Fort Point National Historic Site — Attraction in San Francisco

MUST VISIT HISTORICAL SPOT IN SAN FRANCISCO! It's like stepping back in time to 1860's when cannons were the defense of the bay. 12 foot thick brick walls kept soldiers safe from potential Spanish ships invading. The views are spectacular on a sunny day. The exhibits give great info about the Fort, the artillery and ammunition, the soldiers, the bridge, the lighthouses, the buffalo soldiers (yes like the Bob Marley song), and more. Would be a great place for Lazer tag (rangers might not be on board with this sort of play though), photo shoots, filming location, exercise (climbing 4 flights of spiral staircases), weddings?, etc. I believe that a Shakespeare play was performed here at one time. There's no admitting charge but a donation box is at the entrance, 2 Park Rangers on duty to give info & keep things in line (keep off the walls on the top floor!). This is a must visit spot in my opinion! Parking near Fort wasn't an issue on the day I went. There are no restrooms in the Fort itself but at the entrance of parking there are public restrooms. NOTE: The Fort does NOT have elevators and the spiral staircases can be difficult for some as there are no handrails- but most of the cool stuff is on the ground floor anyways & still worth seeing. The views from top floor are...

August 2025 This is one of our favorite places to visit and bring visitors in the Presidio. It is very unique as it is just below the Golden Gate Bridge. The arch is built especially for Fort Point.

Lots of history here, available on many signs around the place. Rangers are always very friendly. There's a gift shop with many SF themed items. Great to visit on a chilly day for a break from the cold and wind.

Currently there is an art exhibit for the summer, Black Gold.

Be ready to climb the stairs to the top and brave the heights and wind!! It is generally windy each time I visit (maybe 2-3 times a year). The view with the bridge is amazing, though it can get foggy at times.

If the view is good, take the photo. The clouds and haze move fast and the opportunity for the next good photo may not appear for a while.

There are metal black stairs or spiral staircases. The black stairs are more even and the hand rails are probably easier for those less steady on stairs. The spiral staircases are fun, but take care as your step size needs to adjust as you go up. I don't think I've seen an elevator...

There have been some surfers on previous visits on water just next to the Fort, but fishermen on other visits. Plenty of bus tours go by...

This was one of the most interesting areas I have visited in SF. It is definitely not the first attraction or location you visit on your first trip to SF but it is worth it. Many people including locals visit the Golden Gate Bridge so it is worth the 30-60 min to go down toward the site. We drove right to it and found parking. The site is free and you can see people surfing in the water. You go in to the giant courtyard and the scale is amazing. There is a museum about the history of Fort Point in every floor. On the roof it is beautiful and a refreshing angle of the bridge. Also great place for a photo opportunity. There are tours of the site and stuff managing the location. These area does require some climbing up stairs and they are not the most easy stairs but worth the experience. There is also a small museum store on the right side. Overall will recommend the stop especially for military...