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The Wave Organ is a subtle exhibition unique to San Francisco. It is located
just past the Golden Gate Yacht Club along the Marina, on a small peninsula that
runs parallel to the yacht docks. At the end of the thin dirt road on this
narrow jetty about seven hundred feet from the yacht club parking lot is an
outcropping of tastefully jumbled stone and marble slabs. Twenty-five different
pipes protrude from the cracks of this rough patio. These act as speakers
through which one can listen to an eerie yet soothing musical sound produced by
the waves. The pipes run under the land and come out in various parts of the
waters edge. The tides, therefore, are continuously changing the sound
patterns.
I have strong memories of coming here as a child on wind-blown, sunny days.
The jetty is made up of pieces from a destroyed cemetery, and the strange
architecture of the Wave Organ with its benches of engraved granite and carved
pillars enchanted me with its resemblance to a coastal ruin. Listening to the
sound of the waves through the variety of pipes requires a calm and quiet
manner, but even when I was young this was never difficult for me, given the
mystery and excitement of the spot. I now recognize the Wave Organ to be an art
piece. Indeed, it is owned and was created in the 80s by the Exploratorium, San
Francisco's own museum of art, science and human perception.
The Wave Organ is such an appealing and atypical place that it's hard to
believe it's not constantly overrun with people. Actually, it's hardly ever
crowded, and as surprising as it is there are San Francisco natives who don't
know about this site. It is the perfect location for a picnic on the bay.
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