Sigmund Stern Recreation Grove

Before you reach the concert meadow, look for the Trocadero Clubhouse. This pale yellow wooden building is a relic of the late nineteenth century, when the area was a popular roadside destination. Long before the park became a peaceful recreational site, this building served as a rowdy roadhouse where travelers would stop to drink and gamble after rides on horseback or bicycle. Its history took a darker turn in 1907 when Abe Ruef, a notorious San Francisco political boss, went into hiding here for several weeks while fleeing investigators looking into city corruption. He was eventually captured on the property, ending his tenure as one of the city's most powerful and controversial figures.