The Presidio Trust and its partners are creating a welcoming urban national park site that celebrates history, environment, and community, and that honors the Presidio’s legacy of service.
The birthplace of San Francisco and one of the oldest and most important military posts in the country, the Presidio is rich with stories and artifacts. A new Archaeology Center opens in early 2014. A growing cadre of programs at the earliest Spanish settlements, El Presidio and El Polin Spring, are especially designed for students, extending the classroom into the park. With programs and exhibits coming soon to the Officers’ Club, the Montgomery Street Barracks, and ultimately to a new visitor center, the Presidio is becoming one of the finest historic parks in the country.
Collaborations with artists and special events, in addition to the programs provided by Presidio tenants also bring cultural life to the park and make for a compelling mix of old and new. Barracks; airplane hangars and warehouses have become museums, gyms, spas, and other recreational facilities. Small businesses, non-profits, schools, and cultural organizations have brought new identity to former hospital and headquarters buildings.
Everyone can find something to do at the Presidio: baseball, basketball, biking, bird watching, board sailing, bowling, camping, climbing, dance, golf, hiking, kite flying, massage, meditation, personal training, picnicking, pilates, playground fun, running, soccer, stewardship, swimming, tennis, trampoline jumping, walking, and yoga. Beautiful places, indoors and out, are an inspiration to exercise the body and the mind: Twenty-four miles of new trails and bikeways, eight scenic overlooks, a new campground, bay and ocean beaches, playing fields, gyms and studios in historic buildings, and a state-of-the-art nursery.
The park is a serene place to gather for events, no matter what the occasion. Facilities in historic buildings can accommodate up to 450 people, with options for break-out meeting space, banquets, outdoor events, and additional activities. All meeting needs can be accommodated. The new Inn at the Presidio allows for a complete park experience for wedding parties, small meetings, and social gatherings.
The Presidio is becoming a new hub for the Bay Area’s best food. Today there are nearly a dozen restaurants in the park. With the historic buildings and parade grounds of the Main Post providing a spectacular setting, new food options and comfortable venues will welcome and nourish visitors as well as the park community.
The reconstruction of the 1937 Doyle Drive highway, which is underway along the northern edge of the park, will allow for a wholly new park experience. Landscaped bluffs at the foot of the Main Post will slope over the roadway tunnels, connecting the Main Post to Crissy Field and providing a grand and surprising setting for all kinds of park activities – morning exercise, picnics, sunsets, and even live performance. Main Post Bluffs will be completed in 2015 and will be the Bay Area’s next great destination.