The Vienna Garden / Tivoli Gardens

NW cor Sutter and Stockton | map

The Tivoli pages: 1874-1879 Tivoli Gardens | 1879-1903 Tivoli Opera House - 30 Eddy St. | 1903-1906 Tivoli Opera House - Eddy and Mason | 1913-1951 Tivoli Opera House / Theatre - 70 Eddy

Opened: 1874 by Joseph Kreling as a beer hall in a remodeled house called The Vienna Garden. In later accounts it's also referred to as the Tivoli Gardens. Around 1875, thinking that San Francisco needed more music, Kreling started offering concerts.

The house, dating from about 1856, was mentioned in the March 15, 1892 San Francisco Call in an article about the clearing of the property. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating this via the California Digital Newspaper Collection website. The full article is reproduced at the bottom of the page. Regarding the house, the Call commented: 

"...It was an elegant cottage with a peaked roof, with a large veranda around it, built of composite style of architecture— across between that of the old-fashioned home of a Southern planter and that of the Swiss chalet. It was painted white, had bright green shutters and around the porch supports were climbing vines and flowers, and roses were not wanting. Around the cottage was a beautifully laid out garden, with plats and walks, and this, together with the snow-white lace curtains at the windows— a rarity in those days — potted plants on the veranda and large cane or rattan lounging chairs and sofas, together with all the comforts of a home, gave proof that the occupants were people of refined tastes. 

"The view of this dwelling, so neat and so cosy in its solitude, brought to the mind of those who came around the Horn, over the plains or across the isthmus memories of some home, sweet home, in the East or on the Continent. The cottage was built for and occupied by Judge Burrit. It was subsequently the home of Lucien Herman, and the last who occupied it as a dwelling exclusively was the late Dr. A. J. Bowie, with his family. He was its occupant until early in the '70's, when in the early hours of morn it was partly destroyed by fire. After the fire it was repaired, the interior changed, and it was converted into a public resort known as 'The Vienna Garden'..." 

The house was also mentioned in an 1887 obituary for its last resident, Dr. Bowie. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating this in the July 8, 1887 Daily Alta California. It's on the CNDC website. They commented: 

"The lot on the northwest corner of Sutter and Stockton streets, where the Vienna Garden now stands, was once the Bowie family mansion, and some of the old framework of the building is still standing. The residence was relinquished as such in 1871."

When the Tivoli, the opera company later established by Joe Kreling and his brother William, was moving to a new theatre in 1903 Blanche Partington looked back in her November 29 San Francisco Call article "With the Players and the Music Folk" to discuss the origins of the Vienna Garden:

"The Tivoli's inception was as remarkable as its subsequent history. In the early 70's a young man came here, Joe Kreling by name, and music-struck by nature. His father was here before him, and they came from Germany. He very shortly conceived the idea that San Francisco would stand for a permanent musical entertainment, and to that end engaged the old Bowie place, on Sutter and Stockton streets. This— known among the children as 'haunted' — Kreling remodeled and opened in 1874 under the title of 'The Vienna Gardens.' This venture was immediately successful. The crowds soon overflowed the place..."

Thanks to Art Siegel for locating this via the CNDC website. The article went on to discuss the history of the replacement for the Gardens, the Tivoli Opera House at 30 Eddy St. At the time of the article the company was moving to a newer Tivoli Opera House at Mason and Eddy that had been constructed in the shell of a building constructed as a Panorama exhibition space.

James R. Smith discusses the Kreling operation in his book "San Francisco's Lost Landmarks." It's on Google Books. He notes:
 
"Joe Kreling's Tivoli Gardens opened on Sutter Street, between Powell and Stockton. The front of the building was similar to any residence on the street but inside hosted a beer garden and employed a ten piece Vienna Ladies Orchestra, supported between numbers by a chorus of Tyrolean singers. This form of entertainment was new to the city and it prospered. Also, the music of the comic operas proved most popular and Kreling dreamed of a palace for musical comedy." 



 
An 1867 photo giving us a look at the house on the Vienna Garden property on the right. It's a San Francisco Public Library photo appearing on a Found SF page about the Temple Emanuel-El, a building which opened in 1856. 
 

