A crumbling military base as an "art scene"? You bet. Deep in the coastal wilds of the Marin Headlands lies the world-renowned artist community, the Headlands Center for the Arts. This series of 1907 Army barracks houses dozens of highly acclaimed artists from the Bay Area and beyond. The buildings prompt many curious travelers to ask, What exactly goes on in there? Go to their free Open House this Sunday and find out. See artists in action and talk to them about their work. And then there's the food! Enjoy an organic meal in the Center's Mess Hall Café, where local ingredients are molded into their own art forms by former Chez Panisse chef Juliette Delventhal. Later, catch the sunset on Rodeo Beach. Ahhh nature: what a masterpiece.

TIP: Want to work up an appetite before the gourmet Mess Hall meal? Add a hike to the mix by venturing into the nearby coastal scrublands of Gerbode Valley.

Story by Steve Waldron

The open house is this Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m. There is no charge for admission. It is dog friendly! From San Francisco, the 76 Marin Headlands bus runs only on Sundays—the first bus departs the City at 9:30 a.m., and the last bus leaves Rodeo Beach/Fort Cronkhite at 6:30 p.m. Buses run every hour. To see routes and schedules, click here.