What’s New at the Presidio (Fall 2021)

​​San Francisco, CA (August 17, 2021) – As the weather warms up in the Bay Area, and the days remain long and lovely, fall is a great season for outdoor adventures in the Presidio. This fall, the Presidio Trust is pleased to announce that more businesses and visitor amenities are available to the public—just in time for a Labor Day visit and all the fun fall holidays to come. Here’s what to expect in the park this season.

My Park Moment Photo Show Opens September 1

Parks belong to all of us – they’re where we gather to play, celebrate, and spend time with those we love. The free My Park Moment photo show features people from all backgrounds across the country enjoying their favorite parks. From the 7,000 submissions received, 400 hundred images were selected for the show by a distinguished panel of creators and community leaders. They capture the beauty of the great outdoors and the joy that time in nature can bring. The My Park Moment photo show is situated in four locations around the Presidio Tunnel Tops to remind visitors of what’s to come in spring 2022. Presented in collaboration with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the National Park Service, and New York based non-profit Photoville. Free, open 7 days a week, 24/7.

Park Welcome Centers

The Golden Gate Welcome Center, located in the visitor plaza at the bridge’s southern end, provides an interesting opportunity to learn about the bridge through special exhibits and remnants from its construction in the 1930s. It’s also a place to pick up park gifts and bridge merchandise. Equator Coffees will reopen the historic Round House Café at the plaza in early September, offering warming beverages, pastries, and salads. Open seven days a week from 9 am to 5 pm.

The Warming Hut Park Store is a welcome stop along Crissy Field’s West Bluff. Here you can stop for drinks, snacks, and to purchase locally made souvenirs, park gear, and books from the curated gift shop. Open Thursday through Monday, 9 am to 5 pm. The Presidio Visitor Center is scheduled to open later this fall.

Presidio Officers’ Club Opens Saturdays, from September 4

The Presidio Officers’ Club is one of the most historic buildings in San Francisco—two adobe rooms date to the Spanish El Presidio. Throughout the 20th century, the Officers’ Club was an exclusive gathering place for Army brass and their families. Today, it’s a hospitality venue available to rent for special events in beautiful spaces like the Ortega Ballroom, Hardie Courtyard and Moraga Hall. On Saturdays, the public is welcome to enjoy the free permanent exhibition galleries tracing the Presidio’s past and present, with the help of our knowledgeable volunteers. The special exhibition Exclusion: The Presidio’s Role in World War II Japanese American Incarceration will also reopen. Exclusion is presented in collaboration with the Korematsu Institute and the National Japanese American Historical Society, whose Presidio-based MIS Historic Learning Center is also open again to the public (open weekends from 12 to 5 ​pm)​. Public hours, Saturdays from 11am to 4pm.

NEW Outdoor Family Fun

Late this summer, the Presidio Trust introduced Presidio Field Notes, a collection of small, wooden-hinged blocks affixed to fence posts, benches, and stumps along park trails containing a hidden message inviting visitors of all ages to make discoveries about the Presidio’s natural world. These notes change with the season to highlight the ever-changing seasonal rhythm of nature in the park. Through a partnership with the San Francisco Public Library, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and the National Park Service, the Presidio is now home to three “StoryWalks” where pages of a children’s book are placed on sign panels along a trail so you can “seek, find and read” as you stroll. The newest, Have You Ever Seen a Flower? by Shawn Harris, was added at Crissy Field just in time for a fall visit!

Food in the Presidio

No need to go hungry in the park, there are some delicious options for dining, picnicking, and snacking, with a few restaurants newly reopened. Located in the Presidio’s Letterman District within the Tides Converge campus, Café Rx is an unfussy walk-up eatery that serves bagels, sandwiches, salads, and Latin American-inspired specials, like pupusas and tamales, on the changing daily menu. Starbucks is a quick grab-and-go option. Presidio Café at Presidio Golf Course features American comfort food with California flair in a casual clubhouse environment. Presidio Bowl and Grill is fully open for both lunch and dinner, with its hearty burgers and selection of over 50 types of beer. For more fine dining, enjoy Sessions at the Presidio. For all Presidio Restaurants please visit our website and check individual restaurants for hours and reservations.

Virtual Public Board Meeting September 23

Save the date! The Presidio Trust invites the public to its fall board meeting, online September 23 from 6pm – 8pm. The topic is Presidio Visitation, and there are opportunities for the public to make comments.

Park Safety

The Presidio Trust and the National Park Service have adopted COVID safety protocols consistent with Federal, local, and state guidelines, which continue to evolve. Visitors are currently required to wear masks inside federal buildings, on shuttles, and in crowded outdoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status. Masks and social distancing for vaccinated people are not required in other outdoor spaces, but safe distancing is advised.

About the Presidio and the Presidio Trust

The Presidio Trust is a federal agency that manages the Presidio of San Francisco, a national park site in the heart of the 82,000-acre Golden Gate National Recreation Area. In partnership with the National Park Service and the non-profit Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the Presidio Trust brings alive the park’s historic, natural, and recreational assets for the inspiration, education, health, and enjoyment of all people. Spanning nearly 1,500 acres in a spectacular setting at the Golden Gate, the Presidio is defined by its history, spectacular views, natural habitats, and beautiful opens spaces. It’s home to 3,000 residents and 200 tenant organizations, many of which welcome and serve the public, including the Trust’s hospitality services. The Presidio Trust is focused on welcoming all to the national park experience, protecting and enhancing the environment, and operating in service to the public.

Photos are available upon request.