Fort Mason
The 1,200 acres of waterfront currently occupied by Fort Mason have been prized for their strategic location along San Francisco Bay since Spanish settlers established the Bateria de Yerba Buena here in 1797. Over the years the site has served as an important US military outpost, a hub for abolitionists, an earthquake relief camp, a temporary City Hall, and today, a national park.
Fort Mason’s use as an active military post ended in the 1960s, and the National Park Service purchased the site from the US Army in the 1970s as a centerpiece of the newly established Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The decommissioned, nondenominational Fort Mason Chapel, situated near the park’s headquarters and the entrance to upper Fort Mason, is the exhibition site for Sanctuary.