Vaillancourt Fountain
Vaillancourt Fountain, sometimes called Québec libre!, is a large fountain currently undergoing disassembly and removal at the Embarcadero Plaza in San Francisco. It dates from 1971. Add Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, 2.7 mi away, to a visit.
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A landmark inside San Francisco
You can stay in San Francisco
Vaillancourt Fountain is inside San Francisco, which has 528 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from San Jose
San Jose is about 47 miles southeast (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct and Nov
March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November are the mild months, with highs of 63–76°. When to go ↓
An airport 11 miles away
Oakland San Francisco Bay (OAK) has airline service, about 11 miles from Vaillancourt Fountain.
Established in 1971
Vaillancourt Fountain dates from 1971. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Picking a season
The months below show the weather around Vaillancourt Fountain.
Vaillancourt Fountain
Vaillancourt Fountain, sometimes called Québec libre!, is a large fountain currently undergoing disassembly and removal at the Embarcadero Plaza in San Francisco. It was designed by the Québécois artist Armand Vaillancourt in collaboration with the plaza's landscape architect, Lawrence Halprin, and completed in 1971.
The fountain is constructed out of precast concrete square tubes. When fully installed, the fountain was about 40 feet (12 m) high. Long considered controversial because of its stark, modernist appearance, the fountain was the subject of several unsuccessful proposals to demolish it over the years.
- Type
- Landmark
- Established
- 1971
- Wikipedia readers
- 11K a year
Staying near Vaillancourt Fountain
Close by, places to stay are in San Francisco (528) and Oakland (89).
- 1Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
- 2Chase Center
- 3Oracle Park
- 4Lombard Street
- 5Presidio of San Francisco
- 6USS Hornet
- 7Coit Tower
- 8Cow Palace
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Vaillancourt Fountain | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | in town | — | 528 426 hotels · 24 motels · 37 inns & B&Bs · 5 lodges & cabins · 27 hostels · 6 campgrounds · 3 RV parks | 826,079 | $1,395K | D |
| Oakland | 9 mi east | 15 min | 89 56 hotels · 22 motels · 7 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 hostel · 2 campgrounds | 440,838 | $930K | D− |
| Berkeley | 7 mi northeast | 10 min | 30 24 hotels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 hostel | 121,911 | $1,414K | D− |
| South San Francisco | 10 mi south | 15 min | 36 32 hotels · 2 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 RV park | 64,941 | $1,189K | C |
| Alameda | 8 mi southeast | 10 min | 12 11 hotels · 1 inn or B&B | 76,876 | $1,236K | D |
| Sausalito | 7 mi northwest | 10 min | 10 5 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 hostel · 2 campgrounds | 7,019 | $1,895K | B− |
| Daly City | 8 mi southwest | 10 min | 10 5 hotels · 3 motels · 1 hostel · 1 RV park | 101,261 | $1,115K | C |
| San Bruno | 12 mi south | 20 min | 16 14 hotels · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 42,305 | $1,208K | C |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
While you are near Vaillancourt Fountain
Pair a visit with these, within 7 miles.
Big draw13 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw3in town Stadium & arenaOracle Park
Big draw4in town LandmarkLombard Street
Big draw54 mi GardenPresidio of San Francisco
Big draw65 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
7in town LookoutCoit Tower
86 mi TheatreCow PalacePhoto credits
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lombard Street: The original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain · Presidio of San Francisco: Robert Campbell, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 · Coit Tower: Chris6d, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cow Palace: Dante Alighieri , CC BY-SA 3.0
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Questions people have about Vaillancourt Fountain
Is Vaillancourt Fountain in San Francisco?
Yes. It’s inside San Francisco, CA.
When is the best time to visit Vaillancourt Fountain?
March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November, with highs of 63–76°.
How far is Vaillancourt Fountain from San Jose and Stockton?
About 47 miles southeast of San Jose and about 61 miles east of Stockton, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Vaillancourt Fountain?
Oakland San Francisco Bay (OAK), about 11 miles away.
Where should I stay near Vaillancourt Fountain?
San Francisco (in town, 528 places to stay), Oakland (9 mi, 89 places to stay) and Berkeley (7 mi, 30 places to stay).
What locals in San Francisco say
Tips will appear here once someone posts in San Francisco’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.