Wave Organ

This place is beautiful but when I came here with my friends it was low tied so we could not here a single thing. Never the less it is a beautiful spot for pictures and just to hang out and enjoy the view.

This place was a little hard to find but that’s what make adventures more fun.
The Unilocal address will take you directly across from where you need to be but from that address there’s no way of getting across. We parked passing the light house looking structure past a building that I believe is for Yacht club members to eat.
Very and windy but beautiful view! Honestly the pictures make it look way bigger than it is but it does have a small beach that we saw quite a few of dog owners with dogs.

I don’t really get this thing. I saw a YouTube video about the Wave Organ being this great invention and even calling it a ‘phenomenon’. The sounds of the organ displayed on the video were loud and gurgling and it looked like a natural sort of organ powered by waves. I’ve heard it’s supposed to be better during high tide but I’ve never heard anything whenever I’ve been there.
If you are into acoustic design or weird art you might like it but other than that I’d give it a pass.
It’s definitely a beautiful walk with great views of Alcatraz but if you are looking for something interesting and different it falls short of expectation.

This is a neat installment at the end of a lonely pier behind the yacht club. If you’re riding across the Golden Gate Bridge, it’s an easy stop across from the Palace of Fine Arts and about a 5 minute bike ride. It’s hard to find, because there’s no signs and (when we went) no people gathering, but just go out as faaaar as you can and it’s there. It’s really neat, and during high tide you can hear the waves through the many different pipes sticking out among the pier.
A fun and different site to see in San Francisco, defintely make this a stop.

I can’t give a proper review of this because we were there during the airshow. Although the planes above were very loud, there were moments where no planes flew and we tried to hear the sounds of the wave organ and we couldn’t quite hear it.
However, I do think that it is a great place for a view of the San Francisco bay as well as the Bay Bridge.
I definitely want to try to come another time to hear these wave organs!

A little bit underwhelming, to say the least. We walked all the way out on the part of the marina where is was located, expect there to be some sort of aural phenomenon that could actually be appreciated. In fact, you had to put your ear up directly to the pipe to hear anything. Maybe it used to be better. Maybe it’s better at high tide? Or maybe the idea is only theoretical. I don’t know, but what I saw/​heard is not really worth coming out here. The best part was some guy who was jumping from rock to rock on a BMX bike. Now that was something.

This place is a lot smaller than it looked in the pictures. I imagined something big to explore like lands end, but it end up looking like a kiddie play structure. I thought the idea was very cool, but I honestly did not hear anything different and was kind of disappointed that I went out of my way for it.
The area itself is pretty to look at since you can see most of sf and the bay. It’s at the very end of a path and you have to walk down a few steps to get to it, but really there’s not much of it. I went around 7ish in the evening and it got pretty cold there so make sure to bring a jacket if you decide to check it this out.
I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way for this, but if you’re in the area it’s nice to check out. Just keep your expectations low.

This is a really weird and wonderful place. Don’t expect lots of sound unless you are there at high tide on an inclement day. Do expect beauty and wonder. Romantic, contemplative, original. Worth it.
One of the most wonderful things about it is that much of the stone was reclaimed from an old cemetary. Wow.

Nice view… Just that!
You can see the city skyline, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island. It’s a really peaceful place and good to take some pics.
Unfortunately, It’s too small facing the long way you need to cross to get there… It’s worth it only if you are already near the area, otherwise don’t go just to see the wave organ.
Do some research about the tides, only during high tides you can listen to it!

The wave organ is a system of pipes under a small platform which carry the sound of the waves passing through the pipes underneath you to the surface. It’s an interesting concept, but it’s not as elegant as it sounds. To hear it, you just need to put your head close to the pipes which stick out from the structure. You need to come here at high tide; apparently you have to go at just the right time actually hear anything interesting. I heard some gurgling at one point, but other than that I couldn’t hear anything.
The walk to the site itself is probably more interesting than the actual thing. There are some great views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the city skyline, Alcatraz, and boats passing by.

I must call BS on «music» coming from the Wave Organ.
I’m not sure what I was supposed to hear. I’m still not. I figured the water would push air through a narrowing fluted pipe much like the bellows of a pipe organ. The result would be similar to a grunting organ or at worst, someone with a sinus problem wheezing to breathe.
What I ended up hearing were a couple water-​gulping chugs and feedback like holding a seashell to the ear. You can easily recreate this lackluster experience at home by buying 4-​inch PVC drainage pipe from Home Depot and dipping the end into a bucket of water. For more entertainment, tap the side of the pipe with a stick to pretend you’re a member of the Blue Man Group.
Built in 1986, some write that it is no longer working, but that’s hard to believe because it was restored in 2010. Some write to come at high tide for the greatest effect. We came at 3:00pm — which we confirmed the next day at the Exploratorium it was close to high tide. Just looking at the height of the water compared to the breakwater, the level was high, but it didn’t seem to create much sound. The hum of seaplanes flying around the bay created more noise than the Wave Organ.
That location has a wonderful view, but there are plenty of those in San Francisco and what makes the city one of the prettiest in the world. If you still dare to go, park next to the St. Francis Yacht Club and take the half-​mile walk to the peninsula.

