Wave Organ

The Wave Organ in SF is a unique place to stop by if you’re in the area or visiting the city.  The organ is located on a jetty that is actually constructed from the demolished Lone Mountain Cemetery which was originally constructed in 1867.  The land that the cemetery was on is now University of San Francisco.

The Wave Organ, completed in 1986, is an acoustic sculpture that is activated by waves.  The concept was created by Peter Richards and sculptor/stone mason, George Gonzalez.

The piece was inspired by sound recordings from a vent pipe of a floating dock in Sydney, Australia, created by artist Bill Fontana.

The installation is comprised of 25 pipe organs assembled from concrete and PVC at varying elevations which allows for the rise and fall of the tide.

The sounds are created from the wave’s impact against the pipe ends and water moving through them.  The organ will sound best at high tide.

There sure is something so dreamy about listening to a symphony played by the ocean herself!