The 1896 Cliff House survived the 1906 earthquake with little damage , but burned to the ground on the evening of September 7 , 1907 , after existing for only 11 years . After the fire , Dr. Emma Merritt , Sutro 's daughter , commissioned Reid & Reid to rebuild the restaurant in a neo-classical style . It was completed within two years and is the basis of the structure seen today . In 1914 , the guidebook '' Bohemian San Francsco '' described it as " one of the great Bohemian restaurants of San Francisco . ... while you have thought you had good breakfasts before this , you know that now you are having the best of them all . " In 1937 , George and Leo Whitney purchased the Cliff House , to complement their Playland-at-the-Beach attraction nearby , and extensively remodelled it into an American roadhouse . From 1955 until 1961 , a sky tram operated across the Sutro Baths basin , taking up to 25 visitors at a time from Point Lobos , enhanced by an artificial waterfall , to the outer balcony of the Cliff House
1906 earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Cliff House, San Francisco