Wave Organ
The Wave Organ is a sculpture located in San Francisco, California. It was constructed on the shore of San Francisco Bay in May 1986 by the Exploratorium, and more specifically, by installation artist and the Exploratorium artist-in-residence Peter Richards, who conceived and designed the organ, working with stonemason George Gonzales. The Wave Organ is dedicated to Frank Oppenheimer.
Wave Organ
Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5
- Field
- tide organ.
- Period
- 1986.
- Region
- United States.
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Documentary summary
The Wave Organ is a sculpture located in San Francisco, California. It was constructed on the shore of San Francisco Bay in May 1986 by the Exploratorium, and more specifically, by installation artist and the Exploratorium artist-in-residence Peter Richards, who conceived and designed the organ, working with stonemason George Gonzales. The Wave Organ is dedicated to Frank Oppenheimer.
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wikidata · Q7975291 · wikipedia · Wave Organ
In this article
Location
Location
Oppenheimer was the founding director of the Exploratorium, led the fundraising efforts for the Wave Organ, and died seven months before construction started.
The Wave Organ is located at the end of a spit of land extending from the Golden Gate Yacht Club. 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 park and trail to it are wheelchair accessible, with the trailhead at the Marina Green park.
Mechanism
Mechanism
Through a series of 25 PVC 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 sound is best heard at high tide. The structure incorporates stone platforms and benches where visitors may sit near the mouths of pipes, listening. The stone pieces used in its construction were salvaged from the demolition of the Laurel Hill Cemetery in San Francisco.
Chronology
Dated record
Chronology
The full dated record · 2 entries
1986
Wave Organ first recorded.
1986
Wave Organ is recorded from 1986.
Places
Named by the record
Places
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United States.
Country
Wave Organ is associated with United States.
Country
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.The Marina's Wacky and Wonderful Wave Organ. San Francisco Heritage. 2020-10-16.
- 2.Edwards, Megan. "A Visit to One of San Francisco's Most Delightful Secrets". Road Trip America, September 19, 2008. http://www.roadtripamerica.com/places/waveorg.htm. Accessed January 1, 2016.
- 3.Weinstein, Dave. The Art of the Craft: Stonemasons / Stones set for the ages / Masons' enthusiasm and commitment maintain an ancient craft. SFGATE. 2006-12-30.
- 4.Lewkowicz, Bonnie. "Fort Mason and the Marina Green in San Francisco." WheelchairTraveling.com. http://www.wheelchairtraveling.com/fort-mason-and-the-marina-green-in-san-francisco/ Accessed January 1, 2016.
- 5.Richards, Peter. Wave Organ. Exploratorium. 2017-12-06.
- 6.Veltman, Chloe. Audio Aesthetics a Bit Removed From the Standard Do-Re-Mi. The New York Times. 2010-03-28. 0362-4331.
- 7.Rick DelVecchio. Berkeley: Radio show makes cultural waves. The San Francisco Chronicle. 21 May 2004.
References
Citations
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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