Ingleside Terraces Sundial

Being an SF native, I never knew of this landmark until SF Gate pegged it as one of the city’s hidden gems. Surprisingly, driving to this location, I was in my cousin’s neighborhood. I’m not even sure if he knows this is a few blocks away from his house! It is very discreet and surely a hidden gem. Built in 1913, this sundial was the largest in the world at the time. It’s refreshing to find a little piece of history right in the heart of a neighborhood that you may pass by frequently (SF State/​Stownstown). Pretty neat if you ask me!

Fifteen hundred people attended an opening ceremony on October 13, 1913, at Ingleside Terraces for the 28-​foot high marble and concrete building of the world’s largest sundial to commemorate the opening of the Panama Canal. (Courtesy Margie Whitnah.) Why a sundial? To show potential buyers they could leave the fog behind and move to a sunny suburb!

Five stars for the absurdity and juxtaposition. Minus two stars for the fact it’s surrounded by lots of grass and the sprinklers run often, about half of the water lands on the sidewalk and street. Ummm, drought anyone?
Just one of those funky little treasures hidden away around SF. Not the Doggie Diner head, but still somewhat whimsical.

Interesting local novelty. Very old I guess like since 1913 it says. Kinda not as well kept up but still doing pretty well and the surrounding area is nice.

Dogs should be on leash.

What a fun sculpture (?) to put in cul-​de-​sac instead of just a lawn. Super big and accurate. I’m not sure I would go out of my way to come here but if you’re nearby or passing through on your way to Stonestown Galleria it’s cool to stop by. It’s super quiet and peaceful. Only one other dog walker there when I stopped by.

A classic.
Dinged a star for not taking into account daylight savings.

Great Cul de Sac spot for a quick neighborhood walk with my dog.

I cannot believe how many reviews there are on this Sun Dial. It is a very good Sun Dial. When the sun is actually shining it can be used to predict the time with relative accuracy. Kids think its cool.

The sundial is located in a quaint circle in Ingleside. It’s really a site to see, especially for any friends visiting the city that might like a little SF flavor without going to Fisherman’s Wharf.
It’s too bad that the landscaping is unkempt; this place could be magical if it was.

We grew up close by — 94 127 representing :)
Why am I reviewing a sundial? Because I can, that’s why.
As kids, we took our bikes here, I actually would rollerblade sometimes but the little hill of Entrada Court for someone who doesn’t know how to stop on blades was pretty bloody courageous of my 9 year old self.
This sundial is awesome. Do bring little kids to check it out but it’s not some major tourist area so don’t hold expectations too high (unless a 5 year old is reading this).

I’m reviewing a sundial. So I am officially a fathead.
But I’m just going for it, because this little oasis in the Ingleside truly is worth a visit. I know, you’re like, «Why would I wander around looking for some boring sundial?» I can’t answer that for you. But you have your reasons.
Maybe you like to be in the know so you can go all Cliff Claven on your friends. Maybe you’re looking for a quiet place to sit on the grass and read a book and have grown weary of the junk slithering out of Speedos or crusty panhandling kids at your local park. Maybe you feel like you should get to know the Ingleside better because you’ve seen the name on the streetcar and have always wondered about it. Whatever your reasons, don’t be discouraged that it’s a little hard to find. When you get there, you’ll feel like Ponce de Leon.
My mom first took me here as a kid. She was a big fan of unexpected magic and special secrets. The sundial delivers on both fronts. It also tells time.

Like all the best things about San Francisco, this is wierd, out of the way, and somewhat pointless. Don’t miss it!

Some people claim that this is the biggest sundial in San Francisco. I don’t know if that’s true, but how many sundials are there in the city? Nonetheless, this one is pretty big. It’s kind of fun to see this random thing in the middle of a neighborhood.
The bf said he used the climb the sundial when he was a kid. A friend attempted and almost fell off… it was raining though. An attempt to climb the thing during the rain probably wasn’t smart, but I blame the bf who told us to «man up».

My childhood home is blocks away, and I rode my bike around this as achild too many time to count. It tells time *VERY* accurately, as well. Oh, Ingleside, how I love thee…

the sundial is actuallly pretty cool because it is acurate in telling the time=) we had a picnic on the benches today with our pb&j sandwiches. And with the sun shining on our backs, it became a perfect day!

Oh man, how can one NOT love this place? It brings back so many childhood memories.
My cousins and I used to play lots of sports, and on the weekends we’d either play volleyball, rollerblade, swim or bike together. Imagine our adolescent selves when we «discovered» this place.
I used to always think to myself that it must suck to live here because you constantly have people coming to gawk at the damn thing, but I suppose it’s also nice because it’s in a secluded area.
I’ll forever remember climbing up this thing trying to see how far i’d get.
P. S. One time, at band camp, nah just kidding. But in all seriousness, one time I was here with someone while they drunk. He tried to be macho and climb up the sundial and fell. btw, it was very late at night and semi-​moist/​dewey from fog. He now has a scar and hates my guts.

Definately the coolest sundial around!

Located at Entrada Court @ Borica off Urbano Street Ingleside
Imagine Infodiva age seven riding her bike to the Sundial. We would ride around and around on the circular street. Sometimes we would see how high we could ascend up the dial.
Unless you live near Ocean Avenue, or read a rare reference about it, there’s a good chance you don’t know that a big white sun dial exists.
The secret: On October 13, 1913, fifteen hundred people attended the opening ceremony for this twenty-​eight foot marble and concrete gnomon. It was to become the focal point of its own park and Ingleside Terraces.
Oddly, the party for this sun-​dependent clock was conducted at night. The timing had various symbolic reasons. That week the Atlantic and Pacific oceans kissed for the first time at the Panama Canal. It celebrated the planned opening of San Francisco’s Twin Peaks Tunnel, whose fast, reliable, and clean streetcar line was designed to serve people living away from the downtown area. Muni K Ingleside can take you here. And it was a romantic setting that would appeal to any young couple considering a new house.
Because it stands within the original circular configuration of where the Ingleside Race Track operated between 1895 – 1905, a bogus story took root that the monument was an ornament left over from the track’s heyday. Many people believed the story, perhaps visualizing that gamblers should quit while their luck still shines.
Check out the Video and the Pictures.
For more info
Great Aerial Picture via Google Maps.
Memories I could go on.
Infodiva Reppin OMI 415 94 132 Giving Unilocalers Everywhere a SF History Lesson West of Twin Peaks Not the Mission Not Daly City You betta recognize.
oh here is the Bay Guardian’s take on the Sundial.
BEST FORGOTTEN CHRONOGRAPH
Deep in the swirling mists of the Ingleside District near San Francisco State, the enigmatic Giant Sundial of Entrada Court looms over a small cul-​de-​sac in the middle of an otherwise unremarkable neighborhood of modest homes. This near-​useless timepiece is not the product of a public works project gone awry, nor is it a ruin left by some forgotten civilization from an age when the sun actually shone on southwest San Francisco. Although the sundial is located on the site of the old Ingleside Race Track – which lives on in the mile-​long, oval-​shaped form of nearby Urbano Street – it was actually part of an earlier, ill-​fated 1913 plan to build a park near Ingleside Terraces. Strangely enough, the sundial’s 28-​foot-​high concrete gnomon was originally unveiled at night – and perhaps now commemorates the victory of suburbanlike reality over the green-​minded dreams of long ago.
Entrada Court near Urbano at Borica, SF