Camera Obscura at the Cliff House

The Camera Obscura at the Cliff House uses a rotating periscope, lenses, and mirrors to project live views of Ocean Beach and Seal Rocks onto a viewing surface inside a darkened room. It is one of the few functioning camera obscuras accessible to the public in the United States. The device and small exhibition occupy a tucked-away corner of the Cliff House site and are a longtime, lesser-known optical attraction in San Francisco.