The Golden Gate Bridge and Presidio – The Coolest Symbol of San Francisco
The Presidio of San Francisco is a massive military camp that served as the base for Spanish settlement in the city in the late 18th century. For years, it was a large American military base until it was handed over to the U.S. National Park Service in 1994. Since then, it has become a park that blends historical buildings with a green lung. In 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge was inaugurated at the northern end of the Presidio, quickly becoming the city's symbol. Today, the park combines attractions, nature, and stunning views of the iconic bridge.
How much time is needed for a trip to the Presidio and the Golden Gate Bridge?
To visit all the attractions of the Presidio, including the Legion of Honor Museum at Land's End, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the scenic viewpoints, it's recommended to allocate between half a day to a full day's trip.
What are the must-see spots and activities at the Presidio and the Golden Gate Bridge?
- Take in the view from every possible lookout, including a drive over or a sail under the Golden Gate Bridge
- The Fine Art Collection of the Legion of Honor Museum at Lands End
- Learn a lot about Disney at the Walt Disney Family Museum
- The famous Yoda statue at the Letterman Digital Arts Center
- Walk on the walls of Fort Point at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge
- View of the wild ocean from the top of the Presidio's western batteries
- The view of the bridge from the Torpedo Wharf at Crissy Field
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What are the Presidio and the Golden Gate Bridge?
- The royal fortresses of San Francisco or the El Presidio Real de San Francisco, now collectively referred to as the Presidio
- This is a green area with a large variety of attractions in the northern part of the peninsula where San Francisco sits.
- The main attraction in the large park is located at its northern end, known as Fort Point National Historic Site, the small cape above which the city's most famous landmark – the Golden Gate Bridge – rises.
- Almost the entire park area today serves as a vantage point for the city's iconic bridge.
- In the Presidio Park, hundreds of buildings that were part of the military bases in the area. Some of them, like Fort Point, were built and preserved from the days of the Spaniards in the late 18th century.
- Nowadays, the entire area of the base is transferred for development by the American National Parks Service and it combines private businesses in the former military buildings together with beautiful natural areas offering views of the ocean, the strait, and of course, the Golden Gate Bridge.
- A wide variety of attractions have been built in the base houses, such as the Walt Disney Family Museum and the Letterman Digital Arts Center.
- West of the Presidio lies the wild coastline of San Francisco where you'll find Lands End lookout.
- Above the lookout, at the former site of the city's cemetery, is the Legion of Honor Museum, one of the most magnificent art museums on the entire West Coast of the USA.
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Map of the Presidio and the Golden Gate Bridge
Everything to See and Do in the Presidio
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is San Francisco's number one must-see site and arguably the most famous bridge in the USA, some say in the world. The bridge is named after the strait it spans, the Golden Gate Strait, which separates San Francisco Bay in the south from San Pablo Bay in the north, from the vast body of the Pacific Ocean. The strait received its name in the mid-19th century in the context of the Gold Rush.
The bridge is part of the travel route of Highway 101; it spans the strait from Fort Point at the northern tip of San Francisco to Lime Point and the small cities in the San Francisco metropolitan area that belong to Marin County.
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The Golden Gate Bridge was built in 1933 and inaugurated about four years later. The length of the bridge is 2.7 kilometers. The bridge was part of government and federal initiatives aimed at creating jobs and combating the rising unemployment following the Great Depression. It was built alongside the Bay Bridge, which connects downtown San Francisco with Oakland.
The bridge was designed by Jewish engineer Joseph Strauss in the style of a suspension bridge, based on giant cables that hold the bridge itself and allow it to be flexible. Two giant towers hold the cables, spaced about 1300 meters apart, and their height above sea level is about 230 meters.
For those planning to just view the bridge, there are plenty of popular vantage points in the Presidio, such as along the coast on Marine Drive and Torpedo Wharf. You can also sail underneath the bridge with private companies, take ferries as part of the city's lines, from which you can view the bridge, or even look at it from Fisherman's Wharf.
The toll is charged only for those traveling south into San Francisco; the northbound trip is free. The cost for southbound travel is about $10, and prices tend to rise. Stopping on the bridge during travel is strictly prohibited.
The Presidio of San Francisco
The Presidio is now a huge park in the northern part of San Francisco. The park spans the area of forts and bases established by the Spanish in North of the Peninsula starting from 1776. It is, in fact, the original settlement core of San Francisco, before most city buildings migrated eastwards from the Pacific Ocean to the quieter shores of San Francisco Bay.
