CIVIC CENTER

THE PRESIDIO

GOLDEN GATE PARK

For thousands of years, Native Americans managed and harvested the natural bounty of what is now the Presidio. In 1776, Spanish soldiers and missionaries arrived, beginning 218 years of military use of the area just south of the Golden Gate. Mexico controlled the site following its independence from Spain in 1821. After the United States won the Mexican-American War in 1848, the U.S. Army took the helm and remained in control of the Presidio until 1994.

As a result of the Base Closure and Realignment Act, the land is now under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. In 1996, the U.S. Congress established the Presidio Trust to preserve and enhance the park while becoming financially self-sufficient by 2013.

Within its boundaries are the Fort Point National Historic Site, San Francisco National Cemetery, and Fort Winfield Scott.

Designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1962, the Presidio is home to more than 500 historical structures which represent nine architectural styles from every major military construction period since 1848 including: