Treasure Island was built in 1936 for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition. Before that, it was known as Yerba Buena Shoals which was a rocky 27 foot clearance considered a shipping hazard. The US government made the island by adding 260,000 tons of quarried rock and topping it with 4,000 trees, 70,000 shrubs, and 700,000 flowering plants. In 1939, it opened under the name Magic City where it features several fair ground courts, a 12,000 car parking lot, administration buildings, and hangars.
Treasure Island as a Military Base
Treasure Island was supposed to become a second airport for SF, but with war on the horizon, the Navy took over instead. In 1941, the Navy converted it into a training station. The island was seized from the city, but the Navy provided a $10 million compensation to improve the existing airport. During World War II, over 12,000 men a day were processed here for assignments. In 1966, the base was decommissioned and opened for civilian redevelopment.
Treasure Island as a Film Stage
Beginning in the late 1980s, Hangar 2 and Hangar 3 were used for making TV and film. Notable films include The Matrix, The Pursuit of Happyness, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and The Parent Trap. It was used for TV shows such as Battlebots, Mythbusters, and Prototype This! The former warehouse and firehouse were used on the NBC series Trauma. The museum was used as a mental hospital setting for a Netflix show called The OA.
Early Treasure Island Redevelopment
In 2007, cleanup crews spent weeks cleaning up the 2007 Cosco Busan oil spill which took place near Treasure Island. In 2009, the Navy sold the island to the city for $105 million. It’s been a slow redevelopment since then with issues like regular power outages, dirt contaminated with radiation, and development costs. All things considered, there’s an exciting plan to make Treasure Island a beautiful, livable place. Find out more in our article about Treasure Island Today.
