Explore museums, theater, shopping, and more, all in Fort Mason Center
July 19, 2008
Sprawling over 13 acres in a beautiful, bayside National Park, San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center is much more than an historic city landmark with an amazing view of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Built as a military institution during the American Civil War, Fort Mason today is an urban cultural hub housing museums, theaters, bookstores, galleries, more than two dozen nonprofit organizations, and — of course — San Francisco’s first hostel, the San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf Hostel. There’s lots to explore in Fort Mason Center, so when you’re finally able to tear yourself away from the staggering views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the Bay, be sure to spend some time exploring what the Center has to offer.
MUSEUMS
Long Now Museum
Fort Mason Building A
Open Monday - Friday, 10:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Saturday - Sunday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Free!
The Long Now Foundation was established in 1996 to creatively foster long-term thinking and responsibility in the framework of the next 10,000 years. Founded in part by musician Brian Eno, the foundation hopes to provide a counterpoint to today’s "faster/cheaper" mindset and promote "slower/better" thinking.
The cornerstone of the foundation is their 10,000 Year Clock project which, when completed, will be a "monument scale, multi-millennial, all mechanical" clock erected in the Nevada desert, and governed by seasonal temperature changes. An ambitious project to say the least, the clock will also include a "library," which the foundation is already developing with a durable archive of human languages called the Rosetta Disk (also available as an online archive for current use).
At their museum at Fort Mason, visitors can see prototypes of components for the 10,000 Year Clock. The Solar Synchronizer is designed to sync the clock to solar noon on sunny days, correcting for pendulum drift while also allowing for the possibility of several years without sun due to a meteor impact or volcanic eruption. The Orrery is an eight-foot-tall planetary display made of monel (a nickel copper alloy), stainless steel, and natural stones, that tracks the movements of the six planets visible from Earth in real time. The final 10,000 Year Clock will be an Orrery at least 60 feet tall, with multiple displays, so that it can be read by someone who does not use our current system of telling time.
Museo ItaloAmericano
Fort Mason Building C
Open Tuesday - Sunday, 12-4 p.m. (open Mondays by appointment)
Free!
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the Museo ItaloAmericano is the only museum in the United States devoted exclusively to researching, collecting, and displaying the work of Italian and Italian-American artists.
Maintaining a small but substantial collection, the Museo’s permanent exhibit features paintings, sculptures, photographs, and more by internationally recognized artists such as Franceso Clemente, Tom Marioni, Rinaldo Cuneo, and Samuel Provenzano. Temporary exhibits also grace the Museo’s walls, such as the work of Marietta Patricia Leis and Paulette Long, on display through August 17.
In addition, the Museo encourages the appreciation of Italian-American arts and culture with film screenings, lectures, and weekly Italian language classes. A gift shop on the premises is stocked with books and Italian-made trinkets.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Artists Gallery
Fort Mason Building A
Open Tuesday - Saturday, 11:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Free!
Owned by the downtown-based San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the SFMOMA Artists Gallery is a great place to see a wide range of contemporary art by emerging and established Northern California artists. Primarily a professional resource for art buyers and renters, the gallery is open for viewing to the public.
The gallery hosts eight exhibitions each year, and holds an annual sale in the spring.
THEATER
BATS Improv
Fort Mason Building B
Residing in the 200-seat Bayfront Theater at Fort Mason, BATS is the Bay Area’s largest improvisational theater company and school.
Unlike traditional theater, improvisation is a spontaneous style of acting where everything on stage — the dialogue, movement, music, songs, lighting, and more — are all created right there on the spot by the actors. The BATS Main Stage Players have been inventing dialogue and action on the fly for more than 20 years, often with hilarious results.
Every weekend, BATS present a series of completely improvised shows in a variety of formats, from Theatresports (where two teams of improvisers compete against one another for points) to improvised musicals.
Tickets range in price depending on the performance — usually $5-$20 — and half-price tickets are often available in advance at the TIX Bay Area kiosk on Union Square.
Magic Theater
Fort Mason Building D
The Magic Theatre is one of our nation’s most prominent theaters solely dedicated to the development and production of new plays. Having just celebrated its 40th anniversary season, the theater has premiered works by many of the most celebrated American playwrights, including Sam Shepard, David Mamet, John O’Keefe, Rebecca Gilman, Jose Rivera, and many more.
Though full-price tickets generally range from $25-40, the Magic Theatre offers $10 rush tickets for students, seniors (age 62 and over), educators, and adults under 30, beginning one half-hour before showtime. They also offer Sliding Scale Wednesdays, when a limited number of first-come, first-served tickets are available for $5-$25 cash at the box office. $5 discounts are also available for regular-price shows to students, educators, seniors, and people with disabilities.
The theater also hosts "Z/Magic Mondays" on the second Monday of each month, which are staged readings of new plays by Bay Area playwrights. These readings are open to the public, with a $10 suggested donation at the door, and start at 7 p.m.
BOOKSTORE
Book Bay Fort Mason
Fort Mason Building D
Open daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Operated by the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, the stock of the Bay Book Store is made up almost entirely donated books, of which the Friends receive half a million annually. The Fort Mason branch features a wide variety of new and used books, magazines, music, and videos, all reasonably priced from as low as $1.
The Friends also host book and author events at the store, including the "Green Ink" series, a free reading and discussion series highlighting the principles of green living, conservation, and sustainability. On Wednesday, August 13, stop in to hear Peter Barnes as he reads from his new book, "Climate Solutions."
The Fort Mason Bay Book Store also hosts the largest book sale on the West Coast in the fall, so be sure to check it out if you’re visiting Fort Mason September 24-28.
FOR KIDS
San Francisco Children’s Art Center
Fort Mason Building C
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the San Francisco Children’s Art Center teaches children ages 22 months to 12 years how to trust their own creative impulses and shape their artistic visions.
Offering a wide range of long-term art courses at different age levels, the center welcomes drop-ins to most of its classes. Call in advance and reserve a one-day spot in a painting, sculpting, printmaking, multi-media, or paper-making class for your child, and watch their imagination flourish.
Drop-in fees range from $20-$55, depending on the length, age group, and topic of the class.
Young Performers Theatre
Fort Mason Building C
If you’re traveling with your family, an afternoon show at the Young Performer’s Theatre (YPT) may be just the ticket for your little ones.
Also known as the Anthony Manning Kunin Foundation, YPT is a nonprofit children’s theater that has produced more than 100 main-stage children’s productions since its founding in 1982. Come watch youth and adults perform together in classics such as "Pinocchio," "Peter and the Wolf," and "Peter Pan."
Tickets for all shows are $10 for adults, and $7 for children under 13.
The theater also offers ongoing acting classes, hosts theatrical birthday parties, and tours local schools to expose as many youngsters as possible to live theater.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Fort Mason Center hosts many major festivals and large-scale events throughout the year (such as the American Craft Council Show, coming up August 15-17, and Slow Food Nation, August 30-31) so check the Center’s website to find out what’s happening during your stay!