The iconic restaurant once enjoyed by Mark Twain was hit hard by Covid. The owners struggled to keep the former Cliff House open. They closed temporarily in July of 2020. When they couldn’t reach an agreement on a new lease with the National Park Service, they closed for good on December 31st that same year.
The former Cliff House Gift Shop reopened as The Museum at The Cliff In October 2021. The pop-up museum dedicated to the history of Cliff House and Sutro Baths features more than one hundred Historic art and artifacts from the Cliff House.
Last month, the museum expanded into what used to be the Cliff House restaurant with a special exhibition. Naiad Cove is an immersive experience of photographs, projections, simulations and sound installations that takes visitors on a journey through the history of the area known as Lands End. Executive Director of the Western Neighborhoods Project, Nicole Meldahl, is one of the curators of Naiad Cove.
Nicole Meldahl said, "The most special thing about this exhibition is just getting to spend time in the Cliff House. At no point in its history have guests been invited in, without payment, to just sit there and enjoy the view. We also have a ton of kids activities, this is a family friendly space.”
This week, the museum announced special evening events, including History Happy Hours and Curator Tours.
The Museum at The Cliff is free and open to the public Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00am to 5:00pm through August 21st.