At Golden Gate National Recreation Area, history and culture span an extraordinary timeframe with a rich layering of themes and subject matter. There are five individual National Historic Landmarks and over 10 National Register properties in the park.

The park’s cultural resources are tremendously varied. Dramatic view sheds of contrasting rural and urban environments lead to historic landscapes ranging from dairy ranches and seaside recreation sites, to maritime resources like lighthouses and shipwrecks. Golden Gate has been part of the homelands of Coastal Miwok and Ohlone people for thousands of years and still contains archeological sites and landscapes influenced by native land management. The park includes the largest and most complete collection of military installations and fortifications in the country, dating from Spanish settlement in 1776 though the Nike missiles of the Cold War. Golden Gate contains eleven former Army posts whose military architecture and historic landscapes comprise the heart of the park.

People

Many different types of people, including Dana Crissy, John Muir and the Ohlone and Coast Miwok, have shaped the history of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.  

Places

Golden Gate National Recreation Area is made up of a diverse collection of historic districts, historic buildings, cultural landscapes and archeological sites.

Stories

The park has many interesting stories to tell, including being home to the 1915 World's Fair and the development of the San Francisco Port of Embarkation at Lower Fort Mason.

Preservation

The park is involved in many preservation projects, ranging from building rehabilitation to conservation of historic materials.

Publications

Many of the park's cultural resource studies, including historic resource studies and preservation plans, are available to the public.