One thing you’ll never forget after visiting Fort Point National Historic Site is the view.

Crouched at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Point has stood guard over the narrow entry into San Francisco Bay and its precious harbor for 150 years.

Built during the California Gold Rush, the fort was designed using the military’s “third system” style of construction—the gold standard of its time. The elegant and imposing brick structure was meant to deter invading navies. It must have worked—no shots were ever fired from its cannons.

During the Civil War, soldiers stationed at the “pride of the Pacific” scanned the seas for Confederate ships. Later, the fort was refurbished as military housing during World War II. It served as a base during construction of the Golden Gate Bridge and withstood both the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes.

A tour of the fort explores the facility’s history and operations, as well as the lives of soldiers stationed here. Learn about the experiences of the African-American “Buffalo Soldiers” and female troops who called Fort Point home. See how the lighthouses at Fort Point were constructed, maintained, and used. Another photo exhibit charts the building of the Golden Gate Bridge.

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