Getaway: Guide to family-friendly fun at the Presidio

The Presidio may just be the most elaborate playground in the entire Bay Area. How else to describe a giant park with hiking trails, museums, public art, beachfront, restaurants, a bowling alley and much, much more?

Sure, the place has a colorful history as a military base. It was a U.S. Army base between 1848 and 1994, and was a base for the Spanish and Mexicans for about 75 years before that. Today, however, after more than 10 years of redevelopment, the place can be best described simply as a base of awesome, especially for families with young kids.

History come to life

Without question, the biggest attraction at the Presidio is history. Some of the opportunities take visitors way back to hundreds of years before the present. Others go back only a few decades, such as The Walt Disney Family Museum, which spotlights the life and times of Walt Disney. (Note to the wise: Disney museum exhibit signage has lots of words. Kids under 8 or 9 may get bored.)

The most elaborate looks into yesteryear are found at the Presidio Archaeology Lab, which services an ongoing dig taking place right outside the Presidio Officers' Club on the main quad (they call it the “Main Post”). The program's primary research focus is the site of El Presidio de San Francisco, the original Spanish Colonial fort occupied by the Spanish and Mexicans from 1776-1846.

Since the dig began in 2014, archaeologists have found thousands of artifacts, from pottery shards to old nails. The lab is open to the public on Wednesdays; free guided tours are at 1 p.m. The dig out front is ongoing. Most excavations happen early in the day.

Another historical site worth mentioning is the Presidio Pet Cemetery, just up the hill from Crissy Field.

This picket fence-enclosed lot served as the final resting place for hundreds of loyal animals owned by families stationed at the Presidio between the 1950s and the 1980s.

Though the cemetery has been closed during construction of the Presidio Parkway above, you can get a great glimpse of some of the headstones by simply peering through the fence.

Outdoor adventure

Crissy Field, which runs more than one mile along the southern shore of the mouth to San Francisco Bay, also is one of the most popular spots for outdoor adventure in the Presidio.

The rocky sand at Crissy Field West Beach has been in the news recently because it is the best place in the city to spot humpback whales that have strayed under the Golden Gate Bridge and into the bay to feed.

Even when the whales are not around, the beach is great for family picnics, trolling for beach glass or wading in up to the knees. Also worth experiencing are the public art installations from Andy Goldsworthy, called “Goldsworthy in the Presidio.”

Four of his works are on display, including Spire, a 100-foot-tall tower made of the trunks of 37 Monterey cypress trees; and Wood Line, a serpentine line of cypress that snakes 1,200 feet through the Presidio's largest eucalyptus grove.

The former inspires skyward neck tilts and wows in amazement; the latter practically begs kids to (attempt to) walk it like a balance beam.

Culinary delights

The Presidio has become a great destination for food-loving families as well, a place where visitors can find more for kids than hot dogs or mac and cheese.

The most kid-friendly option is the Presidio Social Club, just inside the Lombard Street Gate. Inside a building that dates back to 1903 and was erected as a military barracks, chefs serve classy yet casual dishes for lunch and dinner daily. Brunch in particular is quite a show.

The brown sugar cinnamon roll is the size of a small hubcap and will win over even the pickiest little eaters.

For more of an ethnic meal, grab a table on the open-air patio at Arguello, just west of the Presidio Officers' Club.

Here, marvel with the kids as you watch cooks use the outdoor comal (griddle) to make tortillas, then roll your eyes back into your head as you savor delicious morsels from Chef Traci des Jardins.

The poklanes, or Yucatan bean fritters, are addicting.

And in case you're wondering, the restaurant is named after Luis Antonio Arguello, who served as commander in the Presidio from 1806 until 1822, when he became the first Mexican Governor of Alta California.

Down near Crissy Field, warm up from the fog at the Warming Hut, a super-casual deli that sells sandwiches and hot chocolate everyone in your brood will love.

Other fun

No family-focused look at the Presidio would be complete without mentioning the Letterman Digital and New Media Arts Center, Lucasfilm's outpost in the city. While there are no public tours, any self-respecting “Star Wars” fan will want to snap a selfie with the iconic Yoda statue out front.

And finally, even if you don't bowl, the Presidio Bowling Center warrants a visit.

Sure, the place has 12 lanes. And, yes, it offers bumpers for kids 8 and younger.

But the real attraction is the scoring system, which takes digital photos of participants and uses portions of the photos in silly vignettes throughout each game.

You haven't really lived until you've seen your daughter's head running around on the body of a cartoon chicken. Yet another reason the Presidio is so much fun.

Matt Villano is a freelance writer and editor based in Healdsburg.