An 1877 view southeast from the top of the Mark Hopkins mansion on Nob Hill. It's an Eadweard Muybridge photo appearing on the Open SF History Project site. It's panel 7 of a panorama series from the Martin Behrman Negatives Collection in the archives of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Thanks to Art Siegel for spotting the Vienna Garden in the image, just to the left of the Temple Emanuel-El, seen a bit right of center. 
 

A detail Art extracted from the image looking over the Vienna Garden building toward the garden area. Art notes that he left a bit of Temple Emanuel-El in the detail for context.

In 1879 a fire at the Garden closed the operation. Kreling then built the new venue on Eddy St. known as the Tivoli Opera House. It was the first of three buildings to use that name.

When the venue at Sutter and Stockton reopened it was called the Vienna Garden and under the management of Gustav Walter who also operated the Wigwam at Stockton and Geary and The Fountain at Sutter and Kearny. In 1887 he would open the Orpheum on O'Farrell St., the first house in what became a gigantic vaudeville circuit.

Capacity: 1,100 was a number given in 1880. An 1887 Chronicle article said it was over 1,800.

Stage: 40' wide by 30' deep


A c.1880 view looking west on Sutter with the Temple Emanuel-El beyond the Vienna Garden. The photo is on Calisphere from the UC Bancroft Library. A version from the Jack Tillmany collection appears on the Open SF History Project website. Yet another version of the photo (with a dubious 1875 date on it) appears on Calisphere from the Museum of Performance and Design Performing Arts Library



The report from the 1881 edition of "Doxey's Guide to San Francisco and Vicinity." It's on Google Books.



An undated view looking west appearing on Calisphere from the UC Bancroft Library.
 
A larger building was proposed for the site in 1883 but the project wasn't pursued. Art Siegel found this item via the CNDC website in a "Local Brevities" column of the September 30, 1883 San Jose Mercury
 
"The old Vienna Garden building, on the northwest corner of Stockton and Sutter streets, San Francisco, is to be torn down and a fine new casino, with seating capacity of 5,000 people, is to be erected in its stead. The new structure is to be three stories high, and the music hall will be 90 x 137 1/2 feet in dimensions. S. Clark, of this city, owns the property, and will erect the projected building."
 
The Vienna Garden was one of a number of theatres featured in "The Efforts of Our Local Impresarios," a spread in the January 1, 1887 issue of the Chronicle. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating the article. The comments about the Vienna:
 
"The Vienna Garden. A Pleasant Amusement Resort in Summer and Winter. Manager Browne of the Vienna Garden has thoroughly proved the practicability of furnishing good amusement at low prices. He has been running this garden theater but a few months, and already it has sprung into popular favor, reflecting great credit on the veteran manager. Mr. Browne may now be styled the pioneer manager of this State, he having been engaged in a like capacity since 1878 without interruption, his energies having been extended to every branch of the show and theatrical business. The ghost has never 'failed to walk' once a week, which fact enables him to secure the best of attractions at reasonable terms. Actors and actresses have a kindly feeling for the manager who has never failed to meet his obligations promptly, and in consequence work hard to please him and his patrons. 

"A great many improvements have been made of late at the Vienna Garden, so that at present the theater and all its appointments are in excellent shape. The house will seat over 1800, and half as many more may be accommodated; it is nothing uncommon to find from 1500 to 2000 people in attendance at a single performance. There is an elevated floor and a large stage, the latter being presided over by Mr. George Atklus, the original Greppo of Jarrett & Palmer's 'Black Crook,' one of the oldest stage managers in this country, and it may truthfully be said he has no superior. A clean and varied programme, which contains nothing bordering on vulgarity, is given at each performance. 
 
"The garden proper is not the least attraction at this resort, it being kept up in splendid style; a man is especially engaged for this purpose. The garden and theater occupy a space of 100 feet front on Sutter street by about 150 in depth on Stockton street. Manager Browne was first to offer a benefit performance for the bereaved family of Mamie Kelly, Goldenson's victim. The entertainment was given on the afternoon of December 1st, the entire receipts being turned over to Mrs. Kelly. In this and many other ways Mr. Browne has made the Vienna what it now is - a leading family resort." 
  
 

An illustration from the 1887 Chronicle article. 

