Outside Lands San Francisco

Nicole and Arnold dig into the history of the MacArthur Tunnel, which connects the west side to the Golden Gate Bridge by running through the Presidio.

Winter rains have arrived, but we're hoping for something different. So we're repodcasting this week with this classic episode about the times when snow has fallen in San Francisco.

Meet (or re-meet) Chelsea Sellin, WNP's Director of Programs and newest employee. Chelsea chats with Nicole about her background, their origin story, what's going on right now at WNP, and what they're looking forward to in 2023.

Nicole and Arnold explore the long history of San Francisco National Cemetery. Located in the Presidio, it is one of only two final resting places still active on the west side.

It's time for the fourth (and final) installment in our history of the Great Highway. Join Nicole and Arnold for the journey from WWII to today. And if you need to catch up with Parts 1-3, check out Podcasts #468, #470, and #475.

Arnold Woods chats with Woody LaBounty about the process of creating a historical landmark; then they go over some recently-designated west side landmarks: City Cemetery, Trocadero Clubhouse, and the Ingleside Terraces Sundial.

Buckle up as Nicole and Arnold unpack the fascinating history of 46 Cook Street and the lives of the people who called it home.

Nicole & Arnold deep-dive into one of Golden Gate Park's earliest man-made water features, Alvord Lake, and the nearby and quite unique Alvord Bridge.

Special guest and author Lloyd Kahn joins the podcast this week to talk about growing up in West Portal.

We previously told the story of the GGIE's Art in Action, now Nicole and Arnold dig a little deeper into Diego Rivera's masterpiece, Pan American Unity.

Nicole and Arnold dive in to our third installment on the history of the Great Highway, taking us from the 1910s into midcentury. For Parts One and Two, see Podcast #468 and Podcast #470.

Since we just had the anniversary of the Broderick-Terry Duel on September 13, we're repodcasting this classic episode. In 1859, a California State Supreme Court Judge and a United States Senator fought a duel beside Lake Merced. Here's the story, and its importance to local and national politics.

We welcome special guest Reino Niemela, Jr. His father was the artist and designer responsible for all the hand-painted signage at Playland at the Beach from the 1930s until it closed in 1972.

Part 2 of Nicole & Arnold's conversation with people who visited Playland before it was town down in 1972.

Playland closed 50 years ago this weekend, so Nicole & Arnold talk with people who visited there in their youth. Part 1 of a two-part Podcast.

The first African-American heavyweight boxing champion made Ocean Beach his headquarters for a few years, including while training for the "Fight of the Century."

We resume our Great Highway story, covering the 1890s into the first two decades of the 20th century. You could say this period was when the Great Highway really came into its own. It was during this time, that several iconic landmarks made their first appearances, including the rise of Carville.

Special guest, Robert Thomson joins Nicole in conversation about his responsibilities as Federal Preservation Officer and that of his organization, the Presidio Trust.

Eight (eight!) years ago, in episode #77, we did our first podcast on the Great Highway. Now we're back and chock-full of even more history. This week, Nicole and Arnold take a deeper look at the Great Highway and its early beginnings.

In 1969, Chet Helms opened a new music venue called the Family Dog. Located in the building formerly known as the Ocean Beach Pavilion and later, Topsy's Roost, the Family Dog featured performances by bands that epitomized the late 60s/early 70s like the Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, Santana, and more.

This week, Woody LaBounty makes a glorious return to the pod to talk about his origin story and time since handing over the reins nearly two years ago, to current WNP Executive Director and your podcast host, Nicole Meldahl.

In 1913, the Pacific Coast Swimming Championships were held on the West Side. Can you guess who was the superstar athlete and toast of the 1912 Olympics who dominated the meet? This week, Nicole and Arnold describe the exciting competition at, surprise, the Sutro Baths.

To celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, post-Civil War San Francisco in 1876 was ready to party. Celebration events were held throughout the young City and even on the West Side.

The Museum at the Cliff has reopened! There's even more Cliff House and Sutro Baths ephemera on display and has expanded beyond its Gift Shop exhibit space and into former restaurant. John Lindsey of The Great Highway Gallery, joins the pod along with photographers, Dave Glass and Rob Brodman, to talk about the new photography exhibition in the Cliff House restaurant.

In 1897, John Harris filed suit against the Sutro Baths for race discrimination. Learn about this early case that happened decades before the Civil Rights Act of 1964.