• View of the Golden Gate Bridge, taken from the Marin Headlands, looking across the bay back towards San Francisco, seen in the distance.

    Golden Gate

    National Recreation Area California

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  • Tunnel to Marin Headlands Closed

    The tunnel on Bunker Road from Alexander Avenue in Sausalito towards the Marin Headlands is closed for construction. Please follow the detour signs to Conzelman Road (just above the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge) to go up over the hill. More »

  • Muir Beach (but not nearby Muir Woods) parking lot closed June-November 2013

    Muir Beach parking lot will be closed from June-November 2013 due to construction. Restrooms or nearby parking will not be available at Muir Beach during this period. Pacific Way is closed except to residents. Check back for updates or call (415)561-3054 More »

  • CAUTION: Post Storm Damage to Coastal Trail

    The Presidio Coastal Trail segment just north of the Pacific Overlook and adjacent to Lincoln Blvd remains CLOSED indefinitely. We have posted signage to alert bicyclists and hikers and with information for safe trail alternatives. More »

The Presidio Army Museum Exhibit - Shaping the Historical Narrative

GOGA-1766 Presidio Army Museum Photograph Collection PAM Dedication Ceremony

Dedication ceremony for the opening of the Presidio Army Museum held in front of Building 2 on March 6, 1974.

Golden Gate NRA, Park Archives, PAM Print Collection, GOGA-1766

Permanent museum exhibitions explained the history of the Presidio of San Francisco. The early history of the Presidio included the Spanish-American occupation and the early American Period.Displays documented major military conflicts such as the Civil War, the Indian Wars, and the Spanish American War.The museum also showcased elements of the Army post and its surrounding areas including the Wright Army Hospital and Letterman General Hospital.In addition, exhibitions highlighted the Coast Artillery defenses of the San Francisco Bay and introduced museum visitors to important historical events such as the 1906 Earthquake and Fire and the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition.

Titles for permanent exhibitions included:

  • Spanish and Mexican Presidio, 1776-1846
  • The U.S. Army Arrives, 1847-1861
  • Civil War and San Francisco, 1861-1865
  • The Army on the Western Frontier, 1866-1898
  • Beginning Pacific Expansion, 1898-1901
  • Coastal Defense at the Turn-of-the-Century
  • 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire
  • 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition
  • World War I
  • World War II
  • The Modern Military, 1946-Present
 

Next: "History Comes to Life"

Back: "Origins"

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Did You Know?

Basalt pillows

Geologists sometimes call Franciscan pillow basalt “greenstone” because it contains green minerals formed in an interaction between the basalt and hot, mineral-rich seawater.