Randall Museum

1. 1935–1941

   The Works Progress Administration built a new playground, fieldhouse, convenience station and tennis courts in the former quarry here — a pair of tennis courts and a convenience station near 15th and Beaver streets.

   San Francisco New Deal Historic Context Statement, adopted 2023
2. 1936

   City purchases the Corona Heights lot

   The San Francisco Board of Supervisors purchased the Corona Heights lot for $27,333.

   Lisa Dunseth, “The Junior Recreation Museum in Balboa Park: The Brainchild of Josephine Randall and Bert Walker,” The Argonaut: Journal of the San Francisco Historical Society, vol. 32, no. 1 (Summer 2021), pp. 64–80
3. 1941

   The Recreation Commission set aside the Corona Heights site for the museum.

   Lisa Dunseth, “The Junior Recreation Museum in Balboa Park: The Brainchild of Josephine Randall and Bert Walker,” The Argonaut: Journal of the San Francisco Historical Society, vol. 32, no. 1 (Summer 2021), pp. 64–80
4. 1947

   San Francisco voters passed a $12 million bond measure to fund a new Junior Museum building.

   Lisa Dunseth, “The Junior Recreation Museum in Balboa Park: The Brainchild of Josephine Randall and Bert Walker,” The Argonaut: Journal of the San Francisco Historical Society, vol. 32, no. 1 (Summer 2021), pp. 64–80
5. September 1949

   The $12 million bond measure's funds were finally appropriated, and construction of the new museum building began.

   Lisa Dunseth, “The Junior Recreation Museum in Balboa Park: The Brainchild of Josephine Randall and Bert Walker,” The Argonaut: Journal of the San Francisco Historical Society, vol. 32, no. 1 (Summer 2021), pp. 64–80
6. September 23, 1951

   Junior museum opens at Corona Heights

   The Josephine D. Randall Junior Museum opened at Corona Heights, dedicated in honor of Josephine Randall, the city's superintendent of recreation for twenty-five years; the Recreation and Park Commission suspended its rule against naming buildings for living people to do so.

   Lisa Dunseth, “The Junior Recreation Museum in Balboa Park: The Brainchild of Josephine Randall and Bert Walker,” The Argonaut: Journal of the San Francisco Historical Society, vol. 32, no. 1 (Summer 2021), pp. 64–80
7. 1955

   Built.

8. Oct 1993

   Permit 9318529 $$$ $20,000

   A horizontal addition built.

9. Mar 2001

   Issued Permit 200103235111

   A concrete patio and accessible ramp added, a storage area and entrance gate added, and the garage repaired.

10. Jun 2014

    Permit 201406259468 $$$ $3,500,000

    A primarily interior renovation: new geology and zoology exhibits, a renovated live-animal exhibit, science lab, multipurpose room, three bathrooms, lobby and concession and office areas, plus a new elevator and accessibility upgrades.

11. Dec 2015

    Issued Permit 201512185449 $$$ $150,000

    Partial demolition of walls and interior renovation of the stem lab and toddler room at the randall museum, including electrical, lighting and finishes.

12. Apr 2016

    Permit 201604275868 $$$ $46,800

    117 new sprinklers installed for the lower-level renovation, with a new fire service line off roosevelt way.

13. Aug 2016

    Permit 201608114823 $$$ $50,000

    A new addressable fire alarm system installed, with sprinkler monitoring, elevator recall, fire door release and full building coverage.

14. Aug 2016

    Permit 201608175183 $$$ $1,000

    Evacuation maps posted for the basement, first and mezzanine floors.

15. Jul 2017

    Permit 201707121636 $$$ $28,000

    Countertops and sinks replaced, and electrical outlets in the counter areas replaced; layouts unchanged.

16. Aug 2017

    Issued Permit 201708245727 $$$ $200,000

    New electrical service installed, amending the scope of an earlier renovation permit.

17. Dec 2017

    Permit 201712116006 $$$ $50,000

    A new cafe and prep kitchen built as a tenant improvement.

Four filings on this parcel are omitted: two nominal-cost inspection renewals and a final-inspection permit that only reference the substantive permits shown, and a $1 permit for the underground portion of the 2016 sprinkler work. 1 expired permit is not shown. The roll classes this parcel as a vacant lot and also gives it a build year of 1955. The assessor's roll files this parcel as public open space at 122 States Street; its 721,266 sq ft lot area and $0 assessed value are for the whole of Corona Heights Park, not the museum building alone, and the 1,338 sq ft building area and other structural figures are minimal for a museum whose 2014–2018 permits describe a full interior renovation. EAS separately carries 199 Museum Way as this parcel's address, which is the museum's own; several of its own building permits name it the Randall Museum. Publicly owned parkland carries no assessed value on the roll; no land/improvement split is charted.