Cool little area at the end of the jetty. Look much larger in photos than it actually is. It was low tide when I went so I didn’t here anyhow from them. The structure is pretty cool but had more fun looking for crabs on the rocks and walking on the sanded area around the wave organ. I wouldn’t go out of your way to see it.

The address is correct but it’ll lead you to the parking lot along Marina Blvd and Scott St.
And from there, you have to walk less than a mile. But if you are lazy, we noticed that there is parking along Yatch Rd or Lyon Street heading towards the Wave Organ.
If you’re around the Marina, check this place out! Quite interesting.
It’s an acoustic sculpture and there are pipelines that interact with the waves.
So it’s better during high tides.
It’s near Crissy Field and it has a perfect view of the GG Bridge.
Depending on the time and day, it can be breezy so bring a jacket.

Cool idea but didn’t work for us. WTF? Regardless, it was still worth the time to have the adventure to see it. We added it to one of the stops on our family bike ride.
From Wikipedia:
The Wave Organ is an acoustic sculpture constructed on the shore of San Francisco Bay in May 1986 by the Exploratorium. Through a series of pipes, the wave organ interacts with the waves of the bay and conveys their sound to listeners at several different stations. The effects produced vary depending on the level of the tide but include rumbles, gurgles, sloshes, hisses, and other more typical wave sounds. The structure incorporates stone platforms and benches where visitors may sit near the mouths of pipes, listening.
The Wave Organ is located at the end of a spit of land extending from the Golden Gate Yacht Club. The stone pieces used in its construction were salvaged from the demolition of the Laurel Hill Cemetery in San Francisco. Exploratorium artist in residence Peter Richards conceived and designed the organ, working with sculptor and mason George Gonzales.
There is a panoramic view of the city across the narrow channel into the St. Francis and Golden Gate yacht clubs, bounded on the left by the Fort Mason piers and to the right by a towering eucalyptus grove bordering Crissy Field. The Marina Green park lies directly across, just beyond a stone sea wall.[citation needed]
The Wave Organ includes 25 PVC organ pipes and is dedicated to Frank Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer was the Founding Director of the Exploratorium, led the fundraising efforts for the Wave Organ, and he died seven months before construction started.

Hidden Gem in San Francisco ! the best views of the Golden gate and the city from the same spot !
Make sure to check High tide times before you make your way there thats when the sounds are best heard… Its serene !

Talk about amazing works of art! This is such a neat place to visit! I suggest before visiting, you check out the times for the tide, because then you can really get the feel for the organ made by the waves! You will have to take a bit of a walk to get out to the organ but it is amazing and worth the walk. Also, depending on the weather, you will probably want to have a jacket or something to keep the chill off. Enjoy the music and maybe even leave a love note in the holes hidden around for the ocean to take away at high tide!

I wrote a great review and made the mistake of using a bad character that I caught too late after clicking.
Now my great review is gone.
So there that is. Thanks Unilocal.I guess the save button is just for kicks and giggles.

A great place to hang out and take a walk with friends!
There should be plenty of parking if you come here at the right time. We came on a Saturday for the sunset (windy and cold!!) and found street parking, but it looks like there was a lot more parking in the lot on the way.
It was a nice walk down the beach and great views.

This is such a cool place to visit! It’s a little walk from the parking lot (which is free). My friend (who I came here with) was the one who told me about this place. It’s on the side passed the yachts area and the country club.
When we got there, I was a little disappointed because it was smaller than I thought. It was cool though. There are benches made out of the Wave Organ where you could sit and just enjoy the view! You can see the beach from the Wave Organ and it’s such a pretty sight!
It was a little disappointing when we realized that the Wave Organs really work during high tides, which is usually during the afternoon so we were a little too early for that.
But overall, I do recommend this place because it’s super cool! I’ll be back next time to hear those waves clashing into the organs!

I was looking for something interesting and free to do in San Francisco and I found it here. This is a gorgeous piece of both art and sound located at the very tip of the islet, just past the yacht club. There are loads of pipes that lead from the SF bay up into your ears as you sit on a built in bench or crouch down to the ground to hear the waves. It’s a very peaceful spot in the city that not many seem to frequent.
It is by the bay itself though, so bring a jacket against the cold wind, bring a book if you’ve got some time to kill, and enjoy the wonderfulness that is San Francisco.