Collections

Dark blue service cap with ornamentation for dress uniform

Golden Gate NRA, Museum Collection, GOGA 21884

Museum Collections

The museum collections exist to document and support the history of the sites found within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The object collection contains thousands of items representing over 200 years of post-European contact. Objects feature many military themes and include materials from the Spanish-American War, Coast Artillery defenses, and soldier life. Other items in the collection are related to the many sites and activities that are in the park such as Alcatraz, Land's End, the Cliff House and the Panama-Pacific International Exposition.

 

A broken dinner plate recovered from Sutro Heights. "Blue Onion" pattern.

Golden Gate NRA, Museum Collection, GOGA 18253

At the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, we have more than 370 archeological sites. From these sites, we have found almost 500,000 artifacts, including arrowheads, children's toys, old medicine bottles, buttons and buckles, figurines, tools, horseshoes, building materials and jewelry. In addition to artifacts, we also can learn exciting information from buildings, structures, layers of soil, or groupings of different artifacts. Visit the Archeology page for information about open sites and excavation projects.

 

Plocamium cartilagineum (red algae) collected from Mori Point in 2001

Golden Gate NRA, Herbarium Collection

Natural resources collections have been collected through permits from the north and south Pacific border regions of the California coast covering 12 distinct communities. The herbarium collection contains marine algae specimens and plantlife from Muir Woods. Other natural history materials include geological samples from areas within the park, various butterfly species, and fish collected for long-term monitoring. Find more information on the Nature & Science pages.

 

Blanket toss at Camp Merritt, 1898

Golden Gate NRA, Park Archives, GOGA 33760

All collections incorporated into the permanent museum collection are guided by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area's Scope of Collections Statement. This document provides insight regarding the items that are accepted into the collection, how they are reviewed by the park, the laws governing accepting donations, and the basic management of the objects.

Nearly 6000 selections from the Golden Gate NRA's museum collection, as well as from other parks, can be searched and reviewed through the National Park Service's Museum Collections site. PDF attachments and images may be available for some items, this number will increase over time as more collections are updated

 

Ticket for Muir Woods gravity car, 1913

Golden Gate NRA, Park Archives, GOGA 32470.1827

Park Archives and Records Center

The Park Archives and Records Center contains over 5 million documents, photographic images, oral histories and maps that document all areas and facets of the history associated with Golden Gate National Recreation Area from Spanish exploration and the establishment of the Presidio in 1776 to the Indian occupation of Alcatraz Island in 1969 as well as the current activities of the park.

The Park Archives and Records Center houses a large collection of transferred Presidio Army Records pertaining to the Presidio of San Francisco and surrounding military sites. NPS management of these Army records means that there is access to a continual line of information about the natural and cultural resources of lands that were formerly managed by the Department of Defense. The primary contents of this collection include over 1000 linear feet of Army resource records and more than 50,000 engineering drawings and maps of military sites, individual buildings, and coastal defenses.

Take a look at some of the collection's finding aids or browse the park's Photo Gallery which features images from the Park Archives.

You can find more in depth reviews about collections, objects, and positions in our blog: Bridging the Past: Golden Gate NRA Museum Program (This blog recently went through a transfer, efforts are still being made to update previous entries. Thank you for your patience.)

 

Public Reference Hours

The Park Archives and Records Center has regular walk-in research hours for the public and staff.

Monday 1 pm - 4 pm
Thursday 10 am - 1 pm

Individual appointments are also available by calling [phone] or e-mail us.

The Center is closed for research on all federal holidays. Please check below or call for any additional closures.

Closed Monday, May 27th - Memorial Day

 

Park Archives and Records Center - Presidio Building 667

Location

The archives facility is located on the Presidio of San Francisco in building 667, near the intersection of Mc Dowell Avenue and Cowles Street, off of Lincoln Boulevard in one of the 1914 historic brick stable buildings. The building is accessible through the ramp and door on the long side of the building facing the Bay.

When using a mapping program type in the intersection of McDowell Ave and Cowles St, San Francisco, CA 94129, as our physical address (667 McDowell Ave) will either not register with the program or will indicate a completely different location.

Please be advised of the changing conditions and detours of the roads in the Presidio during the Doyle Drive construction project. For more information visit the Presidio Parkway website.

 

See the Frequently Asked Questions page for more information or email us.