Presidio Officers' Club Reopening September 2014

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(Presidio of San Francisco – May 21, 2014) – The Presidio Trust announced today that the Presidio Officers’ Club, San Francisco’s most historic building and social center of the Presidio for more than a century, will reopen to the public in September 2014 as a multifaceted cultural destination. The Officers’ Club has been transformed to welcome the public.

“The reopening of the Officers’ Club is a true milestone for the Presidio Trust and the greater community,” said Craig Middleton, Presidio Trust executive director. “The Officers’ Club promises to provide the public with a meaningful, welcoming, and engaging look into the Presidio’s rich history and future aspirations.”

Visitors will enjoy exceptional exhibitions and dynamic programming including dances, live music, theater, films, and lectures inspired by the Presidio’s significant role in American history. New classrooms will allow the Trust to expand its educational programming, with field trips for students from kindergarten through high school, all tied to the California State curriculum.

​Students and the general public will also have the opportunity to witness and participate with archaeologists at work on the excavation of the original Spanish colonial site of El Presidio, located in front of the Officers’ Club. A new, state-of-the-art archaeology lab adjacent to the Officers’ Club will allow Presidio Trust archaeologists to clean, study, and store the Presidio’s historic artifacts onsite.

​Middleton also announced a new destination restaurant, Arguello, which will open in the Officers’ Club with authentic Mexican. Led by chef Traci Des Jardins, the restaurant will seat 118 people indoors and on a heated outside patio.Lunch service will be casual, serving a diverse range of visitor needs.  In the evening Arguello will transform into a full-service restaurant offering a festive atmosphere that is also family-friendly. A full bar will offer craft cocktails and beverages. Chef Des Jardins was selected to oversee Arguello because of her Mexican heritage and passion for its cuisine expressed with the success of her Mijita Cocina Mexicana restaurants at the Ferry Building and AT&T Park.

“I am honored to be a part of the historic Presidio Officers’ Club,” said Traci Des Jardins. “My team and I are committed to bringing a delicious, contemporary culinary experience to the Presidio.” Des Jardins opened The Commissary restaurant on the Presidio’s Main Post in the Montgomery Street Barracks on May 20, also in partnership with the Presidio Trust.

Two incredible new event spaces, the second floor Ortega Ballroom with views of the San Francisco Bay and the atrium-like Hardie Courtyard, will be available to rent for family and business gatherings.

The Officers’ Club will feature heritage exhibits throughout, including a 4,000 square foot Presidio Heritage Gallery with interactive exhibits that will provide context, encourage exploration, and establish a deeper understanding of the Presidio and its vital role in San Francisco and world history. The gallery will highlight the compelling human stories from the Presidio’s past, use immersive media to enliven the experience, and display one-of-a-kind artifacts, while encouraging visitors to make connections with their lives in the present.

Admission to the Officers’ Club exhibitions and programs will be free, sponsored by the Presidio Trust. No trip to the Presidio will be complete without a visit to the Officers’ Club.

The Officers’ Club is located in the Presidio at 50 Moraga Avenue at Arguello Boulevard on the Main Post. To learn more about the Officers’ Club and its offerings, visit: Presidio Officers’ Club.

About the Presidio Trust

The Presidio Trust, a federal agency, is an innovation in management of a treasured American place. The Trust was created to save the Presidio and transform it for a new national purpose. The Trust’s vision is that the Presidio will be forever a public place: vital to the Bay Area, important to all Americans, and recognized for achieving broad benefits for the nation. Today, the Presidio welcomes visitors, is home to a vibrant community of residents and tenants, and inspires greater good through programs that draw on its history and natural resources. The Presidio Trust serves the public with events, lodging, venues, and recreational opportunities. To learn more, visit ​www.presidio.gov.