The Avenue of Nations continued the Avenue of Palms westward past the south end of the Palace of Fine Arts. It then swung northwest across Presidio land to the Federal Concourse, where it crossed the Esplanade, and went on to meet the Marina at the bay. The foreign pavilions lined it. Some faced its southerly side, others filled the wedge of ground south of the Palace of Fine Arts. None stood north of the Esplanade, which was left to the State buildings.
Walking it from the palaces, a visitor met Cuba's rose-tinted tower closing the view down the Avenue of Palms. Then came Portugal and, across the way, the little town of Italy beside the Fine Arts arc, with Turkey and Siam nearby. Japan's garden faced Denmark across the avenue. Beyond, on rising ground, were France, Norway, Greece, Australia and New Zealand. Toward the Concourse, Bolivia and Sweden faced the south front of Canada. Todd counted 21 foreign pavilions. With the State buildings they formed "a little city of grand and beautiful edifices." The avenue was the route of parades, including the Zone Day pageant, and of the Fadgl auto trains, which ran northwest along it to the Marina and the Live Stock section.
No photograph of the Avenue of Nations has turned up yet in the public-domain archives this site draws on. If you know of one, or hold one, send it over and it will be credited here. Meanwhile the photographs page holds 410 pictures of the fair, more than the film uses.
Where it stood
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The Avenue of Nations stood at about 37.80032 N, 122.45366 W on today's map. The whole fairground over the city →