After the Spaniards left, the area remained a large base for the Mexican army and then for the American army after California was transferred to the United States in the mid-19th century. Military bases remained there until 1994. The park was also a temporary home to thousands of city residents who lost their homes in the 1906 earthquake and fire. It was also meant to be the site of the UN building in 1946, but it was eventually decided to build it in Manhattan.
Within the park area today, 800 historic buildings still remain that were part of the base, including some from the Spanish period. The entire area has been transferred to the American National Parks Service and it offers plenty of attractions and hiking spots. Highway 101 runs through the park and climbs onto the Golden Gate Bridge at the northern end.
Fort Point National Historic Site
Today's Fort Point is mainly known for the massive structure stretched above it. It sits right underneath the Golden Gate Bridge, built over it in the 1930s. The fort was part of the defense system for the San Francisco Bay – the Presidio, built by the Spaniards at the end of the 18th century and was called Castillo de San Joaquín.
Today, the fort is a historic conservation site where you can learn a lot about the fortified construction style of the Spaniards. Most people visit the fort mainly for the insane view of the bridge above it. You can walk along the top wall of the fort, offering a perfect view of the bridge and the Golden Gate Strait.
Address: Marine Dr. 201, San Francisco
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The Western Batteries of the Presidio
Right when you get on the Golden Gate Bridge, there's a large parking lot providing access to the Presidio's western batteries. Heading south from the bridge, above the descent to the Pacific Ocean beach, the Spaniards built a series of batteries as part of the Presidio fortifications. Below the batteries is Marshall's Beach, a beautiful natural beach accessible via trails that descend from the batteries.
The western batteries are now a park with walking trails where you can stroll along the historic fortifications and enjoy the stunning views of the ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge. The batteries include Battery Cranston, Battery Marcus Miller, Battery Boutelle, and Battery Godfrey. At the top of the hill above the battery system is the Golden Gate Overlook.
Crissy Field
Crissy Field lies east of Fort Point and is connected to the fort by walking trails along the shore of the Golden Gate Strait. The path is known as Marina Drive, and there you'll find the Torpedo Wharf, the perfect spot to gaze at the Golden Gate Bridge. Crissy Field used to be a landing strip for the military airport when the Presidio was still a bustling U.S. Army base. South of the field, there's a row of former military buildings now turned into private businesses.
The Walt Disney Family Museum
The Walt Disney Family Museum is like an adult Disneyland experience for those who enjoy a more museum-like atmosphere rather than adrenaline-pumping amusement rides. The museum is entirely dedicated to Walt Disney and his vast life's work, which of course includes the production of animated films (originally even hand-drawn by him, like Mickey Mouse and friends) and total domination of the themed amusement park industry under the Disney brand.
The museum is located on Main Parade Lawn in the eastern part of the Presidio, in what used to be the residences of the base's officers. In these beautiful homes, there is a wide variety of businesses in addition to the Disney museum, and nearby is also the Presidio Visitor Center. The museum's exhibition features a lot of Disney memorabilia, historical original illustrations, original illustrations from current Pixar animated movies, and more.
The museum also hosts extensive displays on Walt Disney's life, from his childhood in Missouri to his time living in Los Angeles. The museum always teases Disneyland, which might be slightly disappointing for young kids.
Address: Montgomery St. 104, San Francisco
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Letterman Digital Arts Center
Just as Disneyland has Universal Studios (both in Los Angeles and Orlando), the Disney Family Museum has the nearby Letterman Digital Arts Center. Much of what Universal Parks have to offer is based on George Lucas's Star Wars movie series. The arts center features a large memorabilia display donated by Lucas, who was one of the center's initiators. The place has become a must-visit for all Star Wars fans since its opening in 2005 in buildings that were part of the military base. The center houses the famous Yoda statue in the fountain dedicated to Lucas's iconic character.
The building is situated at the eastern edge of the Presidio, across the road from the Marina District neighborhood and the magnificent Palace of Fine Arts which was built in 1915 as part of the Panama-California Expo. The center was built at the initiative of Lucasfilm, Lucas's production company.
Address: Letterman Dr # B, 1, San Francisco
Lands End Lookout
On the Pacific Ocean coast, west of the Presidio Park, lies the area of Lands End. Overlooking the coast is the Legion of Honor Museum, with the popular China Beach nearby. Lands End is a wild natural space featuring low cliffs descending into the ocean, ravines, and of course, a beautiful and quite stormy shoreline. It's the perfect spot for a lookout over the Golden Gate Bridge to the north.
