1. Home
  2. Travel
  3. US & Canadian Parks

Fort Point National Historic Site   

courtesy of the National Park Service

Contact Information:
Fort Point National Historic Site 
PO Box 29333
Presidio of San Francisco, CA 94129
415
-556-1693
http://www.nps.gov/fopo/

Size: 29 acres

Location: Fort Point National Historic Site is located beneath the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California.  

Description: This classic brick and granite mid-19th-century coastal fort is the only one of its style on the west coast of the United States. It was occupied throughout the Civil War, but the advent of faster, more powerful rifled cannon made brick forts such as Fort Point obsolete. Between 1933 and 1937 the fort was used as a base of operations for the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Fort Point National Historic Site 
courtesy of the National Park Service

Activities: Regular programs include 30-minute guided tours of the fort and cannon loading demonstrations. Visitors can also enjoy self-guided tours and video programs entitled "Guardians of the Golden Gate" and "Building the Golden Gate Bridge."

Operating Hours: Open Friday, Saturday, & Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The fort is closed Monday through Thursday (during Golden Gate Bridge retrofit work) and on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

History: Established as national historic site on October 16, 1970. 

See other National Historic Sites
See other California National Parks

 

Explore US & Canadian Parks

More from About.com

  1. Home
  2. Travel
  3. US & Canadian Parks

©2008 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.