2100 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA 94965 Phone: 415-332-3871
Neighborhood: Spring Valley and Marinship South. Website is here. Free parking in lot.
Note from January, 2012: The Bay Model building's extensive renovation is complete, with seismic retrofits, solar panels and roof repairs all done. The Bay Model is back!
Finding the Bay Model: Although the address for the Bay Model Visitors Center is on Bridgeway, the building itself is actually located off of Marinship Way, which splits off of Bridgeway just to the south and runs down a small hill to the building. The satellite photo below shows the huge complex, and the map shows how Bridgeway and Marinship Way intersect. Once you've turned onto Marinship Way signs will lead you to parking for the Bay Model Visitor Center.
Hours: Spring Hours (through May 22)
Tuesday – Saturday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Closed Sundays & Mondays
Memorial Day Weekend (May 23 - 25)
Saturday, Sunday & Monday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Summer Hours (Starting May 26)
Tuesday – Friday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday - Sunday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Closed Mondays
Admission Costs: Admission is free but a donation is requested (and well deserved, since they're teaching people to preserve the Bay we all depend upon).
The Bay Model and the Bay Model Visitor Center is a research and education facility built and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Inside is one of the most fascinating scientific tools you'll ever see: a working hydraulic model of San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento - San Joaquin River Delta Systems.
The Bay Model allows scientists, educators and visitors the chance to view the complete bay-delta system not just in 3D on a screen, but in three dimensions in real life, complete with real water and "real" tides and currents. It's over two acres in size, a structure so immense you can't comprehend it until you see it. Special walkways allow you to walk around in the middle of the model, not just at the edges.
What makes the model special is that its pipes and hydraulics make it a real simulation of the water environment of San Francisco Bay and the Delta. There are no glowing Disney-esque cityscapes, just a highly accurate physical model that can be used to simulate the effects of everything from oil spills to upstream dams, and fromwater diversions to floods caused by global warming.
They have a regular cycle of special events and presentations which you can find on our Sausalito calendar.
Tours are available for groups with advanced reservations, and can be tailored to the technical sophistication of the group. The Corps of Engineers also makes the Visitor Center available to scientific and educational groups for meetings and seminars under a set of written guidelines. For more information on group events call (415) 332-3871
Google Map Instructions: Use the "+" and "-" buttons to zoom in and out, the arrow keys to scroll the map, and the SAT button to see the satellite view.
Comments