Magnificent Fort Mason

Twice a month we share some of our favorite destinations in the city and the Muni rroutes and lines that will take you there.

An overhead view of the Fort Mason Center campus which serves as home to numerous resident nonprofit organizations. 

During World War II, more than 1.5 million troops shipped out of Fort Mason's now-converted piers.

With the warm weather still upon us, can you think of a better place to chill out than historic Fort Mason? An airy complex of renovated military buildings, Fort Mason was originally established as a military outpost by the Spanish in 1776, before being taken over by the U.S. Army when California joined the Union in 1850. The troops are now gone, but Fort Mason remains as lively as ever. Today, the non-profit Fort Mason Center campus serves as the home to a number of resident nonprofit organizations.

Fort Mason is a respite in the middle of otherwise bustling San Francisco. Perfectly positioned between Aquatic Park and the Marina Green, it has become the ideal place to kick-off your shoes and enjoy the Bay breezes.

Did You Know?

• Fort Mason was originally named the “Post at Point San Jose.”
• Following the Civil War, the post became the headquarters of the U.S. Army 9th Infantry Regiment, and served as the military headquarters for the U.S. Army on the West Coast.
• Fort Mason is considered the cultural center of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, 75,500 acres of land and water that extends north across the Golden Gate Bridge to Tomales Bay in Marin County and south to San Mateo County.
• Built in the Mission Revival style, Fort Mason set the design standard for the majority of military construction found in the Presidio and numerous other installations of the era throughout Northern California.
• One of its first missions was delivering supplies and personnel to the western portion of the Panama Canal construction. During World War II, more than 1.5 million troops and over 23.5 million tons of cargo shipped out to the Pacific from Fort Mason’s piers.
• In recognition of the importance of Fort Mason during this period, the port site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985.

How to get there

Muni Routes

Fort Mason can be accessed via a number of Muni routes: 28R 19th Avenue Rapid, 30 Stockton, 30X Marina Express, 47 Van Ness and the the 49 Van Ness/Mission.