Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States California San Francisco Fort Point

Fort Point

Beneath the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge is the “Gibraltar of the West Coast,” a fort built to protect the San Francisco Bay from naval attack.

San Francisco, California

Added By
Scott Mansfield
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Golden Gate Bridge with Fort Point below   ThomasLendt / CC BY-SA 4.0
The fort is located under the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge.   Scott Mansfield / Atlas Obscura User
If the flag if flying, the fort is open for visitors.   Scott Mansfield / Atlas Obscura User
The fort has three tiers of casemates for cannons.   Scott Mansfield / Atlas Obscura User
The fort has unique views of the San Francisco Bay.   Scott Mansfield / Atlas Obscura User
21 April 2023   shaunk82 / Atlas Obscura User
  breaingram / Atlas Obscura User
21 April 2023   shaunk82 / Atlas Obscura User
  Antahny / Atlas Obscura User
  Antahny / Atlas Obscura User
  Antahny / Atlas Obscura User
  Antahny / Atlas Obscura User
Inside the fort   seaside63 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The location has been a strategic point since Spanish settlers first built a fort here—the Castillo de San Juaquin—in 1794. A bronze cannon from that era is part of the artillery collection at the fort.

The current brick and granite fort was completed in 1861 to help defend the area from Confederate forces during the Civil War. Positions for 141 iron cannons and seven-foot-thick brick walls made the structure a formidable military installation. The fort was updated during World War II with rifled cannons that could launch 2,000-pound shells 25 miles to help defend against Japanese attacks.

In the 1930s, plans for the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge originally included the demolition of the fort. But Chief Engineer Joseph Strauss recognized the historic value of the structure and created an arch that enabled the construction of the bridge over Fort Point. Strauss also used the building as the base of operations during the construction of the bridge.

The fort was decommissioned and in 1970, Fort Point became a National Historic Site. To experience the fort, visitors have the option of taking a ranger-led tour, a self-guided tour available on the NPS app, or just by roaming around. There’s no entrance fee.

The fort's location at the narrow mouth of the San Francisco Bay not only made it of strategic importance, but it also affords visitors views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the city not available elsewhere.

Related Tags

Civil War Military History Forts

Know Before You Go

See the National Park Service website for current hours of operation.

Community Contributors

Added By

Scott Mansfield

Edited By

shaunk82, breaingram, Michelle Cassidy, Antahny...

  • shaunk82
  • breaingram
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • Antahny
  • causeiwander
  • seaside63

Published

May 25, 2023

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.nps.gov/fopo/learn/historyculture/index.htm
  • https://www.nps.gov/fopo/index.htm
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Point_National_Historic_Site
Fort Point
201 Marine Dr
San Francisco, California, 94129
United States
37.810612, -122.47709
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Hoppers Hands

San Francisco, California

miles away

House of Air

San Francisco, California

miles away

Presidio Pet Cemetery

San Francisco, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of San Francisco

San Francisco

California

Places 217
Stories 50

Nearby Places

Hoppers Hands

San Francisco, California

miles away

House of Air

San Francisco, California

miles away

Presidio Pet Cemetery

San Francisco, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of San Francisco

San Francisco

California

Places 217
Stories 50

Related Places

  • Fernandina Beach, Florida

    Fort Clinch

    Used as a military post in three different engagements, this fort has remained incomplete and unfired upon for nearly 200 years.

  • Fort Morgan

    Gulf Shores, Alabama

    Fort Morgan Historic Site

    This coastal port saw one of the most significant battles of the Civil War.

  • Pensacola, Florida

    Fort Barrancas

    This now-deactivated naval base defended the Florida coast for centuries.

  • Fort Washington, Maryland

    Fort Foote Rodman Guns

    A mammoth pair of Civil War artillery guns abandoned out in the forest.

  • This unusual relief depicts a future president serving a cup of coffee to an injured soldier.

    Wilmington, Delaware

    McKinley Monument

    This relief sculpture depicts America’s most famous coffee break.

  • Confederate Soldiers Gateway.

    Lakeside Marblehead, Ohio

    Confederate Stockade Cemetery on Johnson’s Island

    This Ohio cemetery is home to the remains of many Confederate officers and soldiers who were once held nearby as prisoners of war.

  • Entrance.

    Washington, D.C.

    Battleground National Cemetery

    This tiny, one-acre cemetery serves as a reminder of when the Civil War got close to the nation’s capitol.

  • Hobart volunteer artillery at Alexandra Battery, Sandy Bay, Tasmania, circa 1890.

    Sandy Bay, Australia

    Alexandra Battery

    A hidden gem of Hobart’s past, now a park with panoramic views and plenty of history.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.