 

The Vienna Garden is seen in this detail from the 1887 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map. Thanks to Art Siegel for the image. That's Sutter on the left and Stockton St. across the bottom.

The venue is listed in the 1887 city directory with no details. In the 1888 edition James A. Browne is listed as the proprietor. 1n 1889 Larsen & Ryan were listed as the proprietors.

Closing: The Vienna Garden closed sometime around 1890. There are no city directory listings for it in the 1890 or later directories.  
 
The building was demolished in 1892. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating this account via the California Digital Newspaper collection website. It appeared in the March 15, 1892 San Francisco Call

"THE MARCH OF IMPROVEMENT. One More of San Francisco's Historic Landmarks to Be Obliterated. The woodman's ax awakens the echoes and the blows are felling the umbrageous tall trees that for so many years have stood and spread their branches over the northwest corner of Sutter and Stockton streets. A gang of graders are at work clearing away the soil, all preparatory to laying the foundation for a modern building, which is to be four stories in height above the basement and ground floor.

"To the later-day resident this means simply that an improvement, an adornment to that section of the city is to be added; but to those who were here in the early days it means the total obliteration of a landmark that in its time was the most attractive and noticeable. When San Francisco was, comparatively, a village, when its limits were within a line of sand hills just south of Bush street, with 'the Sandy Hill Market' as the last house on Kearny street, near where the Maison Dore is now, and the line of ungraded land west of Dupont street, there were but three ways of reaching the Mission Dolores. One was by water to the 'Embarcadero,' at the foot of what is now Sixteenth street, and from there across an ungraded roadway to the old Mission Church; another was along a narrow trail over the sand dunes, diagonally from Bush and Kearny to Mission find Third streets, and thence out the Mission road; the third was over an irregular trail that ran up Bush street to Stockton, then in a southerly direction upgrade and downgrade through soft, yielding sand down into St. Anns Valley to near the corner of Eddy and Powell streets, where under the shade of oaks stood the cottage of John Sullivan, one of the early pioneers. 
 
"The place was surrounded by a neat garden and primitive hothouses. From there the trail continued on over an undulating sand region amid California boxwood, scrub oak, purple and yellow lupin, golden-hued eschscholtzia and California lilac. From this trail could be seen here and there brush huts occupied by Frenchmen who were engaged in the business of burning charcoal, and others by Chinese woodchoppers. The former brought their product, six sacks at a time, on the back of a mule, and the Chinese carried a load on each end of a long pole, and each load of this wood weighed not less than fifty pounds. The trail, hard for horses and still harder for pedestrians, continued until there came in view a long white house, the home of Colonel Thomas Hayes, after whom Hayes Valley was named. In addition to being his home it was a wayside inn, at which almost every one going along the trail rested for refreshments. From there it was but a short distance, after crossing a willow-edged creek near where Fourteenth street is now, to reach the Mission road. 
 
"It was when Stockton street along this trail was reached that the eyes of the one who had never gone over it were greeted with a surprising view. It was an elegant cottage with a peaked roof, with a large veranda around it, built of composite style of architecture— across between that of the old-fashioned home of a Southern planter and that of the Swiss chalet. It was painted white, had bright green shutters and around the porch supports were climbing vines and flowers, and roses were not wanting. Around the cottage was a beautifully laid out garden, with plats and walks, and this, together with the snow-white lace curtains at the windows— a rarity in those days — potted plants on the veranda and large cane or rattan lounging chairs and sofas, together with all the comforts of a home, gave proof that the occupants were people of refined tastes. The view of this dwelling, so neat and so cosy in its solitude, brought to the mind of those who came around the Horn, over the plains or across the isthmus memories of some home, sweet home, in the East or on the Continent. 
 
"The cottage was built for and occupied by Judge Burrit. It was subsequently the home of Lucien Herman, and the last who occupied it as a dwelling exclusively was the late Dr. A. J. Bowie, with his family. He was its occupant until early in the '70's, when in the early hours of morn it was partly destroyed by fire. After the fire it was repaired, the interior changed, and it was converted into a public resort known as 'The Vienna Garden.' A few years ago the building was taken down, as arrangements had been made to use the site for swimming baths, with salt water brought from the ocean, but the project fell through and the property remained idle until now, when the owner has decided to improve."

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