Fort Point and the Golden Gate Bridge

Directly underneath the landmark Golden Gate Bridge, hidden from the view of the steady stream of daily commuters and tourists, lies a surprising and secret treasure – a Civil War era brick and mortar fort built to protect the San Francisco Bay from unknown invaders, and now an unlikely tourist attraction.

The contrast is startling. The massive four-storey masonry walls of Fort Point, a National Historic Site, enclose a damp and austere stone courtyard where Civil War soldiers once stood g...