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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Presidio became a military post in 1776, first for Spain, and then for Mexico before the U.S. seized it for themselves in 1846, at the start of the Mexican-American War. Over the years it played a part in the many military engagements of the Pacific Rim and served as headquarters for the U.S. Army Western Defense Command during World War II. Congress decided to close the still-active army installation in 1989, at which time it was the oldest operating military base in the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. National Park Service acquired the land in 1994, and it\u2019s now a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA)<\/a>, 82,116 acres of non-continuous parkland that includes everything from Muir Woods National Monument in nearby Marin County to Alcatraz Island. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A first-of-its-kind, non-profit federal agency called The Presidio Trust oversees the Presidio\u2019s interior and the majority of its 700-plus structures, earning the funds to manage the park through overseeing its businesses, leasing its homes (approximately 4,119 people reside within the Presidio), and providing special permits for such activities as races and outdoor gatherings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, the Presidio is one of San Francisco\u2019s greatest natural and cultural assets, with everything from hiking and cycling trails to a bronze statue of the great Jedi master, Yoda. It\u2019s home to the new 14-acre Tunnel Tops attraction and a museum dedicated to the life and legacy of the \u201cman behind the mouse,\u201d Walt Disney. It\u2019s also one of the best examples of large-scale adaptive reuse around. You\u2019ll see things like a former airplane hangar converted into a trampoline park<\/a>, and a once-barracks transformed into a historic boutique hotel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether it\u2019s a game of bowling at the 12-lane Presidio Bowl<\/a> (there\u2019s also \u201cGlow in the Dark\u201d bowling Friday and Saturday nights) in the park\u2019s Main Post, or taking a spin on the trampolines at the House of Air, the Presidio offers a wealth of activities and attractions for everyone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Play a round of golf at the 18-hole Presidio Golf Course, a more-than-century-old, 6,500-yard course once reserved for elite players like former U.S. president Teddy Roosevelt and former pro-golfer Arnold Palmer. Or take a stroll through San Francisco National Cemetery. Not only is it the oldest national cemetery on the West Coast, but it\u2019s also one of only four remaining cemeteries that officially exist within San Francisco city limits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Start off your Presidio excursion at the newly opened Visitor Center<\/a> in Presidio\u2019s Main Post, the heart of the former military base. Along with information pertaining to the park, including exhibits on its history, there\u2019s a model of the Presidio with its own interactive touch screen that highlights the park\u2019s must-see stops and attractions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another resident of the Main Post is the Presidio\u2019s Walt Disney Family Museum<\/a>, a 40,000-square-foot space telling the story of Walt Disney through 10 permanent galleries ranging from \u201cThe Early Beginnings\u201d to \u201cDisneyland and Beyond,\u201d temporary exhibits like “The Jungle Book: Making a Masterpiece,” <\/em>and displays that include a 12-foot diameter model of Disneyland and Disney\u2019s plethora of Oscars, including a specially made Oscar for his work on the film, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Although he traditionally resides on the swamp-covered planet of Dagobah, the legendary Jedi master Yoda also lives on in San Francisco\u2019s Presidio. You\u2019ll find his \u201clife-sized\u201d bronze figure perched atop a fountain in front of Building B, which is part of the 23-acre Letterman Digital Arts Center. This is the city headquarters for Lucasfilm LTD, as well as LucasArts and the motion picture visual effects company Industrial Light and Magic. While the center is a working campus, thousands of Star Wars fans flock to the fountain annually to pay homage to the Grand Master himself. Don\u2019t miss out! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Local tip:<\/strong> The lobby of Building B is open to the public during weekday work hours and is filled with Star Wars memorabilia, including life-sized models of Boba Fett, Darth Vadar, and a Stormtrooper. Stop in, browse, and take as many pics as you like. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Presidio is also home to four site-specific sculptures by British artist and environmentalist Andy Goldsworthy. The most prominent is Spire, <\/em>a sculpture consisting of 37 large Monterey cypress trunks \u2014 all felled onsite and fastened together to create a towering 100-foot-tall piece in the middle of the Presidio forest. It\u2019s easily accessible on foot via the park\u2019s portion of the Bay Area Ridge Trail<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n His other pieces include the squiggly Wood Line <\/em>in the park\u2019s eucalyptus grove and Earth Wall<\/em> (a shout-out to the park\u2019s ongoing archaeological digs) inside the Presidio Officers Club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Presidio\u2019s home to 24 miles of trails for hiking and\/or bicycling, as well as 25 miles of bikeways. One of its most scenic pathways is the Land\u2019s End Coastal Trail, a pedestrian-only 4.4-mile coastal trail that runs from the parking lot above the Sutro Bath <\/a>ruins (another part of the GGNRA, southwest of the Presidio) to the Golden Gate Bridge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Along the way, the trail skirts clifftops, meanders beneath cypress and eucalyptus canopies, and provides access to sandy stretches down below. These include Mile Rock Beach, a secluded cove brimming with rocky pools of marine life, and the hugely popular Baker Beach, stretching for a mile below the Presidio\u2019s cliffs. Along with spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands, the beach also has a clothing-optional section on its northernmost end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Presidio\u2019s newest attraction is its Tunnel Tops, a free 14-acre parkland atop two tunnel portions of Doyle Drive. It features everything from a campfire circle with ranger talks to a cliff walk sporting benches carved from felled Presidio trees. The Outpost playground, equipped with play structures made from boulders and fallen tree trunks, is a kid favorite.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, what\u2019s especially cool is that Tunnel Tops connects the Presidio\u2019s Main Post with the previous remote Crissy Field<\/a>, a bayside former airfield that\u2019s now home to restored tidal marshes, picnic grounds, and a small sandy beach. It\u2019s also where you\u2019ll find the Warming Hut, a great place to pick up cups of hot chocolate and San Francisco-centric goods. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat to do in San Francisco’s Presidio<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Presidio indoors <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Presidio artworks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Presidio outdoors<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Where to eat in San Francisco\u2019s Presidio<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n