A Short History of the Presidio

The Walt Disney Family Museum is located in the heart of The Presidio of San Francisco, now a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The three buildings that house the Museum are on the National Register of Historic Places, and we are proud to be part of such a significant historical site.

But the human story of this magnificent location dates back thousands of years (archaeologists have located a shell mound in the Crissy Field area that dates back ot A.D. 740), and in observation of Memorial Day, we'd like to share a short history of our fascinating home. 

A Memorial Day Appreciation of Our Home

Photo by Ric Miller. 

WDFM Project Architect Jay Turnbull, FAIA. Photo by Emily Hung WilsonAt The Walt Disney Family Museum, we take enormous pride in our location in the heart of The Presidio of San Francisco.

For 218 years, the Presidio served as an army post for three nations. World and local events, from military campaigns to the rise of aviation, from World’s Fairs to earthquakes, left their mark. Since 1994, the Presidio has been a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

The three buildings that house the Museum are on the National Register of Historic Places. The permanent galleries of the Museum are located at 104 Montgomery Street, one of the five identical barracks built in the 1890s on the Main Post. Offices for the Museum and a space for use as a special exhibition hall are located at 122 Riley Avenue. Erected in 1904, the building was originally the army post gymnasium. A 1940s machine gun storage house now accommodates the mechanical systems for the Museum campus.

The supervising architect of the Museum project was Jay Turnbull, FAIA, Founding Principal of Page & Turnbull in San Francisco.

Established in 1973 (as Charles Hall Page & Associates), Page & Turnbull was established to provide architectural and conservation services for historic buildings, resources and civic areas. The firm was the first architectural practice in the San Francisco Bay area to specialize in historic preservation and is one of the longest-practicing such specialty firms in the country.

Jay Turnbull was educated at Princeton and began work in New York as an architect and urban designer. He came to San Francisco in 1971 and later served as the staff architect of the Foundation for San Francisco’s Architectural Heritage from 1974–1979.

Jay’s work on the rehabilitation or restoration of significant landmarks in the American west has been recognized with numerous awards and publications. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, past president of San Francisco Architectural Heritage, and chairman emeritus of the Maybeck Foundation.

The restoration and adaptive reuse of these historic buildings is one of the seldom-told stories among the hidden treasures of The Walt Disney Family Museum.

PARKING ALERT for August 7 and August 8!

Due to Aloha Weekend at the Presidio, parking will not be free to our Museums guests on August 7 and August 8. We appreciate your patience during this time. 

In happier news, film of the month Swiss Family Robinson will be free, with paid Museum admission, at 1PM and 4PM, Saturday and Sunday. Hope to see you here!