Golden Gate Bridge Facts for Kids

The Golden Gate Bridge symbolizes how far we’ve progressed as a race. To others, it may look like just another bridge, but it was considered extremely challenging to build, yet engineers managed to do it at a reasonable cost and time.

It is an essential landmark to study; thus, in this article, we have compiled a complete list of interesting facts about this beautiful bridge.

Also Read: US State History Facts For Kids

Some basic facts about the Golden Gate Bridge:

Name: Golden Gate Bridge
GPS Coordinates: San Francisco, California, USA
Address: 37°9’11″N 122°28’43″W
Building Type: Suspension Bridge
Built: Between January 5, 1933, and May 27th, 1937
Annual Visitors: 110,000 cars per day
Annual Revenue: $151.6 million (toll revenue, 2019)

Here are some interesting facts for kids about the Golden Gate Bridge:

The Golden Gate Bridge is a type of suspension bridge.

It was the longest suspension bridge in the world when it was constructed in 1937. However, the construction of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in 1964 shattered this record. This other bridge linked the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City.

Engineer Strauss was in charge of this bridge’s entire design and construction. He delegated this task to knowledgeable architects because he was unfamiliar with cable-suspension bridges.

The Golden Gate Bridge has been shut down three times due to the weather.

The Golden Gate Bridge was closed for the longest time in history on December 3, 1983, when gusts hit 75 mph; the route was closed for three hours and 27 minutes. However, there have been full closures for anniversaries and building work and brief closures for visiting dignitaries Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Charles de Gaulle on two different occasions.

The Golden Gate Bridge has appeared in various films.

The bridge is a magnificent site that is famous among photographers and filmmakers. It is the most photographed bridge in the world and has appeared in over 30 Hollywood films, including ‘Superman’ and ‘The Hulk.’ It’s best to see it early in the morning, occasionally misty, or late at night when it’s lighted up.

The Golden Gate Bridge has an international orange color.

It is widely recognized worldwide because of its orange hue, officially known as International Orange. This hue was chosen because it is easily seen by ships and shines out against the colors of the surrounding terrain. Other colors were considered before this one, including yellow and black stripes and red and white stripes. This hue is not only visually appealing but also improves visibility in fog.

The Golden Gate Bridge has Roadbed flexibility.

The roadbed was permitted to bend somewhat in the wind so that the wind’s force could be communicated to the towers. This process enabled a lighter and thinner deck, saving time and money and improving the bridge’s appearance.

The cables used in the Golden Gate Bridge were provided by the same manufacturer that produced the Brooklyn Bridge.

Strauss required cables to hold the bridge construction and flex 27 feet laterally in extreme winds. Furthermore, they had to be produced on the building site. Roebling’s Sons Co. had created the cables for the Brooklyn Bridge 52 years before, making them ideal for the work.

Later, in 1935, the business devised a technology known as parallel wire manufacturing and began spinning.

Utmost safety measures were taken during the construction of The Golden Gate Bridge.

Strauss invested much effort in safety. Wasting time was prohibited on the construction site. Workers were required to wear glare-free goggles, apply hand and face cream to protect their skin from the strong winds, and follow specific diets devised by Strauss to prevent dizziness. Because the bridge’s deck is around 250 feet over the river, a massive net was stretched underneath the bridge to capture any workers who fell.

It took much time to build the Golden Gate Bridge finally.

It took years to plan the bridge. It took four years to build and wasn’t simply because of wind and other weather conditions.

San Francisco was the most prominent American city that still used ferry boats as a form of transportation before the Golden Gate Bridge and numerous other bridges were completed. The demand for a bridge grew over time and as the population grew.

Ferries used to transport people from San Francisco to Marin County. The only available route across the South Bay and up through the East Bay was lengthy, taking hours to reach Marin County.

When the Golden Gate Bridge was built, it solved the difficulty of traveling between Marin County and San Francisco. As a result, Bay Area people could not only commute to the north up the cost readily, but their companies thrived.

The construction of The Golden Gate Bridge was hazardous labor.

Thousands of employees contributed to the bridge’s construction. While most of the buildings at Strauss’s site went without death, a few months before the bridge’s opening, a worker was killed by a derrick that fell. A few weeks later, 12 workmen were clinging on when scaffolding collapsed and fell into the net when the safety device failed, and ten workers were killed when they lost when the net tore, and the structure fell 220 feet into the ocean.

There was an earthquake during the building of The Golden Gate Bridge.

When the earthquake struck in June 1935, the tower was so limber that it swung 16 feet in each direction. The impact of this earthquake took a heavy toll as there were around 12 or 13 people on top with no way down, and the elevator would not start. The contraption would wobble toward the water, then sway back toward the Bay. People were passing out on the deck and throwing up.

The Golden Gate Bridge’s 50th anniversary was a complete failure.

The government anticipated hosting 50,000 guests for the Golden Gate Strait’s 50th-anniversary celebration. They were shocked to learn this was untrue; when 800,000 people flocked to the bridge. The bridge’s arch flattened out under the weight of the enormous gathering. The bridge’s center’s suspension cables were pulled taut like harp strings. Fortunately, the bridge’s design allowed for a 15-foot vertical movement and a 27-foot sideways swing.

The Golden Gate Bridge’s opening was celebrated for a week.

The bridge was constructed over four years at a total price of $35 million. During the Golden Gate Bridge Fiesta, San Francisco celebrated the bridge’s completion for a whole week, from May 27 to June 2. The poet and engineer Strauss began by reading a poem he had written primarily for the event, titled “The Mighty Task is Done.”

On “Pedestrian Day,” the bridge’s first day of operation, 15,000 individuals per hour entered for a 25-cent fee. Some people rode unicycles or stilts to cross the bridge. An estimated 50,000 hot dogs were offered by vendors positioned along the street. A fleet of 42 Navy ships crossed beneath the bridge at 3 p.m. on May 28, and at 10 p.m., fireworks were set off to finish the day. FDR proclaimed the bridge’s opening to the world via telegraph at noon that day. A Fiesta Queen of the Golden Gate Bridge was reportedly crowned at some time during the festivities; however, accounts of who won vary.

Conclusion

We hope you learned something new today by reading all these interesting facts about the Golden Gate Bridge, an essential aspect of American history and an iconic symbol.