Fort Mason

There?s much more to Fort Mason than meets the eye: in bygone times, its lands and buildings housed Spanish soldiers, the American army, earthquake refugees, and port authorities. Today, at upper Fort Mason, one historic military building on the cliff top serves as the NPS and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy headquarters, and another as a Hosteling International hostel
On the waterfront, old port piers and warehouses have been transformed into the workspaces, theaters, galleries, and event pavilions of the nonprofit Fort Mason Center.

Paved, accessible trails and steep steps connect upper and lower Fort Mason. In between, Great Meadow slopes down from upper Fort Mason to the Marina, offering grassy hilltops and hollows for picnicking, sunbathing, walking, or sports activities. Views from the meadow include San Francisco?s hilly skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Fort Mason Center
The covered piers and waterfront warehouses at lower Fort Mason provide space for the Fort Mason Center, a compendium of more than 30 distinct environmental, cultural, and arts organizations. In addition to taking a stroll down the piers or sitting on bench enjoying the view or having lunch, you will find art galleries, small museums, theaters, performance space, a restaurant, and a book store. In addition to its regular tenants, more than 500 different groups use the Center?s facilities for special events and programs ranging from acting and antiques shows to festivals and workshops. To find out what?s up this month, visit online or pick up the Center?s schedule of activities, in building lobby areas and parking lot stands.

Park Headquarters
A good place to begin exploring the Golden Gate National Parks is at Park Headquarters in Building 201, a gracious, white three-story structure in upper Fort Mason. The visitor information center here also provides park maps and other information for the Golden Gate and other western national parks.

Tips for Visitors
Look for a copy of the Fort Mason Center monthly calendar for events or exhibits that interest you.
In the Great Meadow, look for the larger-than-life-size statue of Congressman Phillip Burton, who sponsored legislation that created the Golden Gate National Parks in 1972.
Stop by Park Headquarters for information and a current NPS program calendar.
Paid parking is available at Fort Mason Center, entrance off Marina Boulevard.

History
Earthquake Refugees
After the famous jolt of 1906, the tents of earthquake refugees dotted Fort Mason?s Great Meadow. While the city collapsed and burned, thousands of hungry and homeless people received care at Fort Mason, which served as the headquarters for army relief field operations.

Black Point Battery and Picnic Spot
When the Civil War broke out in 1861, San Francisco?s defense rested solely on the firepower of Fort Point and Alcatraz. The Union valued California?s natural (and economic) resources and built three temporary emergency fortifications in the Bay Area, including Black Point Battery (also known as the Point San Jose Military Reservation) to protect them. Six 10-inch Rodman cannon (weighing 24,000 pounds each) and an equal number of smaller James guns armed the battery, but not one of these weapons was ever fired at the Confederates. Named for the dark cluster of laurel trees that once grew on the bluff, Black Point Battery provides a sheltered picnicking and sunbathing spot overlooking the battery and the bay. (You can also take the paved path, with its many steep stairs, back down to Aquatic Park).

Port of Embarkation
Lower Fort Mason was the nerve center of wartime embarkation programs between 1910 and 1963. Thousands of men and tons of supplies passed through the facility?s three deep-water finger piers on their way to war zones across the ocean.