The Establishment of a People's Park

Phil Burton on a tour of Alcatraz Island, surrounded by Peter Arrigoni, John Jacobs, Bill Maillard.

1974

By the 1950s, the port's role had diminished, as troop movement increasingly relied on air transports instead of ships. Eventually, the Department of Defense identified Fort Mason as redundant to military purposes. The future of Fort Mason became the focus of lively debate at both the local and national level for over a decade. Congressman Phillip Burton (D-CA) championed the idea, pushed forward by the local community, of creating a new urban national park that would provide outdoor recreational opportunities and preserve historic and natural sites for all.

In 1972, Congress created Golden Gate National Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park Service, encompassing much of this historic army land. Over time, the government removed many of the dilapidated army buildings and created the Great Meadow as open space for the enjoyment of the city's residents and visitors alike.