Legion of Honor Museum
Above the cliffs of Lands End sits the magnificent Legion of Honor Art Museum. The museum is located in the California Palace of the Legion of Honor building, which was part of the Golden Gate Cemetery, the city's main burial site from the mid-19th century until 1909. The mausoleum was converted in 1924 into a wing of the de Young Museum and today hosts an impressive art collection of paintings, sculptures, and artworks from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.
The museum's collection includes several masterpieces by the greatest European masters. The prominent paintings and sculptures in the collection are:
- The expansive sculpture collection of the great Impressionist sculptor Auguste Rodin displayed in The Spreckels Gallery
- The iconic painting “The Charity” by the Flemish Baroque giant Peter Paul Rubens
- The famous painting “Saint John the Baptist” by the Greek/Spanish giant El Greco
- The stunning painting “The Grand Canal” by Claude Monet
- The art collection includes paintings by Vincent van Gogh, Rembrandt van Rijn, Francisco Goya, Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Jacques-Louis David, Tiepolo, and many more greats
- The collection also includes decorative objects and archaeological items from the Egyptian period, Greece, Rome, and up to the Middle Ages
Address: 34th Ave. 100, San Francisco
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Planning a Trip Route in Western San Francisco – The Presidio, Golden Gate Park, and The Mission
A Trip Route in The Presidio and Lands End
The trip route through the districts and areas known as Western San Francisco should begin from the north and head south. The city's most iconic landmark, the Golden Gate Bridge, marks the northern tip of the peninsula in what is now Presidio Park.
- Fort Point, a well-preserved fort built by the Spaniards as part of the Presidio's military system, sits right at the southern base of the Golden Gate Bridge
- It's worth climbing the fort wall for a scenic view and then walking along Marina Drive to Crissy Field, the landing strip of the American military base right on the shore
- Nearby is the Walt Disney Family Museum and next to it is the Letterman Digital Arts Center, owned by George Lucas
- You should also visit the western batteries of the Presidio, from which you can descend to Marshall Beach. From the beach, there's a stunning view (also from the batteries) towards the Golden Gate Bridge.
- South of the Presidio is the Lands End Cliff Park, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. There you'll find the Legion of Honor Museum, the finest art museum in San Francisco.
Tour Route in Golden Gate Park, Haight-Ashbury, and the Mission District
South of Lands End begins the city's largest urban park – Golden Gate Park. This is where the Summer of Love took place in 1967, and it's the western twin of New York City's Central Park.
- It's worth starting your park tour in the western part by the ocean's edge at Queen Wilhelmina Garden, which features a Dutch windmill and flowers characteristic of the Low Countries.
- Nearby was the fenced pasture area of the buffalo – the Bison Paddock.
- In the heart of the park lies the artificial Stow Lake, which features the lovely Strawberry Hill island at its center.
- Just east of the lake is the complex comprising the de Young Museum, the California Academy of Sciences, the large San Francisco Botanical Garden, the Japanese Tea Garden, and the Shakespeare Garden.
- To the northeast, in the northern part of the park, is the Conservatory, a huge greenhouse structure dedicated to the preservation of plants and flowers.
- North of the park, in the Little Russia neighborhood, stands the magnificent Holy Virgin Cathedral, an impressive Orthodox church building.
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The southwestern districts of San Francisco – Haight-Ashbury and Mission – are located at the southwest corner of the park. Haight-Ashbury was the residential district of the hippies who flocked to the city in 1967. To this day, the counterculture vibe dominates the neighborhood and has made it an attraction in its own right.
- The northern part of Haight-Ashbury is bordered by the long stretch of the panhandle, the thin and long extension of Golden Gate Park to the east.
- Two blocks south of the panhandle lies the attractive Haight Street filled with second-hand and vintage stores.
- At the eastern end of the street, near the house where the Grateful Dead band operated, lies the charming Buena Vista Park.
- From the park, you can descend towards the Castro neighborhood via the Vulcan staircase.
- Castro Street is considered the center of the LGBTQ+ community so closely associated with the city. There, you will also find the LGBTQ+ Museum.
- To the east lies the Mission District, the core of the city's settlement, with the Franciscan mission established in 1776 at its heart.
- Next to the mission is Dolores Park, from which there is a breathtaking view of the city.
- To the west of Castro and the Mission District, you can travel to a scenic lookout atop Twin Peaks.
