Fort Mason Center

📍 💰 Free 🎯 Arts & Parks

The Verdict

"Shop the Sunday morning farmers market, then picnic on the great lawn with views across the water toward Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge."

What you need to know

A 13-acre arts and cultural campus on the northern waterfront in former U.S. Army warehouses and piers, part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area and operated by the nonprofit Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture.

What to Expect

The campus houses permanent tenants including the Magic Theatre, BATS Improv, the Long Now Foundation, the Italian Cultural Institute, and a number of galleries. The Fort Mason Center Farmers Market runs Sunday mornings, and Off the Grid food truck nights have run here. The buildings are former military warehouses; the piers look across the bay toward Alcatraz and the Golden Gate, and the Great Meadow above the lower fort is open for picnicking.

Getting There

The 28 19th Avenue and 30 Stockton both stop at Fort Mason. Walking from Fisherman’s Wharf takes about 15 minutes along the waterfront. The Bay Trail runs through the campus.