History Experiences

​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Presidio is where San Francisco began.

This inspiring setting at the Golden Gate was home to native peoples for thousands of years. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​In 1776, Spain established a military fort on this land. After winning its independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico controlled the post and established a new pueblo nearby called Yerba Buena (later known as the city of San Francisco).

In 1846 the Presidio became a U.S. Army post. Generations of soldiers passed through its gates, serving our nation around the world.

​​The Army departed in 1994, and the Presidio became a national park site. Today, the Presidio welcomes all with its beauty, nature, history, recreation, and family activities and it’s one of the best places in American to learn about our nation's past and to contemplate the next chapter.​

Read the full history of the Presidio >>