Treasure Island Museum

08/28/2026

"EARLY BIRD" DISCOUNT ENDS ON MONDAY

Monday, August 31 is the last day to purchase $49.00 tickets for our 2026 Swing Dance in historic Treasure Island Building One on Saturday, September 26.

Click here for details and to lock in your savings:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1995133605321?aff=oddtdtcreator

Tickets will cost $65.00 in September and at the door.

08/28/2026

Treasure Island’s Magic City Revealed — Doors Open CA, Weekend 1 — Returning Partner!

Treasure Island’s Magic City Revealed
September 6th | 10:30 AM – 4 PM | San Francisco · Bay Area

Discover Treasure Island beyond the Bay Bridge view.

Built as the Magic City for the 1939–40 Golden Gate International Exposition, the island later served Pan American Airways flying boats and Naval Station Treasure Island.

Doors Open visitors can join museum programs and walking tours linking Art Moderne buildings, exposition remnants, public art, and a landscape being transformed into a new neighborhood.

Register for Doors Open CA (DOCA) at: https://californiapreservation.org/doca/
One $20 registration gives you access to all DOCA 2026 sites around the state!

08/25/2026

Join us in historic Treasure Island Building One this Friday from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. Enjoy craft cocktails, live jazz, and camaraderie in Gold Bar Whiskey's popular tasting room.

A no-host bar will offer libations, as well as non-alcoholic options and snacks.

And Museum Director John Hogan will lead two free, optional tours:

A short tour of our building at 5:30 PM.

A viewing of our current exhibition featuring art from the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition at 6:30 PM.

08/24/2026

Thanks to the generosity of Treasure Island Community Development, you will be able to take the Treasure Island Ferry both to and from the island on the night of our upcoming Swing Dance. Ferry service will be extended on Saturday, September 26 to return guests to the mainland, under the light of a full moon, at the end of the evening.

"Early Bird" tickets are available now at a significant discount: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1995133605321?aff=oddtdtcreator

Learn more about Treasure Island Community Development:
https://www.tisf.com/

08/21/2026

When the United States entered World War II, the Pan American Airway's China Clipper transitioned from commercial transpacific service to military transport. Gim Suey Chong was an aviation mechanic on Treasure Island, as part of an all Chinese crew. His son, Dr. Raymond Douglas Chong, created an infographic that details his father's unique experience and introduces this underreported chapter in Treasure Island history. Click here to see his infographic: https://mcusercontent.com/ab4028fe9c9aa6a588fbc9090/images/5c844a5f-0b00-bab2-8d5a-52521e089b3d.png

Dr. Chong's research will be published in 2027 in Chinese America: History and Perspectives, a peer-reviewed journal published by the Chinese Historical Society of America. Treasure Island Museum staff is proud to be assisting with, contributing to, and promoting this significant project.

08/18/2026

Our upcoming Swing Dance in historic Treasure Island Building One recalls a bygone era. The Navy held dances in the lobby when the building served as headquarters for the 12th Naval District.

Discounted "Early Bird" tickets are available now, until August 31: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1995133605321?aff=oddtdtcreator

08/14/2026

Friend of the museum Ken Stein recently reminded us that both Treasure Island and Alcatraz are mentioned in this iconic Groucho Marx song:

Groucho Marx sings his signature song "Lydia The Tattooed Lady", as...

08/13/2026

Discounted "Early Bird" tickets for our annual Swing Dance in historic Treasure Island Building One on Saturday, September 26 are available now.

The evening will feature live music by the Nick Rossi Swing Six and a performance by The Decobelles.

Click here for details and tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1995133605321?aff=oddtdtcreator

08/11/2026

Ralph Stackpole's sculpture PACIFICA towered over the Golden Gate International Exposition and became its most recognizable icon. Here it appears alongside another 1930s icon, Charles Atlas, on the cover of the January 20, 1939 issue of THE FAMILY CIRCLE magazine.

Click here to enjoy the photo essay inside; it previews and promotes the fair that would open a month later:
https://mcusercontent.com/ab4028fe9c9aa6a588fbc9090/images/4fb92f9b-ff29-1111-d698-f1d1cfc75d4f.jpeg

08/09/2026

Today SF Gate covered a story about an unfinished piece of sculpture buried in a backyard on Russian Hill, just behind the former SF Art Institute. The reporter, Sam Whiting, mentions the museum and Treasure Island several times in the article as there is a slight possibility that the piece was done by a GGIE sculptor. Judy Gittelson, who found the sculpture, came to our lecture program on July 25 to hear and meet our Stackpole speaker, Bruce Marwick. Jeff Gunderson, Art Institute archivist, also attended the program, as did quite a few knowledgeable people. Judy is hoping to find someone who can identify the sculptor, a date, and possibly a subject. Here's the article.

The couple has enlisted experts and art historians to help figure out who might be behind the 150-pound artwork.