The Wave Organ

The Wave Organ is located in San Francisco, California and is an attraction located away from the crowds of the Bay Area pier. The organ is located past the St. Francis Yacht Club. It is rare to find people in the area, even though there is a great view of Alcatraz Island and the Golden Gate Bridge. The organ is located on a jetty, which was built from monument and tombstone from the 19th century that were demolished into stone fragments. The organ uses these stones in its design, giving the area a macabre and historic feel. The organ is considered acoustic sculpture and was created by Peter Richards in 1986. Richards had the help of stonemason George Gonzales. The pair used cement tubing, PVC pipe, the gravestones and a variety of blocks and bricks in the area to create the temple of sound. Its design merges it with the bay and as seawater rushes in or waves lap over the lower pipes, it creates a variety of sounds including wheezing, rumbling and thumping. Richards still maintains the sculpture and for best results, visitors should visit during high tide. If you sit down near the stone slabs and prop your ear against the listening tubes, you should have no trouble hearing the musical sounds of the sea.