SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden Gate Bridge is turning 75 this year. And what a historic span it’s been. Big, bold and orange, the bridge is a beloved symbol of San Francisco and one of the most instantly recognizable landmarks in the world.

But for all its photogenic qualities, the bridge is a uniquely accessible icon. You can drive across, walk across, bike across, sail beneath it, or even scream over it in a daring display of aerial acrobatics. (OK, to do that last thing, you’d have to be in the Navy’s Blue Angels elite flying squad during Fleet Week.)

Additional Photos

The bridge boasts several notable pop-culture references, including appearances in the movie “Vertigo” and on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. It’s accessible to cars, bikes, runners and walkers. Photos by The Associated Press

The public can also celebrate the bridge’s three-quarters of a century by taking part in many events scheduled from now through the fall, including art exhibits, film screenings, tours and talks. The biggest celebration takes place on the anniversary of its opening date, May 27.

In addition, organizers are inviting the public to share personal stories and photos of the bridge online at goldengatebridge75.org/celebrate/share-stories-photos.html.

“Everybody has a unique experience of the bridge,” says Mary Currie, public affairs director for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. Hers came as a 14-year-old on a family vacation from the East Coast. “I remember being completely mesmerized and just incredibly blown away and amazed at the size and magnitude of the bridge. I don’t what that grace and beauty is that draws you in, but it draws you in.”

Here are some details on activities, events and history related to the Golden Gate Bridge’s 75th birthday. 

EXPERIENCE IT: Sure, it’s pretty, with elegant, brilliant orange arms above the aqua shimmer of the San Francisco Bay. But this is no remote Mona Lisa of a landmark. Part of the appeal of the Golden Gate Bridge lies in how fully it can be experienced.

MASS TRANSIT: If you want to walk across, you may want to take mass transit, as there’s not much parking nearby. To get to the bridge from downtown, you can take either Golden Gate Transit or Muni buses. From the downtown/financial district take GGT Routes 10, 70, 80 or 101, traveling north. If you’re in Union Square, walk to the intersection of Fifth and Mission, find the bus stop in front of the Old Mint Building and take any GGT bus. For Muni, take Routes 20, 45, 22 or 28 from the downtown/financial district. More information on transit options can be found at goldengatebridge.org/visitors/directions.php.

ON FOOT: Once at the bridge, pedestrians can access the East Sidewalk (the one facing San Francisco) from approximately sunrise to sunset. This sidewalk is for bikes and pedestrians, which means a certain amount of cooperation is required. No pets except service animals, no roller skates or skateboards. The West Sidewalk, which is for bikes only, has been closed due to construction but reopens May 18.

BY BIKE: A number of companies in San Francisco, including Blazing Saddles, blazingsaddles.com/san-francisco.aspx, offer bike rentals and/or organized tours. Visitors can ride across the bridge to the pleasant seaside town of Sausalito and then return by ferry.

FUN FACTS: The bridge is named for the Golden Gate Strait, which is the entrance by water to San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. The bridge was painted orange partly for aesthetic reasons and partly to increase visibility in the fog.

When it opened, the Golden Gate Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world, a status it retained until the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opened in New York City in 1964. Two billion-plus vehicles have made the trip between San Francisco and Marin County since 1937. The bridge has only been closed three times due to weather, but it is often partly shrouded in fog, and its fog horns can sound for hours a day during the area’s foggy summer season.

The bridge was unscathed by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which was centered 60 miles away, but it is being retrofitted to protect it from future quakes.

POP CULTURE: The Golden Gate Bridge has been in many movies. It served as a picturesque backdrop for Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak’s tensely romantic first meeting in “Vertigo” in 1958 and was nearly decimated by a falling Romulan drill-of-death in 2009’s “Star Trek.” It also made the cover of Rolling Stone magazine for a 1976 story about San Francisco-based rockers.

EVENTS: Numerous film screenings, tours, exhibits and other activities are being held around San Francisco this year to mark the bridge’s birthday. A calendar of events can be found at goldengatebridge75.org.

The biggest public celebration is scheduled for Sunday, May 27, with events at multiple venues along a four-mile stretch of waterfront from Fort Point at the south anchorage of the bridge to Pier 39 at Beach Street and The Embarcadero. Bridge sidewalks will be closed at approximately 6 p.m. and reopen after the fireworks cap off the evening at 9:30 p.m. Fireworks will be viewable along the waterfront from Fort Point to Marina Green East.

BEFORE THE BRIDGE: Learn about the history of the bridge before its construction through an exhibit of photos, maps, charts, drawings, paintings and computer graphics along with a natural, nautical and military soundscape, at Montgomery Street Barracks, Building 103, next to Main Post Green, 103 Montgomery Blvd., presidio.gov, May 23 to Nov. 18, Wednesdays to Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gallery 1 traces the history of the Golden Gate Straight and Gallery 11 explores two centuries of harbor defense and the building of the bridge.

FISHERMAN’S WHARF: Several events are planned at Fisherman’s Wharf May 26-27. Music, historic images, vintage automobiles from 1937 and maritime history exhibits will be on display at the Hyde Street Pier. At Pier 45, join the crew of the Jeremiah O’Brien celebrating the bridge anniversary on their Seamen’s Memorial Cruise May 27 (boarding 9 a.m., departure 10 a.m., return 2 p.m., adults $125, children 5 to 16, $75, family of two adults and two children $325, ssjeremiahobrien.org/events.php).

SWING OUT: Get into the musical mood of the 1930s at Pier 39 with Fil Lorenz Orchestra swing band. Free swing dance lessons provided in the entrance plaza. There’ll also be dancing to more contemporary tunes; May 27, 2 to 9:30 p.m, free, Beach Street and The Embarcadero, pier39.com.

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