About Us

Friends of the Exposition Organ is a citizen's group determined to bring this musical treasure back to public use and enjoyment. As stewards of this gift from the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915, we organized to safeguard the instrument from neglect and destruction and keep the wishes of the original patrons alive.

So where might the Exposition Organ be enjoyed?

The near fully-restored Exposition Organ is a 40-ton instrument with a 1,200+ sq.ft footprint. It's sonic field needs a room with several million cubic feet of space as its soundboard. Finding a suitable location large enough and accessible for public enjoyment is a big challenge. After scouring San Francisco venues, buildings, museums and auditoriums one brilliant idea has become obvious...reunite the Exposition Organ with the other great piece of San Francisco Panama Pacific International Exposition (P.P.I.E) history—Install the Exposition Organ in the Gallery Building at The Palace of Fine Arts.

A proposed P.P.I.E. museum has been tossed around for many years, why not have this ultimate P.P.I.E. treasure as the centerpiece of such a museum? The space is certainly large enough, the foot traffic generated by tourists and visitors to the Palace of Fine Arts could certainly supply the audience, the Exploratorium will be moving out of the space in cir. 2013 and the acoustics in the space are amazing!

FORMERLY PROPOSED OPTIONS:

BILL GRAHAM AUDITORIUM
Returning the instrument back to the Bill Graham Auditorium (Civic Auditorium) where the instrument had been installed in 1917 and heard by thousands for nearly 75 years. This solution is no longer an option as the city of San Francisco has leased the Bill Graham Auditorium to a third-party event company which does not want the instrument back in the hall. Presenting the concept of returning the restored organ back into the auditorium was not possible as Friends of the Exposition Organ was excluded from conversations between The City and this third party event company.

SALE OF THE INSTRUMENT
Selling the instrument to a church, municipality, or symphony for use in their own music programming. The Jacksonville Symphony, in Florida, made an offer to take The Exposition Organ for their new symphony hall. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors rejected the proposal, declaring that The Exposition Organ must stay in San Francisco considering its important role in civic history.

PROPOSED MUSIC CONCOURSE
The proposed Embarcadero Music Concourse and Organ Pavilion. By mid-1999 the City of San Francisco had approved plans to install the Exposition Organ in a proposed pavilion at the Embarcadero by the Ferry Building. It would have provided a large open space where downtown workers, tourists, and ferry and streetcar commuters could take a break and enjoy free daily organ recitals, special concerts, and even silent movies. The Music Concourse was designed to provide outdoor seating for 3,000, perhaps becoming the center for many community events.

By early 2004, a ballot measure to raise funds for multiple civic projects was put before the voters of San Francisco. Funding of the Organ Pavilion was a part of this referendum. The ballot measure was defeated. The Music Concourse faded into oblivion.

While the failure to install the organ into these different venues may seem to be unfortunate, we view it as a blessing in disguise. Friends of the Exposition Organ believes and proposes that from a historic, musical, and financial standpoint the most logical installation is to place the instrument into the Gallery Building at the Palace of Fine Arts (in order to live up to its name!).

Inscription on the Civic Auditorium Plaque

“This instrument, a gift from the Panama-Pacific International Exposition to the City of San Francisco in accordance with its original purpose was removed to this memorial exposition auditorium. The earnest men and women who made this possible cherish the hope that its use for wholesome and uplifting purposes will carry forward for the benefit for all the spirit that animated The Exposition.”