Community Engagement

We listen and learn from communities to make the Presidio a welcoming place for all.

Parks belong to all of us. We invest in partnership - uplifting community ideas, expertise, and networks to create a more inclusive Presidio.

The Presidio is part of a movement to bring the national park experience closer to where most people live – in cities. The Presidio is right in the middle of the Bay Area, a bus ride away from millions of people.

And yet, there’s work to do to make sure everyone can enjoy this public space.

 The Presidio Trust, with the Partnership for the Presidio, supports the ongoing development of this park as an inclusive, equitable, and relevant community resource. We work to remove tangible and intangible barriers to welcome those that have been historically underrepresented in national parks — including people of color, people with disabilities, and those with lower income.

Community Events & Activations

We work closely with partners to host or collaborate on events that connect the park with their communities through art, culture, health, music, education, and more.

Four people from the Asian American for Civil Rights and Equality at the Crissy Field Center courtyard celebrating Lunar New Year.

Community Access & Visits

Our Community Shuttle, Community Reservable Spaces, and other Community Access programs aim to make it easier for local communities to visit and explore the Presidio.

People standing in front of a parked bus.

Community Leaders

Our Presidio Activators and Community Experts are leaders, activists, organizers, and artists who are working with us to make the Presidio a welcoming and inclusive space that meets community needs.    

Six people who work with the Presidio Activators group.

Community Art

Art can bridge communities and perspectives. Through partnerships with community artists, we’re leveraging the transformative power of art and culture to create a more inclusive environment for all communities, recognizing and honoring the histories often left out.  

Favianna Rodrigues, a man, and a child make at at Presidio Tunnel Tops.

Photo by Paul Myer.

Community Partner Organizations

Photo source:

The Presidio is a place where you can breathe freely and be yourself with no judgment. It is a place for families and people to come together for unity and peace of mind.”

Rhonda Haley

Services Coordinator, Bay View Commons Apartments

Mission District based Brazilian Carnaval Dance and Percussion company Fogo Na Roupa practice on the streets of the Presidio.

Carnaval Ensayo - In May of 2022, Presidio Activator Metzi Henriquez brought Fogo Na Roupa, a Mission District based Brazilian Carnaval Dance and Percussion company, to practice on the streets and parking lots of the Presidio to the joy of onlookers.

A child gets their face painted during a Dia De Los Muertos celebration at the Presidio.

Dia De Los Muertos – Partnership for the Presidio hosted a public celebration of Dia De Los Muertos last November offering face painting, skull decoration, paper flower making, and altar building.

Speakers seated on stage during an Environmental Justice Summit at the Presidio.

Environmental Justice Summit – Presidio Activator Khafre Jay brought Hip Hop for Change’s Environmental Justice Summit to the Presidio’s Main Parade Lawn last August. The program included a time for storytelling from climate justice and environmental justice activists.

Participants share a meal at the Presidio's first Pchum Ben Festival.

Pchum Ben – Presidio Activator Mory Chhom from Center for Refugees and Immigrants organized the first Pchum Ben Festival at Crissy Field Center bringing in Cambodian community members from Oakland and the Tenderloin to pray, eat, and dance.

San Jose Taiko Drummers perform at the Presidio with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.

Sunday Afternoons – Community partners co-curate a community stage for First Sunday Afternoons in the Presidio. San Jose Taiko Drummers graced the stage and led a procession through Presidio Tunnel Tops last summer.

Emcee speaks into a microphone as part of World Arts West’s Dances in the Park in the Presidio.

WAW Dances in the Park – Cheza Nami Director emcees World Arts West’s Dances in the Park last October, an outdoor dance festival.

Share Your Feedback

We welcome your questions and ideas — they help us shape the Presidio into a more welcoming and accessible place for all. Email us at myparkideas@presidiotrust.gov.

Two women hold a sign on the Presidio lawn.