If you’re planning to visit San Francisco, you should plan on an extra stop. In the Presidio is a Yoda statue worth checking out. The statue has emerged as a sightseeing destination for Star Wars fans from around the world.
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A Two-Foot Tall Yoda Statue in San Francisco
Star Wars fans may have overlooked this fact–San Francisco’s Presidio is also the home of Lucasfilm Ltd. On a 23-acre campus, Industrial Light & Magic, ILM Immersive, and Lucasfilm converge in “one world-class entertainment studio.” In front of the Letterman Digital Arts Center, we can check out a statue of Yoda.
The statue consists of a “fountain” with “a small bronze Yoda sitting on top and water flowing from beneath.” As discussed on the site, the Yoda fountain statue makes for an ideal photo opportunity for Star Wars fans. You can also go into the lobby, when it’s open, and check out other memorabilia.
This “immortalized” Yoda attracts “droves” of visitors each day and has become a sightseeing stop for fans. The statue was installed in 2005, and fans usually hike about a mile from the main Presidio tourist spots to visit this famous Jedi Master. It reaches over two feet tall and was designed to look like the older Yoda we see in the original trilogy.
The illustrator and sculptor Lawrence Noble sculpted this bronze Yoda as a tribute to the contributions of Lucasfilm to the movie industry. This Yoda has “global siblings” because Noble made sculptures for Lucasfilm campuses elsewhere. The one in San Francisco is known for attracting large crowds on May 4th.
Noble has had a “long journey with Yoda” that dates back to the 1980s. He initially designed a poster for Empire Strikes Back and after a screening of the film embarked on plans to sculpt the Jedi Master. Noble commented how it was “intoxicating” when he first saw Yoda on the screen and he “realized [he] had to sculpt Yoda.”
In 1990, he produced 50 small Yoda bronzes for the Star Wars Fan Club to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Empire. Fans appreciate that Noble continued his work and created the Yoda fountain statue in San Francisco.
Yoda Statue or Skywalker Ranch?
Although many fans find the Yoda statue to be impressive, some think it’s time better spent going to the Skywalker Ranch in Marin County. This site is the “pastoral home to Lucasfilm’s sound design, mixing, and audio post-production” with stunning movie-making capabilities and scenery.
By visiting this location you can hike up above the property, view the main house, and take in Lake Ewok. The Ranch is known for its Victorian architecture and focus on sustainability, including farm animals, an olive tree grove, and organic gardens.
Yet, the Skywalker Ranch is not open to the public. As fans confirm here, you need to be invited to the grounds to visit them. And, it is located about 40 minutes north of the city and could make for a more involved endeavor. The hike and scenery would be amazing, but it may not be worth the trip if you want close-up views of Star Wars items.
With enough time, it would be great to visit both the Yoda statue and around the Ranch. Yet, if you are staying in San Francisco and planning on sightseeing around the city, the bronze Yoda fountain seems like the best option.
The Yoda Statue
Created by Lawrence Noble, the Yoda statue at the Presidio is a fan-favorite stop. It presides over the outside courtyard of Lucasfilm Ltd and draws in fans to honor the legendary Jedi known around the globe.