Greenberg & Grimes: Inappropriate Books at the Golden Gate Bridge Visitors Bookshop 

It’s assumed the National Park Service objective is preserving America’s natural and cultural heritage, offering visitors a sanctuary to connect with iconic parks and landmarks. The Warming Hut, the bookstore and visitors shop at the doorstep of the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge, a global symbol of American engineering, should embody this mission by providing educational materials, maps, and tourist merchandise like T-shirts, magnets, postcards (and even coffee) that deepen appreciation of the bridge’s history and San Francisco’s scenic waterfront.

However, the Warming Hut also prominently features LGBTQ-themed books and books referring to California as a slave state, introducing bizarre and inappropriate additions to the Golden Gate Bridge’s visitor experience. At minimum, this is really confusing. At worst, this undermines the spirit of the National Park Service by injecting highly controversial and irrelevant social agendas into a space meant for tourists, and the management’s judgment in selecting such content should be questioned.

The National Park Service’s mission is to preserve the natural and cultural resources of the nation for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of all. At the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge, the bookstore should prioritize materials tied to the bridge’s historical and engineering significance—books on its design, construction challenges, or role in San Francisco’s historic landscape. Promoting books about sexual fetish and orientation or those controversially labeling California as a slave state—a historically inaccurate and provocative claim given California’s admission as a free state in 1850—is not appropriate.

Some might argue that these books reflect diverse perspectives, but this is not about inclusivity—it’s about appropriateness, relevance and accuracy.

The Warming Hut website says, “We feature park books, prints, kids’ toys, apparel, and many fun and unique items to delight, inform, and inspire people of all ages.”

The Golden Gate Bridge is a neutral ground where people unite in awe of its grandeur and waterfront splendor. Books on sexual orientation or those pushing misleading historical narratives, management endorses specific ideological viewpoints, sidelining others. This curation is jarring to visitors expecting content relevant to the bridge’s story, and the choice to include such material calls into question the bookstore’s oversight and priorities.

At any National Park visitor’s store, I want to see books about the regional architecture, indigenous birds, raptors, fish, animals and flora and fauna. I want to learn about the area, not social justice.

This choice also politicizes the NPS, an agency that thrives on universal appeal. The Golden Gate Bridge draws millions seeking a shared experience. Introducing materials tied to polarizing issues invites controversy, potentially eroding the bridge’s role as a unifying landmark and raising doubts about management’s stewardship.

Notably, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit under EIN 94-2781708. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable under the law. They also must adhere to federal laws and rules for untaxed non-profits; practicing partisan politics and social justice warrior isn’t one of them.