Fort Mason Aerial

The oldest structure at Fort Mason, Pier 2 was put into service in 1911 to support the construction of the western portion of the Panama Canal.

Fort Mason Pier 2 in the early 1900's

During World War II, more than 1.5 million troops and 23.5 million tons of cargo shipped out to the Pacific from Fort Mason’s piers.

Fort Mason Pier 2 Cargo

Decommissioned in the 1960’s, Fort Mason was converted to a cultural center in 1977 through a partnership between the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the nonprofit Fort Mason Center.

And over the past year, Pier 2, which is now home to the 35,000 square-foot Herbst Pavilion and 437-seat Cowell Theater, has undergone a $21 million renovation and rehabilitation, topped-off by a new solar array on the roof.

Fort Mason Pier 2 Renovation

The renovated Herbst Pavilion is slated to reopen tomorrow and the first show in the renovated Cowell Theater is scheduled for September.  And according to a plugged-in source, the Fort Mason Center is in discussions with the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) to potentially take over the Herbst Pavilion space for their graduate program in a year or two.

2 thoughts on “Fort Mason’s Pier 2: Past, Present And Possible Future”
  1. Is this really the oldest structure in Ft Mason — built in 1911? I understood several buildings date from the 19th Century on the upper area.

  2. You’re right pier 2 is the oldest building on lower fort mason. There are buildings on upper Ft. Mason that date to the1850’s

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