A new park on the edge of San Francisco finally opened to the public Sunday.
The Presidio Tunnel Top Park is 14 acres and connects the national park to San Francisco’s Waterfront. The park project has been eight years in the making, and people have been anticipating it.
People on Sunday enjoyed the iconic views from Alcatraz all the way across the Bay to the Golden Gate Bridge.
The Presidio Tunnel Tops Park is also the final segment of a much larger need to improve a seismically unsafe Doyle Drive and now, it’s the crown jewel right on top of the highway tunnels project that started nearly three decades ago.
“Instead of it being an overhead freeway, still disconnecting the waterfront with the park, now it’s a parkway and it has two cut and covered tunnels that added new acres of park land,” said Allison Stone, Presidio Trust Director of Visitor Engagement.
Most of the $118 million needed to build the new park was raised privately and it’s open and free to everyone.
Every day, there will be local pop-up food vendors, playgrounds and an educational center with rotating live music options.
Many San Francisco families are excited about the new opportunities that they can now enjoy in the Presidio.
“I think it’s fantastic. It’s so nice to have the kids run around and make use of this space,” said San Francisco resident Clemens Buehling.
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“I think it’s a great way, you know, to make use of this space – especially for us families,” said Archna Sharma of San Francisco.
The new visitors center at the Presidio will be open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and soon, visitors will be able to reserve picnic sites online.
