skates, skateboards, electric scooters and wheelbarrows are NOT allowed on the Bridge sidewalks. You just leave that wheelbarrow at home now, Mister.

YUMS

What would a great bridge be without an even better café? Head on into the Bridge Café if you’re looking for a delicious and casual snack that won’t break the bank.

Be an Exploradora

Did you know that both ends of the Bridge touch the Golden Gate National Parks? Picturesque trail and vista points await you and your digital cameras. This is one of the world’s largest national parks located in an urban area. This is not to be missed! And once you’re sick of all the nature head into the San Fran centre for some craft beer and music.

Now it’s time for some super fun Bridge Facts:

1. The Golden Gate Bridge is NOT made from Gold. Nor is it painted a gold colour. It is the bright hue of “International Orange”. Initially the military wanted it be painted in stripes. That’s right. Stripes. This was due to the fear that Navy ships could get trapped in San Fran if the bridge was bombed or collapsed. The Navy pressed for the bridge to be painted in black and yellow stripes. The Army wants a festive hue of red and white. Thankfully neither of them had a say in the outcome! Orange you happy?
2. And speaking of orange the colour of the bridge wasn’t meant to be permanent. Irving Morrow, the consulting architect preferred the vivid hue of burnt red and orange to the more conventional paint choices. That’s just so bad-ass. The perks to the orange are that it’s highly visible in the fog and it complements the natural topography of the surrounding hills. Nice work, Morrow.
3. Chief engineer Joseph Strauss produced the bridge’s original design in 1921. Apparently it was a bit of a mess; a hybrid, quote-unquote upside-down rat trap and Strauss eventually agreed to scrap the design. While it was functional, nothing about “rat-trap” says “stylish” so he swallowed his pride and brought rival engineers onto the project in order to produce a beautiful suspension bridge design.
4. And last, but certainly not least, the Golden Gate Bridge remains the top suicide location in the world. The first of this kind of thing happened in August 1937 and there have been a total of 1500 people who have leapt from this bridge. Surprisingly, more than thirty people have survived the fall. There are currently eleven crisis telephones on the bridge and plans are in the works to build a net under the span to serve as a deterrent.

And there you have it, heaps of wonderful reasons to visit this iconic bridge, except for that last fun fact thank you very much. If you’re looking for a cheap way to get to San Francisco to check this bridge out with your own eyes, get in touch with us and we can hook you up with a free rental car. That’s a feat in itself, don’t you think? Register today and pick up your free rental tomorrow.