Presidio Officers' Club

The Presidio Officers' Club

Quick Facts

Amenities

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Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto, Restroom

Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Located at the Main Post of the Presidio, the Presidio Officers' Club has been at the epicenter of the Presidio for almost 250 years. As part of a military post, the small adobe building that would become the Officers' Club served military officers of three nations. Today it is a great space to enjoy an elegant meal or plan an event. It's also a great place to spend an afternoon taking in the historic and artistic exhibits on display.

Heritage Gallery

Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
The Heritage Gallery showcases artifacts from the diverse cultures and overlapping historical narratives that describe the complex history of the Presidio in the context of California, the nation and its people. The gallery also features films, images, artifacts and multimedia exhibits.

Been before? The gallery has short-term as well as permanent displays, so there's always something new to see.

Archaeology Lab

Open Wednesdays - Guided tours 1 p.m., open lab 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Discovering the past is hard, ongoing work. Come take a look at what technicians from the Presidio Archaeology Lab are doing to make sense of the clues left behind from the original Presidio colonial site.

Preserving the Heart of the Presidio

The adobe walls of this key building have stood for almost 250 years and have their own long history of renovation and restoration. Beginning in 1776, Spanish and Mexican forces occupied and then abandoned the post, allowing the adobe to fall into disrepair. In 1847, the US Army rebuilt the building when its soldiers started to occupy the Presidio. In the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) remodeled the Officers' Club to resemble the Mission Revival style.

The 1970s saw the addition of the bell tower, and restoration in 2011-2016 sought to highlight historical preservation and integrate the Officers' Club into modern San Francisco while reinforcing the structure of the building. Visit the Mesa Room in the club to see the building's history peeled back.

History of a Happening Place

The history of the Officers' Club is the history of the Presidio. Over the years, the building that is now the Presidio Officers' Club has housed living quarters for Spanish and Mexican soldiers, barracks for the U.S. Army, a mess hall and kitchen, laundresses' quarters, post headquarters, an assembly hall, a ballroom, a restaurant and bar, and now a museum.

The Spanish Conquest

The year is 1776. In one week, some upstarts in Philadelphia will sign the Declaration of Independence. On the West Coast, an expedition of almost 200 mestizo soldiers and colonists, one priest and 1,000 head of cattle under the command of Juan Bautista de Anza arrive here after traveling from Nueva España (now Mexico). These colonists, under command of Lieutenant Jose Joaquin Moraga, established a tiny military garrison, el Presidio de San Francisco. It was the northernmost Spanish settlement in the New World.


In the earliest days, Presidio soldiers concerned themselves with protecting the frontier and forcing the indigenous peoples into newly established Spanish-style communities. They built many of the simple buildings from the very available adobe clay, which unfortunately quickly deteriorated from the rain and harsh winds. This building served as the commander's residence and headquarters for the soldiers living here; much later it would become the Officers' Club.


Thin soil and strong coastal winds made agriculture and cattle grazing difficult, but the colonists bent themselves to the task. The bay was the Spanish wild frontier and their efforts took a toll on the land, their bodies and their culture. The Presidio's residents were largely on their own.


Mexican Independence and the Presidio
Despite Spain's efforts to fortify the area, wild Alta California became a Mexican territory with the victory of the Mexican Revolution and subsequent independence from Spain in 1821. The modest adobe structure continued to be the commander's home and headquarters for the Presidio under Mexican rule. In 1834, the Presidio was temporarily abandoned when the soldiers moved north to Sonoma to defend that area from Russian and American encroachment. When the US military arrived in 1846, the commander's residence as well as many of the post's buildings were virtually in ruins, and the bay was essentially unprotected.

From US Military Post to National Park Service Park

The US Army comes to the Presidio 
The Mexican-American War exhausted Mexico's resources to hold its northern territories. As the Bear Flag Revolt of 1846 routed Mexican forces from the area, the abandoned Presidio was occupied by the US Army. With the flurry of the California Gold Rush in 1849, protection of the San Francisco Bay and its golden cargo became paramount. Fort Point was established, and the Presidio was once again a hub of activity and command. The remodeled building became a barracks, and by the 1880s, became a place for officers to rest and relax.

The New Presidio Officers' Club
By the Spanish-American War of 1898, the adobe building built by mestizos and soldiers over 120 years earlier became the officers' club for the most important military port of the Pacific. For nearly 100 years, a constant stream of US troops came to and left from the Presidio, shuttled from the mainland to new US possessions in the Pacific. The Presidio Officers' Club served as an institution for rest, relaxation and entertainment for the leaders of our troops as they served our country.

Post to Park, 1994
The Officers' Club, as a part of the Presidio, became a National Park Service site in 1994, officially ending almost 250 years of military service. At the time of its closure, the Presidio was the oldest continuously operating military base in the country and contained a National Historic Landmark District with hundreds of historically significant buildings. As part of the agreement that established Golden Gate National Recreation Area in 1972, the Presidio was transferred to the park service when Congress decided to close the base as a part of a military base reduction program.


Its history as a focal point for the main post continues today for the citizens of San Francisco. A museum and cultural center, gallery, shops, a restaurant, and private and public events fill a busy calendar. Free and open to all, the Presidio Officers' Club offers exhibits tracing the Presidio's past and present, free live music and talks, weekend crafts for kids, and school field trips.